U.S. Department of Agriculture funding will help build a new concrete basement foundation for Bates Township Hall, as well as other layout improvements and a new porch. The total project cost is $500,000, with the Bates Hall Preservation Society providing $250,000. (Courtesy photo)

A project to relocate and restore the historic Bates Township Hall in Iron County will be assisted by a $250,000 federal grant.

U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development Michigan State Director Dom Restuccia announced the award Tuesday while Rural Development was co-hosting an Opportunity Zone roundtable in Marquette.

USDA provided the funding through its Community Facilities program to the Bates Hall Preservation Society. Formed in late 2020, the Bates Hall Preservation Society was created with the intent to not only preserve the 1907 structure, but to revitalize it.

The hall serves as the center for the township government and an election polling location. Its foundation is deteriorating due to weathering and the proximity to road traffic and runoff.

USDA funding will help build a new concrete basement foundation for the hall, as well as additional facility layout improvements and a new porch. The total project cost is $500,000, with the recipient providing $250,000.

“Under the leadership of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, the Trump-Vance U.S. Department of Agriculture is committed to supporting the local governments across rural America, including municipalities like Bates Township,” Restuccia said in a news release. “Local government is the cornerstone of local control and community-based decisions. We are proud to play a small part in supporting the people and local government of Bates Township.”

Opportunity Zones are economically distressed communities, defined by individual census tract, nominated by America’s governors, and certified by the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury via their delegation of authority to the Internal Revenue Service. Under certain conditions, new investments in Opportunity Zones may be eligible for preferential tax incentives.

“Opportunity Zones represent a unique opportunity to boost investment and improve economic conditions in rural Michigan communities,” USDA Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement Senior Advisor Jason Allen said. “This is not a top-down, one-size-fits-all program, it is community-based and community-driven and focuses on practical solutions.”

Another Opportunity Zone roundtable will take place Thursday in Sault Ste. Marie.