In an action that supporters of the Minnesota Shubert Center described as a kick start to the theater's long-delayed renovation, the Hennepin County board Tuesday voted to seek $2.5 million in federal stimulus funding for the project.

The nearly century-old Minneapolis Shubert Theater was saved from demolition and moved to 5th and Hennepin in 1999. Fundraising for the $41 million renovation has stalled at $36.1 million. When nonprofit developer Artspace Projects Inc. asked banks for loans to fill the funding gap, officials were told that it would help if they raised another $2 million to $3 million first, said Stacey Mickelson, Artspace's government relations director.

"If we get this funding, we can dig as soon as June or July," he told the county board.

That fits the "shovel ready" preference for stimulus funding, which is intended to boost employment by immediately putting people to work. But funding is no sure thing -- in many categories, projects will compete against each other, and federal and state officials will decide what gets funded.

The renovated Shubert will be a venue mostly for dance, with classrooms and performing space and partnerships with 30 nonprofit groups. The project, which has won $12 million in state bonding and more than $10 million in contributions from individuals, is 90 percent through Minneapolis' planning process, Mickelson said. He assured county commissioners that Minneapolis, not the county, will own and be responsible for the building. Despite delays, he said, the project is ready to go forward.

"We've never failed to complete a project, and we don't anticipate failing on this one," Mickelson said.

Colin Hamilton, executive director of the Shubert, said the county's support for stimulus funding is "profoundly significant" for the project.

"We're in a brutal economy and the opportunity for private fundraising is very challenged," he said. "If there is an opportunity for public money that is designed to get people back to work, that could be the switch that gets us moving forward."

Hamilton estimated that the Shubert renovation would pump $25 million into the local economy.

In other action, the board withdrew five projects that it had considered for stimulus applications because they do not qualify for funding or because other sources of funding are available. Projects involving stream stabilization and conservation land preservation were withdrawn because they are ineligible for stimulus funding through the county. A proposal to retrofit diesel vehicles to clean up exhaust also was dropped because state funding is available.

Moving forward with board approval for stimulus applications are $8.7 million in public safety proposals, including hiring 18 new sheriff's deputies for the county jail and improved DNA analysis; $2 million in neighborhood stabilization funding that would involve several cities; and $2 million to digitize medical records at county health clinics.

The board also added a $3.5 million request to fund construction of a wind turbine at the county public works facility in Medina. Earlier this month, the board decided against a request to add a second turbine at the site, but the first turbine still is supposed to be built this fall. The board wants to substitute federal stimulus funding for a federal $3 million, no-interest Clean Renewable Energy Bond that was already awarded for construction of the first turbine. Green projects have priority for stimulus money, which could provide an outright grant, officials say.

The board is still considering other projects for stimulus applications, including renovation of two historic buildings at Fort Snelling.

Mary Jane Smetanka • 612-673-7380