It looks like the old Pucker Street Dam in Niles may be given new life.

After hearing presentations over the past several months from three companies interested in buying or leasing the long-dormant facility and restoring it to produce power, the Niles City Council agreed to send out request for proposals (RFPs) to restore the dam.

The decision came at a committee of the whole meeting that followed the regular city council meeting Monday night.

Mayor Mike McCauslin said he sent out notes to all council members recently asking for their input on the issue. He said the responses were “unanimous” for pursuing the technology outlined by Falling Waters LLC, a company out of South Bend.

“Everyone was impressed by the technology,” he said.

Falling Waters, the last company to make a presentation to the council, is seeking to purchase the dam for $100,000 and upgrade the facility to employ cutting-edge hydropower technology.

Representatives from the company said the technology would triple the dam’s production and would also be “eco- and aquatic-friendly,” allowing fish to swim through the turbines without being damaged.

Council member Dan VandenHeede said he likes the plan as long as the impoundment isn’t increased. Falling Waters officials have said that if they did the project, the impoundment wouldn’t be affected.

The council will pursue RFPs for the project despite the campaign to have the dam removed by a group of residents known as the Dowagiac Riverkeepers. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources has also recommended the removal of the dam for environmental health of the river. It would cost around $1.5 million to remove the dam.