City Council holds first meeting in new building, discusses Heights development
After a year of meeting in the Cook County Commissioner’s Room at the Courthouse, the Grand Marais City Council has settled into its new city hall/liquor store building.
On Wednesday, April 9, the city council held their first meeting in the new building.
Before discussing the meeting agenda, the city council recognized the decades-long process of bringing the project to fruition. Grand Marais Mayor Tracy Benson invited former city councilors to the meeting to participate in the celebration.
Former city councilors Tim Kennedy, Jan Sivertson, Kay Costello, and Kelly Swearingen attended the meeting.
Swearingen said, “I’m really proud of what became of this and where it ended. So I thank all of you for all of your hard work.”
Sivertson said, “It’s beautiful to be in this new space.”
“It was always evident the need was there, and it took a lot of persistence and work with councils that worked for a long time ago till today. And today, we have this fantastic building,” Kennedy said. “What a change from what there was before.”
During the initial recognition, Mayor Benson said, “Thanks to all of you. Now we have a wonderful new building that we can be super proud of.”
The April 9 city council agenda included several items, including reviewing and approving the developer’s agreement for the 36-unit Heights housing project.
Cook County resident and one of the Heights developers, Gary Latz, provided an update on the apartment project. Latz said there has been a “flurry of activity” recently as the project is slated to break ground in mid-April.
The Height’s apartment building will consist of modular units, which allow the project to be constructed off-site. After the groundwork on the property has been completed, the modular units will be assembled on the parcel. Following groundwork throughout April and May, Latz said the public could expect to start seeing the building constructed in June or July.
The Cook County Real Estate Fund, which is primarily funding the Heights project, intends to host a groundbreaking ceremony on the property in late May.
Latz said the apartment complex will be available to tenants as early as this fall. “There will be people moving in this year.”
Watch the Wednesday, April 9, city council meeting here.
WTIP’s Kalli Hawkins spoke with Grand Marais Mayor Tracy Benson following the April 9 meeting for a full city update on the new building, 2025 city initiatives, and recent updates to the cannabis ordinance. The audio is below.
Kalli Hawkins April 11, 2025
