Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Grants

Focus on dense, dynamic projects increasing transit use

Meet with us to talk about your project! 

Schedule a time to meet with the program coordinator for this grant program to talk about the scoring criteria, funding opportunities and how your project fits in. Schedule a time here.

The Transit-Oriented Development Account (TOD) provides funding for moderate- to higher-density projects located within easy walking distance of a major transit stop which typically include a mix of uses.

To determine if your project site is in a TOD Eligible Area, use the “Make-a-Map” tool. Navigate to the “Layers” Tab and select “TOD Grant Areas”. 


TOD projects are expected to diversify uses and provide a higher concentration of amenities in compact transit station areas, contributing to high-quality pedestrian-oriented streets and public spaces encouraging the use of transit service. Through a focus on TOD, the Council aims to integrate transportation, jobs, and housing, leverage private investment, advance equity, and increase transit ridership.

TOD program goals

  • Support dense, diverse developments that emphasize pedestrian activity, multimodal transportation, and increased transit ridership

  • Create more housing choices through introducing new housing types or preserving affordable housing;

  • Contribute to an economically prosperous and equitable region by creating living wage jobs and economic opportunity

  • Mitigating climate change through sustainable site design and building practices

  • Maximize connections between housing, jobs, services, transit and regional amenities like parks, trails, and cultural centers

  • Advance racial equity by increasing access and opportunity for under-represented communities and historically marginalized populations

TOD Development 

Development grants are for Transit-Oriented development or redevelopment projects that support Livable communities and Thrive MSP 2040 goals listed above. This grant primarily supports a variety of captial costs and is geared toward projects that are ready to begin construction within the 36-month grant period. Early stage projects in TOD Station Areas may be eligible for the LCA Pre-Development grant program. Regulatory and policy changes that impact physical development and TOD may be eligible for the LCA Policy Development grant program.

Eligible activity costs for the TOD program may include site preparation, stormwater management systems, renewable energy systems, utilities, shared infrastructure, public realm improvements as well as engineering, design and community engagement. Site acquisition, construction and/or rehab are eligible for affordable housing and economic opportunity projects. See the Eligible Activities tab below for a more detailed list of potential costs.

Reach out to the program officer for more information on the program and eligible costs. You can also see what was funded in previous years:

2023 Funded projects
2022 Funded Projects
2021 Funded Projects

Announcements

 
Applications Open
TOD Development applications are open in WebGrants. Applications are due on August 12 at 3:00pm. You can find more information about using WebGrants and application resources on our Apply page. To support collaboration, you can download a Word document of the application questions. Reach out to Hannah Gary ([email protected]) with any questions.

LCDA & TOD 2024 Program Webinar
June 26, 20204
10:00AM-11:00AM
Join LCA staff to learn about the 2024 LCDA and TOD grant programs. We will review scoring criteria, changes for 2024, what makes a successful application, and have time for Q&A. You can watch the webinar here and download the presentation slides. 
Minneapolis & St. Paul propective applicants - Required City Sponsorship Pre-Applications


The City of Minneapolis and the City of Saint Paul require prospective applicants to the Metropolitan Council's TOD program to go through a pre-application process to select projects that they will sponsor. Cities have additional deadlines between April and June that prospective applicants will need to meet.
For more information and local contacts please see the City of Minneapolis website and the City of Saint Paul website.
 

Scoring

  • Applications will be reviewed in a single step scoring process. As a result, criteria have been consolidated and condensed across categories to provide greater clarity and reduce redundancy
  • The ‘Who’ Project Team and ‘How’ Project Process scoring categories have been combined into a single Projects Process section
  • More equity criteria points are available, and the equity point minimum has been reduced
Eligible Areas
  • As the Purple Line corridor route and Blue Line Extension route changed in 2022 and 2020 respectively, parts of the initial corridors are no longer being considered eligible for TOD grants. Use the “Make-a-Map” tool to review and verify project site eligibility.
Schedule
  • Development applications will be due in August, coinciding with LCDA applications, and funding award recommendations are expected be made by Fall of 2024. See the Timeline tab below for additional details

Match amount: No match required

Application limit: Three per applicant 

Award limits: Up to $2 million per city

Grant terms: 36 months (three years) from the date of award

Extensions: Up to two years

$5.5 million available with an award limit of $2 million per city. This award limit is geographic, not by applicant. This means that two projects in the same city submitted by different applicants (for example, a city and a county), would still count toward the $2 million award limit. 

TOD Development Timeline

August 12th
Applications due at 3:00pm in WebGrants. Applications will open one month before they are due.
August 19th
Applicants are reviewed for eligibility and any correction requests are made
September 3rd
Application review team's clarifying questions sent to applicants
September
Applications are scored by teams of internal and external reviewers
October
Applications recommended for funding to confirm project details and budgets
Fall, 2024
Funding decision made by the Council

To determine if your project site is in a TOD Eligible Area, please use the “Make-a-Map” tool. Navigate to the “Layers” Tab and select “TOD Grant Areas”.  

TOD-Eligible Areas are limited geographic areas eligible for LCDA-TOD Development grant funding based on levels of transit service and a transit project’s stage of development. The criteria to determine areas eligible for TOD funding is as follows:

1. The transit project has completed environmental review or received a Record of Decision.

2. LCDA-TOD projects must be located within a Council-identified Developed Area, Developing Area, or a Rural Center. Regional park land is ineligible in all respects.

3. The project must also be within a TOD Eligible Area, described as within:

  • ​A ½-mile radius of an existing station on the following transit corridors:

    • LRT: METRO Blue Line and Green Line 

    • BRT: METRO Orange Line, Red Line, A Line, C line and D Line  

    • Northstar Commuter Rail Line 

  • A ½-mile radius of a proposed station on the following planned transit corridors:

    • LRT: METRO Blue Line Extension (partial corridor) and Green Line Extensions 

    • BRT: METRO Gold Line, Purple Line (partial corridor), B Line, and E Line

  • A ½-mile radius of a bus stop or station with significant infrastructure on high-frequency express routes. High-frequency express service is defined as bus service providing either six or more trips during at least one of the peak morning hours between 6:00 AM and 9:00 AM, or every 10 minutes during the peak morning hour.* 

  • A ¼-mile radius of a bus stop along high-frequency local bus lines, defined as those routes providing service at least every 15 minutes between 6:00 AM to 7:00 PM on weekdays and between 9:00 AM and 6:00 PM on Saturdays. This includes parts of routes 2, 3, 6, 10, 11, 18, 54, 64, and all of routes 21 and 63


*Due to changes in service frequency as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, 2020 service levels were used to determine TOD eligibility. 

Click map to view full-size in a new window 
Map of 2024 TOD eligible areas

Livable Communities grants support specific project activities rather than giving  to the project as a whole. As part of the application the project team will list specific activities and estimated costs. Livable Communities grants cannot pay for work done before the grant is awarded. Keep this in mind as you think about what activities you plan to ask to be supported.   
 

Some of the activities in the table are only eligible in some circumstances. Refer back to this list as you look through the eligible activity table.  

  • All affordable housing must be affordable for a minimum of 15 years at 60% or lower of AMI for rental housing, ownership affrodable housing must be affordable at 80% or lower AMI.
  • Site acquisition is only eligible for affordable housing units or for economic opportunity and job creating projects that improve access for low-income residents.
    • Holding costs up to 5% of the requested site acquisition support or $100,000, whichever is less.
  • Support for activities that are eligible only for affordable housing units will be prorated to the percentage of affordable units in the project. For example, if 50% of the units are affordable, you can request up to 50% of the costs for that activity.

TOD Development Eligible Activities
Eligible Activities
Ineligible Activities
Environmental Sustainability 
  • Infiltration swales or tanks
  • Landscaping that is an integrated part of the stormwater management system
  • Pervious pavement 
  • Green roofs
  • Geothermal heat pumps
  • Fuel cells; and
  • Wind turbines
  • Project-specific or district-wide stormwater management plans, district-wide heating and cooling plans, and district-wide waste management plans that conserve natural resources and mitigate impacts on climate change
  • EV charging infratructure or installation costs
  • Photovoltaic cells
  • Standard or required environmental practices
Project Site
  • Public space that encourages social interactions through design or programming. Elements to create welcoming spaces can include, but are not limited to:
    • lighting
    • landscaping
    • seating and furnishings
    • sidewalks and paths
    • Wayfinding elements 
    • public restrooms (does not include SAC charges)
  • Public art design process to create an intentionally designed piece of public art which contributes to the identity or sense of place of the development project and/or surrounding neighborhood. The design process should include an artist or arts organization
  • Public art features, including but not limited to murals, mosaics, and sculptures, which contribute to the identity or sense of place of the development project and/or surrounding neighborhood. To be considered public art, it must be led and fabricated by a professional artist and/or art organization
  • Playgrounds or outdoor recreational areas intended to serve residents of affordable housing developments  
  • Public community gardens or community gardens at affordable housing developments 
  • Demolition and removal of existing structures
  • Grading and soil correction to prepare a site for construction
  • Outdoor resident amenity spaces for affordable housing projects
  • General landscaping elements for affordable housing projects and commercial or industrial projects advancing economic opportunity
  • Construction costs for affordable housing projects
    projects and commercial or industrial projects advancing economic opportunity
  • General landscaping elements
  • City or neighborhood parks
  • Parks, playgrounds, or areas that are primarily for the use of the development project’s tenants or residents of market rate residential buildings 
  • Demolition, abatement, cleanup, removal, hauling or disposal of contaminated materials or debris.
  • Cleanup, removal, hauling or disposal of contaminated soil or debris.
Improved Connections
  • New streets or street extensions only for local public streets
  • Public sidewalks, trails, or bike infrastructure that enhance the pedestrian environment and connect the project to nearby uses and amenities
  • Site-integrated transit shelters (work with Metro Transit early if including a transit shelter)
  • Bike facilities that are open to the public, are in affordable housing buildings, or in jobs projects
  • Extensions or modifications of local public utilities that directly serve the development project
  • Publicly available portion of shared-use parking
  • Enhanced broadband connections for affordable housing projects 
  • Universal design elements to improve accesible connections to and within the project site
  • Landscaping to improve the experience for people walking, biking, or rolling to/through the site
  • County road improvements
  • Private sidewalks, amenities or amenity spaces specifically serving market rate residential development projects
  • Perimeter sidewalks or boulevards that do not improve the bike or pedestrian experience
  • Surface parking and parking structures without a shared public component
  • Expansion or extension of local public utilities not directly related to the development project
  • Transit infrastructure or capital investments e.g., transit stations, station platforms, and park-and-ride facilities.
  • Regional parks or trails and trails that would otherwise be included within a city’s capital improvement budget
  • Trail, sidewalk, or road connections that do not directly connect to or support the project site.
Design and Community Engagement 
  • Design workshops and community engagement activities that center those least represented and most impact by historic racial inequities (including but not limited to compensation for consultants leading work, participants, advisory committee members, childcare, food for engagement events*)
  • Legal, design and engineering fees for grant requested activities (up to 10% of the total award)
* Food costs should be within Council limits and be purchased from DBE or DBE qualifying vendors
  • Architectural and engineering fees related to the general site or building for market rate projects or not related directly to grant-funded elements specifically listed as “eligible” 
  • Traditional public meetings or other engagement activities required by law 
Site Acquisition for Affordable Housing and Jobs
  • Site acquisition for affordable housing projects or projects focused on bringing economic opportunity to low-income areas. Eligible sites acquired after the date of award or for sites acquired within 12 months before the application is due are eligible
  • Holding costs up to 5% of the awarded acquisition amount or $100,000, whichever is less. 
    • Eligible holding costs include property maintenance, insurance, and interest.
  • Sites purchased more than 12 months before the application due date 
  • Acquisition for market rate housing or jobs not in low-income areas
  • Sites purchased by a project partner who will gain financially from the purchase
  • Site assembly for lands to be used for transit infrastructure.
Affordable Housing Preservation and/or Rehab
  • Exterior improvements to bring the building to code or improve energy efficiency of the building. Examples include window replacement, roof replacement, exterior finishing replacement (brick siding, etc.), or mechanical system replacement (Savings from energy efficiency should be passed on to the residents)
  • Improvements to interior of affordable units to bring building to code, increase energy efficiency, and improve the quality of life of current or future residents. Examples include low flow plumbing fixtures or energy savings appliances.
  • Improvements to indoor communal spaces. Examples include improvements to community gathering rooms, fitness centers, and areas in which supportive services are offered. 
  • Improvements to building grounds and outdoor community gathering spaces. Examples include landscaping, playgrounds, greenspace, and community gardens. 
Affordable and market rate units should be identical and evenly distributed throughout the building(s)
  • Legal fees associated with preservation 
  • Upgrades to market rate units 
  • Relocation costs 

TOD applications are scored by a review panel made up of Council staff and external reviewers.

Applicants are encouraged to review the issues assessed in each evaluation criteria and how each section is weighed to see how your project might score in the review process. In addition to the overall minimum score, applications need to meet a minimum equity score to be eligible for funding. Criteria that count toward the equity score are marked with an asterisk (*).

Questions reviewers will be asking themselves, along with examples of how to achieve points for each criteria, are available in the 2024 TOD Evaluation Explanations. We strongly encourage you to review this document as you assess how competitive your project is and as you prepare your application submission.

The application portal will open one month before the application deadline. A word document of application questions will be posted here at that time

Development Scoring Table
While we recognize there are different types of inequities based on identity and circumstance, LCA is focused on addressing racial inequity in the region given race is the largest predictor of inequitable outcomes in jobs, housing, and other LCA goals. Projects addressing racial equity will be prioritized in scoring. Projects addressing other inequities will earn points towards how they address those inequities but will not receive full points unless they also consider the intersection of racial inequity.

 

2024 Scoring Table
Category
Criteria
Points

What: Proposed Project Outcomes
Housing
  • Build or preserve affordable housing; priority for projects that serve residents who have barriers finding safe, affordable housing, have the deepest affordability, and include supportive services or other needed services
  • Build new affordable housing that helps the City meet their share of the region’s need for affordable housing at needed affordability levels needed most;
    OR Preserve and rehabilitate affordable housing, prioritizing cities at highest risk of losing Naturally Occurring Affordable Housing (NOAH) and/or with more housing cost burdened households
 8
  • Further equity outcomes in housing access*
 3*
Economic Opportunity
  • Create or preserve permanent jobs OR Create workforce development and/or training opportunities; priority for projects with full-time living wage jobs
  • Create economic opportunity in health care, technology or environmental sustainability fields; and/or advance strategic city job growth priorities; and/or create or preserve industrial jobs with access to regional transportation systems
 8
  • Further equity outcomes in access to economic opportunity*
 3*
Compact, Connected Development
  • Increase the number of people contributing to station area activity through greater building density and/or land use intensity on the site; 
    OR Preserve or rehabilitate an existing building key to the level of station area activity
  • Provide uses that will diversify the activities and amenities in the station area, better meet residents’ needs, and/or provide greater access to services and amenities; priority for projects implementing TOD design principles that support complementary uses, active transportation, and human-centered experiences
  • Generate greater transit ridership, a higher diversity of trip purposes viable via transit, and reduce the need to use and own a personal vehicle
  • Further the transit-oriented nature of the area surrounding the transit station and/or district of TOD; priority for projects that advance a broader adopted plan or vision for the transit station or corridor, and/or positions the station area for additional TOD in a way that leverages public infrastructure and avoids displacement of existing residents or businesses
 20
  • Further equity outcomes in access to multi-modal transportation, services, amenities, and green or open space*
 3*
Environment and Livability
  • Minimize greenhouse gas emissions
  • Conserve natural resources, include or address resilience needs, and/or advance climate adaptation and mitigation strategies
 8
  • Further equity outcomes in environmental sustainability impact and resilience*
 3*
 

How: Proposed Project Process
Process
  • The project reflects the culture and needs of the community it is intending to serve*
 8*
  • The City is taking steps toward addressing inequities at the local level, especially efforts to implement equitable development practices*
 3*
TOTAL 67
Applications must score at least 40 of the total 67 total points available and 12 of the 23 available equity points to be eligible for funding

After reviewing the funding availability, timeline, and eligibility sections please visit the Apply for LCA Grants page for details on how to apply for the TOD Development program. 

Please save all documents as compressed PDF files with the naming format: [Applicant_Project_AttachmentName]. For example, a site plan from City Y for their Downtown Development would be named City Y_Downtown Development_Site Plan. Contact the program officer if you have any questions about how to save or attach any of the required documents.  
  
“Make-A-Map” documents:  

  • Overview Map   
  • Aerial Map  
  • Parcel Map 
  • Walking Route Map  
Make-a-Map Instructions

  • Enter an address or landmark in the search bar to navigate to your project area. 

  • Click “Sketch the Project” and select Transit Oriented Development. Enter your project name. 

  • Use the zoom and pan buttons to navigate to your project site. Click “Sketch a Boundary” and, using the crosshair as a guide, draw the project boundary. A gray polygon with a red outline will begin to appear. Once you have finished outlining the boundary, double click to close the polygon. If there are multiple, non-contiguous parcels that are part of your Project, you have the option of sketching another boundary. 

  • Click “Sketch walking route” and draw the most direct walking route between the project site and the TOD station. Only draw the walking route along publicly-accessible (privately or publicly-owned) paths, plazas, or other pedestrian areas. Do not draw the route across parking lots. 

  • Double click to terminate the walking route. A linear distance is automatically calculated and depending on the number of stations available within ½-mile of the project, several station areas may appear. Click the drop-down menu and select the Named TOD-Eligible Station for your project. 

  • Select “Print” and “Create the maps”. The system will generate four maps for LCDA-TOD; a Parcel Map, Overview Map, Aerial Map, and Walking Route. Please be patient – depending on your connection, it can take up to one minute to generate the maps. 

  • Click each PDF to download them separately. See “Saving Documents” as a reminder for how to name each of the four Make-a-Map documents. 

Other required attachments:

  • Grant Requested Activities Plan A site plan clearly showing the location of each requested grant activity. If you are requesting funds for something that covers the entire site, like site prep, just make a note on the plan that the activity will cover the entire site.

  • Site Plan A plan of the entire site showing all ground floor uses, vehicle, bike, and pedestrian entrances, public and semi-public spaces, landscape details, and adjacent transit stations and/or stops.    

  • Perspectives A ground perspective from any adjacent streets.

  • Resolution A resolution of local support from the applicant. Sample resolutions for projects coming from cities and counties or development authorities are available in the LCA Resource Library.  

Required for Stormwater and Site Acquisition Requests:

  • Stormwater management: A stormwater management plan that explains stormwater calculations for the site, outlines the stormwater management strategies, and supports the amount requested for stormwater management activities.

  • Site acquisition: an appraisal, or broker price opinion, stating appraised value of the property being purchased with the site acquisition funds. 

Grantees submit semi-annual reports outlining ongoing project progress. These progress reports are supplemented by details provided in each payment request. Depending on the activities included in your grant award, there may be additional reporting requirements. These will be included in the grant agreement.  For example, projects awarded funding for community engagement should document the engagement process and submit a final report with their final payment request. 
 
A final report is required with the last payment request. The final report will ask about project successes, the impact of the grant funding, and any challenges in completing the project.
 
As a grantee you are responsible for alerting the LCA grants administration team of any changes to the project. The grant administrator will work with you to decide if there needs to be an amendment to your grant agreement based on the project changes.

Development grants may be used as a loan for projects that include affordable housing partially financed through LIHTC. Grantees must enter into a loan agreement with the project owner and comply with additional reporting requirements.
 
Contact LCA Grants Administrator with questions regarding reporting requirements and grant follow-up
Kelly Nezworski, LCA Grants Administrator, (651)-602-1757 [email protected]

Brewpub funded by a TOD grant.

TOD grants promote moderate to high-density development projects located within walking distance of a major transit stop that typically include a mix of uses such as housing, jobs, restaurants, shops, and entertainment.

See LCA FAQ page for more information about LCA programs

What does TOD mean?
There are different definitions of TOD. At the Metropolitan Council, we define TOD as “walkable, moderate to high density development served by frequent transit with a mix of housing, retail, and employment choices designed to allow people to live and work without need of a personal automobile.”

How do I know if I am in a TOD area?
Projects within a half mile of Bus Rapid Transit, Light Rail, the North Star Line or a quarter mile of an express bus are eligible. Use the LCA Make-a-Map tool to check if your project is in a TOD eligible area.

Should I apply to LCDA or TOD?
Reach out to the program officer for either or both programs to talk about where your project might be the best fit. We recommend self-scoring your project based on the scoring criteria for each program to see where you might be more competitive. It is helpful to pay attention to the category weighting in each program to better understand the priorities for each program. 

Can I apply to both LCDA and LCDA-TOD?
No. You should decide which program is a better fit for your project and apply to either LCDA or LCDA-TOD. You can also reach out to the program officer for either or both programs to talk about where your project might be the best fit.

I don’t have site control. Can I still apply?
Yes. You do not need to have site control to apply for the Development program.

Will the program pay for work done before the grant was awarded?
No, with the exception of site acquisition for affordable housing or jobs projects in low-income areas. Other than site acquisition, the grant money can only pay for work done after the grant is awarded. More information about paying for site acquisition is available in the Eligible Activities tab. 

LCA Project Data Profile Mapping Tool
 LCA Project Data Profile Mapping Tool to look up housing, demographic, transportation and job information about the census tract your project is located in. 
(Shapefiles and tabular data for the tract information can be found here)
 
Workshops
The TOD and LCDA programs procided a series of technical assistance workshops in 2021 to help applicant teams develop competitive projects. This information, while from 2021, is still useful for current applicants.

The technical assistance was broken out into two parts for each topic: a one-hour webinar about the topic and a three-hour workshop to go deeper into how that topic relates to your project. Recordings of each webinar and key takeaway summaries are available below and in the Resource Library.

Project Process
Identifying community needs, specific project outcomes and impacts, and community engagement
Watch the Webinar
Key Takeaways Summary (PDF)

Equity
How projects can contribute to reducing racial disparities in the region
Watch the Webinar
Key Takeaways Summary (PDF)

Environment 
Conserving natural resources and minimizing greenhouse gas emissions 
Watch the Webinar
Key Takeaways Summary (PDF)

Design
Ensuring the project design connects to and addresses community needs, racial disparities, and sustainability goals
Watch the Webinar
Key Takeaways Summary (PDF) 
 
Past Webinars
 
2022 LCDA and TOD Development Grant Panel Discussion
The Panel Discussion featured past LCDA and TOD grant applicants and awardees to discuss their experience participating in the programs including suggested strategies and lessons learned.
Watch the webinar here

For questions on the webinars please contact LCDA or TOD program officers.
Prefer a PDF document of the key program pieces?
The Program Essentials document has key dates, funding amounts, eligible activities, and the scoring table. 
TOD Development 2024 Program Essentials (PDF) 

The Evaluation Explanation document has a list of the questions grant reviewers will consider when scoring the applications along with examples of ways an applicant can achieve points for each criteria.
TOD Development 2024 Evaluation Explanation (PDF)
 

Meet with us to talk about your project! 

Schedule a time to meet with the program coordinator for this grant program to talk about the scoring criteria, funding opportunities and how your project fits in. Schedule a time here.

TOD Program Coordinator

Hannah Gary (she/her)
[email protected]
Apply.
APPLY