What is happening on the hill above the Grand Marais water tower? The excavation by Jason Hill Excavating and Lamb Construction Corporation has made Gunflint Trail motorists curious. The work is for the entrance to Superior Zipline Adventures, a Zipline being constructed by Matt Geretschlaeger of Grand Marais.
Matt Geretschlaeger of Grand Marais introduced the idea of his new business, Superior Zipline Adventures, over a year ago. It took a while to find a location and funding for the $825,000 project, but Geretschlaeger broke ground on the zip line along the Gunflint Trail, overlooking Grand Marais and Lake Superior on August 14, 2013.
Geretschlaeger said everything is going as planned and he expects to open the zip line for business in spring 2014.
Zipping up the land and funding
It was a bit of a bumpy road to get started. Geretschlaeger first approached the Grand Marais City Council in March 2012 requesting a zoning change to allow him to construct a zip line at the city’s west entrance near Grand Marais Inn (formerly Tomteboda Inn). That plan met with opposition with adjacent property owners and the city council would not approve the plan unless all of the neighboring property owners gave their consent.
Folks who “fly” the zip line will get a ride back up the hill in a little blue bus. Superior Zipline Developer Matt Geretschlaeger is pictured here behind the wheel.
It was back to the drawing board for Geretschlaeger, who returned to the Grand Marais City Council April 11, 2012 with a new plan for Superior Zip Lines—this time at the current Gunflint Trail location.
Geretschlaeger said the topography there was perfectly suited for a zip line, was already zoned for recreational use, and was in keeping with use of the area as envisioned by the 2000 – 2003 Old Ski Hill Consensus Committee. However, Geretschlaeger didn’t own the land; the city did.
Geretschlaeger asked councilors if they’d be willing to sell him the property at a fair market value price determined by an appraiser. The city ultimately sold the land—approximately 20 acres—to Geretschlaeger for $75,000.
Geretschlaeger has put much of his own money on the line but is receiving financial help from a number of entities. Geretschlaeger was granted a Cook County Revolving Loan Fund loan of $250,000 in July 2013 at 6.18 percent interest over 20 years. He also received a loan of $266,000 from the USDA Small Business Administration. Another $192,000 of funding comes from the Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board (IRRRB) in the form of an economic development grant. Another $9,000 grant was received from the Cook County – Grand Marais Economic Development Authority Immediate Needs Fund, established this year with assistance from the IRRRB.
The $9,000 grant was necessary, according to EDA Board Member Hal Greenwood, to get the ball rolling. At the August 2013 EDA meeting, Greenwood explained that the site preparation and clearing had to be completed by December 2013 under the conditions of the other grants.
The EDA board approved the $9,000 grant unanimously, but EDA Board Member Scott Harrison qualified his aye by saying, “This is complicated. Mark me nervous.”
Clearing and construction for the zip line
Reached by phone on September 25, Geretschlaeger said there is nothing to worry about; everything is going well. Although the business plan he presented to the Cook County Revolving Loan Fund in June 2012 called for a September 2012 opening, Geretschlaeger said, “Everything is identical to the plans I originally submitted. There have been no surprises.”
Geretschlaeger said Geronimo Construction of Biwabik is the firm building two zip lines, with the help, he stressed, of all local contractors. He noted that Jason Hill Excavating and Lamb Construction Corporation had been great to work with. “We’ve used 100 percent local contractors, except for Geronimo, which is an Iron Range company,” said Geretschlaeger, adding, “That is important to me.”
Another local contractor is logger Kent Anderson and Geretschlaeger said his involvement adds a historic twist to the construction of Superior Zipline Adventures. Kent is the son of Wayne and Philis Anderson of Grand Marais. Wayne Anderson’s father—Kent’s grandfather— oversaw the replanting of the white pines on the Sawtooth Ridge after a major fire decimated the hillside long ago. Knowing the history of the pines, Geretschlaeger said Kent Anderson was very protective of the property, preserving as many of the trees planted by his grandfather as possible. “Kent said we need to treat this as a national park,” said Geretschlaeger.
Zipping lightly on the land
Geretschlaeger said the major work of building the driveway, which included some blasting, is over. “There should not be any more traffic delays,” he said, acknowledging that the hillside looks a bit rough right now.
“We’re done with the demolishing phase and we’re now putting things back together,” said Geretschlaeger.
He said work continues; it is just now out of sight of the Gunflint Trail. He said the road to what will be the main lodge building, between the two zip line towers, has been completed and it cannot be seen from the roadway.
“We are dedicated to providing a safe and healthy environment that best features the extreme beauty of the site and the unparalleled views of Lake Superior,” said Geretschlaeger.
He noted that the zip line runs on gravity. “We are looking at installing a solar energy system, so our whole operation will be without fossil fuels,” said Geretschlaeger.
A superior future planned
The time taken for work to begin on the Superior Zipline Adventure project meant that some residents and visitors were not aware, or had forgotten, what was going to take place on the hillside. The Cook County News-Herald was asked several times, “What is going on above the Grand Marais water tower?”
Guesses about what was taking place ranged from a mansion on the hill to an amusement park. An amusement park is not farfetched, as the zip line is meant to provide a thrilling recreational experience. And, Geretschlaeger’s business plan notes, he has been contacted by an investor interested in creating a snowboard park, something in keeping with the 2000 – 2003 Old Ski Hill Consensus Committee Plan. An endurance course may be considered at some point in the future.
In the business plan, Geretschlaeger said he had also been approached about a restaurant on the site.
Those interested in the project can follow the construction on facebook at Superior Zip Lines or online at www.superiorziplines.com.
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