Groundbreaking Ceremony Held for Miskogiizhig Apartments

Submitted by Lorene "Booki" Weilgot

ARPA Projects Coordinator

On a crisp fall morning, the Lac Courte Oreilles Tribe held the groundbreaking ceremony for the new 40-unit residential building named “Miskogiizhig Apartments.” Attending were members of the Tribal Governing Board: Louis Taylor, Tribal Chairman, Lorraine Gouge, Vice-Chair, Gary “Little Guy” Clause and Michelle Beaudin, councilmembers, with tribal staff Brian Bisonette, Lorene Wielgot and Kelly Nayquonabe. The representative of DBS Group, the contractor, were also in attendance: Chris Walters, President, Kevin Barnes, Project Manager, Matt Carlson, Project Superintendent, and Matt Gobel, Pre-Construction Manager. Tribal elder Dennis White delivered a blessing in Ojibwe language to start the project off properly. He explained that the apartments were aptly named, as “Miskogiizhig” is the name of the spirit in the east, and represents the birth of a new day.

Construction is scheduled to begin Monday, October 3, 2022 and will be completed September 30, 2023. Jean Thayer, Executive Director of the Lac Courte Oreilles Housing Authority, said they look forward to the challenge of managing the 1- and 2-bedroom, non-income-based units to support the housing needs of young working adults.

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Current building mock up