A Civic Gift

The renovation of Marquette's Landmark Inn marked a turning point in that Upper Peninsula city's modern history. It signaled other investors that a revival of its moribund business district was under way. Today Marquette has one of Michigan's liveliest downtowns, but its success story is by no means an isolated example. According to "A Civic Gift: Historic Preservation, Community Reinvestment, and Smart Growth in Michigan," a new study by the Michigan Land Use Institute prepared under contract for the State Historic Preservation Office, entrepreneurs, investors, and insightful communities across Michigan are reaping greater economic activity and a higher quality of life through similar historic preservation projects.