The Iron Core’s rich iron ore mining heritage and historic neighborhoods contribute to the rugged, resilient small-town character of this region. Ishpeming and Negaunee are proud American Heartland communities that contain most of the Iron Core’s population, but they have struggled in recent years with population loss, the Empire Mine closure in 2016, and residential and downtown blight. In the next two decades, Iron Core will significantly benefit from continued revitalizing of its neighborhoods and downtown districts, meeting the evolving needs of its population, and capitalizing on local, national, and global trends to create opportunity for the next generation.