The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) recently awarded $17.87 million dollars to over 30 small cities dispersed throughout the state via their Small Cities Development Project Initiative. According to a DEED press release, cities and townships with under 50,000 people and counties with under 200,000 people are eligible to apply for grants to complete projects with the goal of “improving communities.” Once cities have been chosen to receive a grant, they have 30 months to complete their project.
Communities applying for the Small Cities Development Project grants must meet one of the following goals: benefit low to middle income peoples, improve slum or blighted conditions, or eradicate a threat to public health or safety.
Below is the list of the approved projects to be undertaken (list taken directly from the Deed Press Release):
- Adrian, $418,400, owner-occupied housing rehabilitation
- Albert Lea, $526,700, mixed-used rental housing rehabilitation and commercial building rehabilitation
- Barnesville, $937,725, owner-occupied housing rehabilitation and commercial building rehabilitation
- Baudette, $324,300, owner-occupied housing rehabilitation
- Blackduck, $888,750, owner-occupied housing rehabilitation and construction of sewer and water lines
- Brainerd, $650,105, multi-family rental housing rehabilitation and commercial rehabilitation
- Clinton, $733,125, owner-occupied housing rehabilitation and commercial building rehabilitation in the cities of Clinton, Graceville and Beardsley
- Crookston, $600,875, duplex rental housing rehabilitation, multi-family rental housing rehabilitation and commercial building rehabilitation
- Eagle Bend, $856,100, owner-occupied housing rehabilitation, streetscape improvements and commercial rehabilitation
- Fairfax, $618,700, owner-occupied housing rehabilitation and commercial rehabilitation
- Fairmont, $305,250, owner-occupied housing rehabilitation
- Fulda, $425,500, owner-occupied housing rehabilitation
- Ghent, $1.03 million, owner-occupied housing rehabilitation in the cities of Ghent and Echo and construction of wastewater lines in Echo
- Henning, $802,560, owner-occupied housing rehabilitation, single-family rental housing rehabilitation, multi-family rental housing rehabilitation and commercial rehabilitation
- Hill City, $479,550, owner-occupied housing rehabilitation and single-family rental housing rehabilitation
- Howard Lake, $498,000, commercial building rehabilitation and rehabilitation of a community facility
- Kasota, $345,000, owner-occupied housing rehabilitation
- Lakefield, $846,560, owner-occupied housing rehabilitation, mixed-use rental housing rehabilitation and commercial rehabilitation
- Lancaster, $572,125, owner-occupied housing rehabilitation, multi-family rental housing rehabilitation and commercial rehabilitation
- Le Roy, $534,420, owner-occupied housing rehabilitation and commercial rehabilitation
- Le Sueur, $462,840, owner-occupied housing rehabilitation, single-family rental housing rehabilitation, duplex rental housing rehabilitation and multi-family rental housing rehabilitation
- Lewiston, $434,138, owner-occupied housing rehabilitation and multi-family rental housing rehabilitation
- Osakis, $532,250, owner-occupied housing rehabilitation and commercial rehabilitation
- Preston, $615,600, single-family rental housing rehabilitation, duplex rental housing rehabilitation, multi-family rental housing rehabilitation and commercial rehabilitation
- Rush City, $342,000, owner-occupied housing rehabilitation, single-family rental housing rehabilitation and commercial rehabilitation
- Springfield, $463,050, owner-occupied housing rehabilitation
- Thief River Falls, $556,600, owner-occupied housing rehabilitation
- Warba, $680,520, owner-occupied housing rehabilitation in the cities of Warba and Zemple and rehabilitation of a community center in Warba
- Wendell, $182,000, owner-occupied housing rehabilitation
- Windom, $600,000, multi-family rental housing rehabilitation
- Cook County, $226,800, owner-occupied housing rehabilitation in Lutsen
- Lake County, $384,475, owner-occupied housing rehabilitation and commercial rehabilitation in the city of Finland
According to DEED Commissioner Shawntera Hardy, this funding will “enable cities from Adrian to Windom to improve their housing options, rehabilitate commercial buildings and update infrastructure,” adding “The Small Cities Development Program is helping to build healthy and thriving communities throughout Minnesota.”
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