Redevelopment at a closed Saint Paul golf course. Affordable homeownership in Washington County. New opportunities on Main Street in Rogers.
These projects are among 15 initiatives to receive Metropolitan Council grant awards totaling more than $5 million for investment in brownfield cleanup for redevelopment and affordable housing.
The grants are part of the Met Council’s Livable Communities program, investing in communities to help them achieve their goals of economic prosperity, job creation, housing choices, and mobility.
“The Met Council is typically a comparatively small, but important piece of the funding puzzle that it takes to accomplish these developments,” said Community Development Director Lisa Barajas.
“Our investment in these developments signals confidence that leverages significant public and private investment in addition to the Council’s,” said Barajas. “We’re proud of these programs that have had so many successes and fostered productive and fruitful partnerships.”
This funding round, the Met Council made grants from the Tax Base Revitalization Account, focused on brownfield cleanup, and the Local Housing Incentives account, focused on expanding affordable housing opportunities across the region.
Brownfield cleanup/redevelopment grants
North 100 Business Park, Brooklyn Center: $863,400 toward asbestos abatement at a 15.3-acre site that includes a vacant retail store and auto repair building. Redevelopment includes construction of a multi-tenant industrial space.
Hillcrest, Saint Paul Port Authority: $750,000 for contaminated soil cleanup at the closed 112-acre golf course. Expected development includes housing, including affordable homes, and industrial and open space.
Rogers Main Street Redevelopment: $231,400 toward asbestos abatement and contaminated soil cleanup at a 1.9-acre site that includes four city-owned buildings and several commercial buildings. Redevelopment plans include affordable senior apartments, a senior center, green space, a plaza, and commercial space.
7th Avenue Redevelopment, North Saint Paul: $179,000 toward cleanup at a 0.7-acre site with mostly vacant buildings. The site is expected to be redeveloped into apartments, live/work units, and commercial space.
1301 West Lake Street, Minneapolis: $28,900 toward environmental assessment that would encourage investment and development at this one-acre site, used historically for auto sales/repair and a laundry service.
892 7th Street E., Saint Paul: $24,900 for contamination investigation at a 2.2-acre site to determine what cleanup is needed to make the property safe for residential use.
Affordable housing grants
Multifamily rental homes
Whittier Community Housing, Minneapolis: $950,000 toward rehabilitation of the existing 45-unit building as well as new construction of 40 housing units.
Native American Community Clinic (NACC) Housing, Minneapolis: $750,000 toward an expanded clinic with affordable housing, medical and dental exam rooms, office/patient areas, and dedicates space for mental and behavioral health.
Carver Place, Carver County: $450,000 toward the last phase a planned development that includes single- and multi-family homes with access to transit. The development will prioritize workforce housing for larger families and senior housing.
Prairie Pointe Apartments, Scott County: $350,000 toward a 42-unit development in Shakopee with supportive services and case management for residents.
Single family homes to own
Northside Home, Minneapolis: $185,000 for investment in three new homes in North Minneapolis to help with gap financing to cover increased construction and development costs.
Homeownership Within Reach, Minneapolis: $125,000 to help develop and sell two homes in North Minneapolis, using small BIPOC and women-owned businesses for construction.
Homes Within Reach, Minnetonka: $200,000 to support a land trust that proposes to acquire, rehabilitate, and resell 10 homes in suburban Hennepin County.
Preserving Affordable Tracks to Homeownership, Washington County: $90,000 to help acquire and rehabilitate three existing homes, adding to the county’s existing land trust.
The awards are part of a partnership with Minnesota Housing and funding partners that, together, awarded almost $12.5 million for single-family homeownership housing proposals in the metropolitan area.
Livable Communities promotes prosperity, economic development
To be eligible and compete for Livable Communities funding, metro area cities must participate in the Livable Communities program, which provides funding for:
- Affordable housing
- Development that promotes mixed-use and connected land uses linking housing, jobs, and services
- Brownfield or polluted-site cleanup
- Transit-oriented development
- Advancing equitable development outcomes
75 cities and 1 township participated in the Livable Communities program in 2022. A final round of Affordable Homeownership Pilot Program grants in February 2023 will close out the 2022 funding cycle.