Grants lead to jobs, bigger tax base
Polluted site cleanup helps communities redevelop and renew
From petroleum products to lead pistol shot, electrical components to industrial chemicals, lead paint to asbestos sealants, “brownfield” pollutants are linked to historical land uses. But removing the pollutants from our past to reuse the land for our future is expensive; many communities can’t do it alone.
Metropolitan Council Livable Communities Act grants from the Tax Base Revitalization Account (TBRA), often paired with funding from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development, help communities reclaim polluted sites for redevelopment. When cities obtain the grants, they can work with developers to move from a site’s historical liability to its productive future. In January, the Council approved $3.6 million in grants to assist seven Twin Cities area communities with 16 projects that restore 92 brownfield acres and create or retain 1,440 new jobs.
Roseville reclaims former industrial site for mixed uses
A truck terminal was one of multiple former uses at the Twin Lakes redevelopment site in Roseville.
The Twin Lakes site was identified by the Roseville City Council as a priority in 1973, which led the city to adopt a formal redevelopment plan in 1988. The site was contaminated by 50 years of industrial operations that included a truck terminal, bus painting service and mechanical repair shops. Petroleum products contaminate the soil. Solvents have infiltrated into “perched water tables” that could allow the water to travel into Langton Lake.
The Metropolitan Council’s TBRA grant of $692,000 is part of $3 million in government cleanup assistance for Twin Lakes; Roseville will provide additional funding through tax increment financing. Total cleanup cost to upgrade the site is estimated at $8.2 million.
“It would be easy to reuse the site for industrial purposes,” said Roseville Mayor Craig Klausing, “but it is much tougher to take a brownfield and turn it into a residential site – the Metropolitan Council’s grant is hugely helpful in getting this project off the ground.”
Klausing explained that Roseville is an inner-ring suburb with an aging housing stock, and has little opportunity to add important new housing. Klausing, who previously served on the Council’s Housing and Land Use Advisory Commission, is also excited about the integrated land uses at the Twin Lakes project. “It is entirely possible that a resident at Twin Lakes will be able to live, work and shop without ever using a car,” he said.
The Council’s grant is specific to Phase I of the project, where grading is scheduled for late spring of 2006. In five years, when the full $275 million development is complete, there will be 700 new homes, 1,000 new jobs, 200,000 square feet of office space and 350,000 square feet of retail.
The Salvation Army offers shelter for homeless people ages 16-21 at the Booth-Brown House in St. Paul. A TBRA grant is helping to remove asbestos so the facility can expand its capacity. Asbestos removal is a common use of TBRA funds.
Expanding housing for homeless youth
The Booth-Brown House, a facility in St. Paul owned and operated by the Salvation Army, also received a 2006 grant. The house currently provides 10 efficiency apartments for homeless youths and a residential shelter for girls. The $136,000 grant removes asbestos and lead paint on three unoccupied floors to make way for 21 units (315 square feet each) with kitchenettes, full baths and living/sleeping areas.
The units will open in February of 2007, serving youth who earn $16,150 or less per year. Young adults, ages 16 to 21, who exit foster care, experience homelessness, or lack support to achieve independence can live at Booth-Brown House. They receive education, job training, life-skills training and connections to special services.
The $1.9 million renovation of the 1913 building also creates four new jobs. “We are excited about this project,” said Patty Lilledahl, City of St. Paul project manager. “It is closely aligned with the city’s priorities, and provides a badly needed resource.”
The Lowry Medical Arts Building in downtown St. Paul was transformed from offices to retail and condominiums. TBRA funds helped with asbestos removal during redevelopment.
Since 1996, the Livable Communities program has distributed almost $59 million in cleanup grants through the TBRA. The grants will lead to private investment of nearly $2.6 billion in 31 communities, restore 1,300 acres, deliver more than 19,000 jobs to depressed locations, and increase the tax base by more than $52 million.
At most project sites, the “seed” planted by grants – combined with private investment – led to a dramatic transformation. For example, one project replaced a lumber yard with a Honda dealership; another restored a run-down factory to provide stylish loft apartments; a third replaced an auto salvage yard with family townhomes. Each sparked economic revitalization of surrounding neighborhoods.
“A relatively modest investment in tax base revitalization grants helps the region capitalize other public and private funds to reap the benefits of redevelopment,” said Metropolitan Council Chair Peter Bell.