Council grants help region’s cities redevelop more efficiently
New TOD fund supports development along rail and high-frequently bus routes
The TOD funds come from Livable Communities grants the Council had previously awarded to communities for development projects. The grant funds were returned to the Council when those projects did not move forward as planned during the recession.
The Council has approved a new funding mechanism for projects that promote economic development and jobs along metro transitways.
The Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) fund is a new category within the Livable Communities program that offers grants to cities to support development along rail and high-frequency bus routes. TOD projects will be high density, mixed-use, near transit stations and designed to be pedestrian friendly. More about the TOD grants.
“Encouraging economic development and job growth along transit corridors is the Council’s No. 1 priority,” said Haigh. “It promotes efficient use of resources and infrastructure. It improves connections between where people are and where they want to go. It enhances livability and quality of life. And, it encourages development patterns that integrate housing choices and household incomes.”
Recently funded projects will link people with transit, jobs, shopping
The Council also recently approved more than $11 million in grants to promote economic development and affordable housing throughout the region.
The Livable Communities grants will help redevelopment projects like the Lyndale Garden Center in Richfield, the Schmidt Brewery Brew House and Ford Plant site in St. Paul, and affordable housing opportunities in Maple Grove and Wayzata.
- 14 grants will be for mixed-use development projects
- 6 grants will support "pre-development" project design and site evaluation
- 9 grants will support affordable housing projects.
Details about the projects and cities receiving Livable Communities grants.
“The Livable Communities program has been in place since 1995 and continues to experience one success after another, including the Excelsior and Grand redevelopment in St. Louis Park and the Town Square project in Falcon Heights,” said Metropolitan Council Chair Susan Haigh. “These grants, year after year, performing extreme makeovers on outdated development, improving connections between people and jobs and helping to ensure the region maintains the quality of life that continues to attract quality employers.”
Since 1995, the Council has awarded about $230 million in Livable Communities grants, creating or retaining tens of thousands of jobs and leveraging billions of dollars in other investments.