EVELETH, Minn.- The Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board (IRRRB) will hold its reorganizational meeting on Tuesday, February 10, 2015 in St. Paul. Agenda items include a major broadband investment and an increase to the Giants Ridge Event Center budget.

Clinton Township on behalf of Northeast Service Cooperative (NESC) and Frontier Communications is requesting $1.5 million for a $4.34 million broadband expansion project. The project entails providing direct broadband connections to 30 townhalls/firehalls and 877 households in 20 townships across the IRRRB service area. The project will provide connection speeds above the state broadband goal to areas that are currently unserved and underserved by broadband infrastructure. It is projected that 28 construction jobs will be created.

Remaining project funding has been secured by NESC, Frontier, and the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED). Earlier this week, DEED awarded the project a $1.96 million grant from the Border-to-Border Broadband Development Grant Program.

An increase of $1.6 million to the Giants Ridge Event Center budget also will be considered. The IRRR Board approved an original expenditure of $6.1 million for a new event center, in combination with $3.8 million from the 2014 Minnesota State Bonding Bill. Construction bids were opened in January with the lowest bid being $1.6 million over the projected construction budget estimate.

IRRRB Commissioner Mark Phillips said, "While we wish the construction would have come in under the budget estimate, the bid results reflect the strong economy in Minnesota and are within the boundaries according to construction experts."