Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Grants

Scoring

• Projects will no longer be scored on TOD design and demonstration or catalytic value. The scoring table has specific scoring details.   

• New scoring table to focus on project outcomes, Pre-Development activity impacts on project, and project process  

• Housing Performance Scores are not included in the project score 

• Project-specific or district-wide stormwater management plans, district heating and cooling plans, and district-wide waste management plans that conserve natural resources and mitigate impacts on climate change
• Passive building design concept planning
• Landscaping plans that will conserve natural resources, increase publicly accessible greenspace, and prioritize natural plants and pollinators
• Develop public realm plans and outdoor recreation plans for affordable housing projects
• Additional design work to include Universal Design features beyond local requirements
• Physical or capital needs assessment or energy audits for rehab of affordable housing buildings and/or units
• Understanding history of discrimination and land ownership in and around the project site and using that information to inform the future project

• Both rounds of Pre-Development funding will be awarded before the Development funding round. Any funds that were not awarded in the Pre-Development rounds can be added to available funding for Development. 

• $500,000 is available in each round with an award limit of $150,000 per city per round. The previous award limit was $100,000 per city per round with $250,000 available each round. 

• Additional data to help support application questions is available this year, please reach out to the program officer with your site location to get a personalized data profile for your project.

Match amount: 25% of the total cost. Use this calculator to find the correct match amount by selecting a 25% match and entering the amount you are requesting for each item. Matches can be cash or in-kind. 

Application limit: Three per applicant per round

Award limits: $150,000 per city per round

Grant terms: 24 months (two years) from the date of award

Extensions: One year

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.” 
 

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

  • LRT: METRO Blue Line and Green Line 

  • BRT: METRO Red Line, A Line, and C Line  

  • Northstar Commuter Rail Line 

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

  • LRT: METRO Blue Line and Green Line Extensions 

  • BRT: METRO Orange and Gold Line, D Line, Rush Line, or Riverview Corridor 

• 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.*

What: Proposed Project Outcomes
Environmental Sustainability 

• Soil testing to determine feasible land uses that increase diversity or intensity on the project site (not environmental testing) 
• 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 
• Passive building design concept planning to conserve natural resources and reduce Greenhouse Gas emissions 
• Development of Travel Demand Management Plan or other strategies to reduce emissions in and around the project site 
• Landscaping plans that will conserve natural resources, increase greenspace, and prioritize native plants and pollinators

Site Planning 

• Development of site plans that increase density, intensity, and/or diversity of uses in the project area 
• Development of public realm plans and/or outdoor recreation plans for affordable housing projects to improve access to outdoor recreations and community gathering space 
• 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. 
• Phasing or staging plans for an identified parcel or multiple contiguous parcels
• Site selection between a small number of potential sites to maximize connections in and around the project site 
• Additional design work to include Universal Design features beyond local requirements to increase accessibility in and around the project site

• Physical or capital needs assessment or energy audits for rehab of affordable housing buildings and/or units (only eligible for units affordable at 60% of AMI with income restrictions in place for a minimum of 15 years)

• Feasibility studies to determine project feasibility, a housing mix that increases housing choice or commercial mix to support living wage jobs, or a market study to determine the demand for the proposed development project or project elements

• 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*)
• Community Benefits Agreement
• Understanding history of discrimination and land ownership in and around the project site and using that information to inform the future project
• Health Impact Assessment, displacement risk assessment and/or mitigation plan, equity analysis or impact analysis 

• Creation of TOD implementation zoning ordinances (this is the only activity available for zoning applications)

• Corridor, small area or station area plans
• Area analysis of alternatives for market mix or financial feasibility
• Strategies for land banking and acquisition
• Building design/architectural work
• Generic traffic study, environmental review such as AUAR, EAW, or EIS, appraisals, permits, etc…
• Administrative overhead
• Soft costs which are not directly related to an awarded grant activity 
• Work done before the grant was awarded

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 Pre-Development or TOD Zoning and Implementation program. 

A resolution of support, four Make-a-Map attachments, and a context plan are required for the TOD Pre-Development and TOD Zoning Implementation applications. Site plans, elevations, and other renderings or supporting documents (perspectives, site photos, area plans, etc.) are not required but can be submitted if you have them completed.   
  
Saving Documents
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.   
  

Required Attachments 

• Overview Map   
• Aerial Map  
• Parcel Map 
• Walking Route Map  

• 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 three Make-a-Map documents.

• Sample resolutions for projects coming from cities and counties or development authorities are available in the LCA Resource Library.    

Context plan:

• For TOD Pre-Development applications, a context map of the TOD station area is required clearly identifying the development site and station area or transit corridor amenities, resources or services, public realm spaces, and other transportation or transit elements that are not represented in the Make-A-Map attachments.  
• For TOD Zoning Implementation applications, a context map is required clearly identifying the boundaries of the area to which the proposed zoning ordinance applies. 

• Scale bar, north arrow, and a title block listing the name of the project
• Property lines, buildings, setbacks, sidewalks and/or trails, landscaping elements, stormwater management features, parking access and location

Scoring

• Projects will no longer be scored on TOD design, transit accessibility, walkability and ridership, innovation and demonstration, and catalyst. The scoring table has specific scoring details.   

• New scoring table to focus on project outcomes, Pre-Development activity impacts on project, and project process  

• Projects need to meet a minimum equity score to be eligible for funding in addition to the minimum overall score 

• Housing Performance Scores are not included in the project score 

• For more information on solar funding assistance, visit the Council’s Solar for Vouchers program and the Council Solar Resources page

• Project-specific or district-wide stormwater management plans, district heating and cooling plans, and district-wide waste management plans that conserve natural resources and mitigate impacts on climate change
• Wayfinding elements
• Playgrounds or outdoor recreational areas intended to serve residents of affordable housing developments 
• Public community gardens or community gardens at affordable housing developments
• Outdoor bike racks at affordable housing buildings
• Affordable housing preservation and rehab

• Development applications will be due later in the year, after both Pre-Development rounds, and funding recommendations will be made at the end of 2021. 

• Instead of design workshops, applicants can participate in a series of workshops related to the application scoring categories. 

Match amount: No match required

Application limit: Three per applicant per round 

Award limits: Up to $2 million per city

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

Extensions: Up to two years

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”.  
 

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

  • LRT: METRO Blue Line and Green Line 

  • BRT: METRO Red Line, A Line, and C Line  

  • Northstar Commuter Rail Line 

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

  • LRT: METRO Blue Line and Green Line Extensions 

  • BRT: METRO Orange and Gold Line, and D 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.*

* Due to changes in service frequency as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, 2020 service levels were used to determine 2021 TOD eligibility. 

Click map to view full-size in a new window 

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. 
• Site acquisition is only eligible for affordable housing units or for jobs 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.Site acquisition is only eligible for affordable housing units or for jobs 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.
• Design and engineering fees for eligible activities can be up to 10% of the total amount requested for that activity. For example, if you have $100,000 in public space requests, design and engineering fees can be up to $10,000. Design and engineering fees should be listed as line items in the requested activity section of the application.

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  

• 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. 

• 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.   

• Context Map A map of the TOD station area neighborhood clearly identifying the development site and nearby multimodal transportation options; transit routes, stops, and/or stations; nearby public realm elements such as parks, trails, plazas, etc.; and nearby amenities, resources, or assets including community services, schools, shops, libraries etc. 

• Elevations To-scale street, site, and building section and elevation drawings that show how buildings meet the ground, the articulation of the façade and the interior uses of the building, as well as the design of the spaces between buildings if more than one.   

• 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.  

• 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.