BEACON HOUSE DONOR Steve Mariucci and his wife, Gayle Mariucci, put the first shovel in the ground during a groundbreaking ceremony for the new 21-room hospitality house on Friday. Site preparation is set to begin today. Organizers hope to celebrate a grand opening in December 2021. (Photo courtesy of Walt Lindala)

MARQUETTE — Community leaders gathered for a historic day in the city of Marquette to honor a project that can bring comfort to families in the Upper Peninsula for years to come.

Officials with the Steve Mariucci Family Beacon House broke ground Friday to begin construction on the two-story hospitality house that will provide 20 guest rooms to serve those in need of a place to stay during times of medical crisis.

Mariucci — an Iron Mountain native who is the chairman for the Beacon House’s capital campaign, a former football coach and TV sports commentator — and his wife, Gayle Mariucci, celebrated the occasion by putting the first shovels in the ground.

“Today marked the beginning of a new journey to help our U.P. neighbors in times of medical crisis,” Mariucci said. “This new Beacon House is going to be a home away from home for patients and families for many years to come, and my family is very proud to be a part of something so supportive and enduring.”

Closner Construction will begin work on the first phase of the $5.4 million hospitality house project located near the intersection of Seventh and Spring streets in Marquette on Monday, a Beacon House press release states.

And while fundraising is still underway to complete the hospitality house, a $100,000 donation from the Upper Peninsula Power Co. with a match from Mariucci met the $3 million goal to start the first phase of construction.

Mary Tavernini Dowling, CEO of the Hospitality House of the Upper Peninsula, said organizers felt as though they were “going to need a miracle … to break ground this year” when they found themselves $200,000 short of the goal in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.

“Then two miracles occurred: Steve Mariucci and UPPCO,” Tavernini Dowling said. “We’ve been reaching out to Upper Peninsula businesses … and sharing our vision of how a major gift from them would truly be a gift to their clients, customers, employees and neighbors when they faced a medical crisis and needed the specialty medical services here in Marquette. I was stunned when Steve offered to match the first $100,000 gift, as he’s already given so much to the campaign and helped in so many other ways. When I approached UPPCO to discuss this possibility, we both realized how perfect a fit this match was because of their commitment to the Upper Peninsula and the territory they serve.”

UPPCO Vice President of Business Development and Communications Brett French said that Beacon House provided his company with a “unique opportunity to support the well-being of our customers and our communities by giving back during this time of need.

“We are humbled to be able to partner with Steve Mariucci, a champion for the region, to bring life to the Beacon House and offer hope and respite when a loved one is seeking specialty or emergent medical care,” French said.

Mariucci noted that UPPCO’s description of providing service to “mile after rugged mile” and “powering through one of the most rural, weather-challenged areas in America” could also explain the critical need for the hospitality house project.

“Every day, someone in the UPPCO service territory is diagnosed with cancer, heart disease, a high-risk pregnancy or other type of medical emergency and seeks the specialty medical care only offered at the UPHS regional hospital,” Mariucci said. “On a good day, the trip to Marquette can be long and exhausting from worry. On a bad winter day, it can be a nightmare of its own. Patients and families long to be together in medical crisis, and trips back and forth to home can take their toll. With this gift, UPPCO has helped further the Beacon House mission with ‘one less worry’ about where they’ll stay and how they can afford it.”

Efforts are continuing to raise the remaining $2.4 million to complete the hospitality house, which is expected to have its grand opening in December 2021.

“We are so excited to get this construction started,” Tavernini Dowling said. “We have put in a tremendous amount of effort to get to this celebratory day. Every inch of this design is purposeful and developed with the medical patient and family’s needs in mind, from the special cancer wing and wig salon for cancer patients to the well laid-out community kitchen, outdoor porches and deck. We have the funds to get started and the next leg of our fundraising will help us make it home.”

Joining the Mariuccis and Tavernini Dowling at the groundbreaking ceremony were Hospitality House of the U.P. Board Vice President Sue LeGalley; UPHS CEO Gar Atchison; Marquette City Manager Mike Angeli; Lake Superior Community Partnership CEO Amy Clickner; brownfield authority chairman David Allen; state Rep. Sara Cambensy, D-Marquette; and Tom and Kelly Reynolds, former guests of Beacon House.

Since its inception in 2002, Beacon House has provided 324,739 overnight stays for people from the U.P. and Wisconsin. The organization has counted 5,155 cardiovascular patients, 3,297 neuro/brain/spine patients, 1,980 orthopedic or surgical patients, 3,874 in connection with the intensive care unit or emergency department, 1,315 specialty clinic patients, 1,985 stays related to the neonatal intensive care unit or obstetrics, 2,013 related to oncology, and 1,618 magnetic resonance imaging or test patients.

It is estimated that Beacon House has saved families $64 million in lodging and meal costs, the release states.

The original Beacon House facility, which was at 1301 N. Third St. near the former UP Health-System Marquette hospital, was sold in 2019.

Design work on the new Beacon House is by Dax Richer and Jason Gautier of RG Design. Brian Savolainen is the civil engineer for the structure with JP Electric and Dresseler Mechanical Inc. subcontracting the electric, mechanical and plumbing work. Oberstar Inc. has been awarded the site contracting, the release states.

While the groundbreaking was a big step for the hospitality house, the organization is encouraging more U.P. businesses, individuals and organizations to pledge or donate to its Legacy of Love capital campaign.

For more information, go to www.upbeaconhouse.org or email mary@upbeaconhouse.org.