Polaris Industries Inc. has donated $300,000 to construct a 41-unit apartment building in Roseau, the northern Minnesota town where about 1,600 employees manufacture Polaris all-terrain-vehicles and snowmobiles.
The grant, made by Polaris's foundation, was given to the Greater Minnesota Housing Fund so Tamarack Place Apartments could be built by summer 2016.
County, city and company officials have long lamented the critical housing shortage that makes it hard for area companies such as Polaris to recruit and keep new hires in Roseau, which sits 10 miles from the Canadian border and is where Polaris was founded.
The Greater Minnesota Housing Fund worked with the Roseau County Workforce Housing Program and Polaris to get the project off the ground.
Persistent housing shortages in Roseau and surrounding towns have forced Polaris, Marvin Windows and other companies to house workers in hotels or bus them into work from Karlstad, which is 80 miles away. Polaris lobbied hard for the publicly funded Parkland Place apartments that opened earlier this year. It has 30 units.
The new project, along with Parkland Place, is a big boost, according to Polaris.
"With Tamarack Place, the Polaris Foundation hopes to enhance the quality of life in Roseau and ensure the city has a vibrant selection of premium residential opportunities for a growing workforce," said foundation President Stacy Bogart.
Dee DePass • 612-673-7725
