Salt Ste. Marie -
On October 19, 2020, the National Park Service's Department of the Interior designated the Sault Ste. Marie Historic Commercial District as the newest entrant in the National Register of Historic Places. This is good news for the oldest city in Michigan, and one of the oldest in the entire US (founded in 1668).
What it means, development-wise, is that historic properties in the downtown will inherently have better survival rates and better chances of being repurposed & rehabilitated in the future. It also helps engender a higher appreciation of the area's historic architecture. While the National Register program is honorific and doesn't offer any protection on its own, it does increase awareness and open doors for individual contributing properties to further pursue protections, grants, and tax credits as needed at the state & local levels -
Here's one of the more prominent structures in the district - the old Federal Building (now City Hall) - built in 1910 -
Source:
Capitolhhots Photography | TwoFiftyFour Photos