Dakota County CDA doles out $1.4 million in redevelopment grants

From the revitalization of Hastings' riverfront Levee Park to the demolition of the last large South St. Paul meatpacking plant, redevelopment projects across Dakota County recently received a financial boost.

The Dakota County Community Development Agency gave out nearly $1.4 million in Redevelopment Incentive Grants this year. The redevelopment program has awarded almost $9.5 million since 2007, according to the CDA.

"It would be really hard to do some of these projects without them," West St. Paul Community Development Director Jim Hartshorn said of the grants. "It's done a lot for the county and the cities in it."

The agency turned down two proposed projects this year. Burnsville wanted $163,530 for landscaping and pedestrian improvements in its Heart of the City area and Rosemount asked for $250,000 to redevelop the city's dump along South Robert Trail.

The CDA decides which projects get money based on various criteria, like a city's readiness to start and the economic benefits of the project, Lisa Alfson, the CDA's director of community and economic development, said in an e-mail. The agency funds the program through its general fund, using revenue from housing finance and development activities.

Cities have 18 months to use the grants, but can seek up to a yearlong extension.

Here's a look at the grants approved this year and how the money will be used, according to applications to the CDA:

Additionally, the city got $15,000 to help cover the cost of updating its "Robert Street Renaissance Plan."

A $10,000 grant, the smallest allotment, will support the creation of a redevelopment plan for the city's industrial zoning district. Mendota Heights will review sites in the district, zoning regulations and market factors impacting redevelopment.

The city plans to buy the building that housed Dakota Premium Foods, the last large meatpacking plant in South St. Paul. It will demolish the plant and clean up the site. A 57,600-square-foot office building will be built on the nearly 6-acre site. The CDA granted it $250,000 to help defray the cost.

The Cedar Grove area will see various trail and pedestrian-friendly additions. A $250,000 grant will pay for an enhanced crosswalk to the Cedar Grove Transit Station, trail connections and security surveillance cameras.

This is the city's first Redevelopment Incentive Grant request, and it received $250,000. The money will be spent on purchasing seven properties by northern Dickman Trail in the Concord Boulevard Neighborhood. The city will demolish blighted buildings and clean up the sites.

A $15,000 planning grant will support the city's creation of a downtown redevelopment plan. Farmington will gather community and stakeholder input as it forms the plan, which will give a framework of downtown redevelopment opportunities.

Hastings received a $250,000 grant to help with a "Riverfront Renaissance" project at Levee Park. The grant money will go toward a reconstructed public parking lot between the Mississippi River and 2nd Street. The lot, which is already under construction, will include decorative arches, gateways and landscaping.