|
The Dakota County Community Development Agency (CDA) Board of Commissioners recently approved $1,055,000 in grants to help five cities with their redevelopment efforts. The grants are made possible through the CDA’s Redevelopment Incentive Grant Program which was created in 2006 as a way to encourage community revitalization by providing project grants up to $250,000 and planning grants up to $15,000 to cities in Dakota County.
Cities receiving project grants include:
Apple Valley - $250,000 to relocate underground utilities within a public street to provide for a future office expansion and construction of a training facility by Uponor, one of the city’s largest manufacturing companies.
Burnsville - $250,000 for soil correction at the former AAA site located in the Heart of the City redevelopment area. This is the final parcel in the area to be redeveloped and will provide land for a future public parking deck and for other development opportunities.
Hastings - $250,000 to fund infrastructure improvements in the Downtown Riverfront Redevelopment that will support future planned projects on surrounding property to include park improvements, a Farmer’s Market, commercial space and housing.
Lakeville - $200,000 for street and infrastructure improvements for Market Place Park that will be the city’s first downtown public parking lot in support of commercial redevelopment and special events. The area is located on Holyoke Avenue and 208th Street.
Rosemount - $65,000 to assist in the demolition of five homes that will help improve parking and storm water management around St. Joseph’s Church. The building is being renovated to complement the new county library as a downtown gathering space and may ultimately serve as a cultural and arts center. The five homes have already been voluntarily acquired by the city.
Overall, these five projects were awarded $1,015,000 and the grant funding will leverage nearly $13 million (a 13:1 match) in additional investment. These redevelopment projects are expected to attract new businesses to the communities creating over 60 new jobs as well as to retain existing businesses that currently provide over 250 jobs.
Cities receiving redevelopment planning grants include:
Apple Valley - $15,000 to study transit oriented design along Cedar Avenue and determine how existing land uses can work with anticipated improvements being planned in the corridor. The study will provide guidance and standards for the city for future planning proposals.
Burnsville - $15,000 to assist with the implementation of a Sustainability Plan which will apply environmental standards throughout city departments.
Rosemount - $10,000 to study access around the city’s Central Park which will determine ways to make the park more visible and allow for better parking and access to the site.
To date the Redevelopment Incentive Grant Program has awarded over $1.9 million.
Facing foreclosure can be a stressful and complicated time with many questions. Answers to your questions or to referrals to additional resources are just a phone call away.
The Dakota County Community Development Agency administers the Mortgage Foreclosure Prevention Program for Dakota County. This program provides free counseling assistance to any Dakota County homeowner who is in or is facing foreclosure. It is designed to help homeowners assess the situation, learn about the foreclosure process and determine possible solutions.
For more information call (651) 675-4465.
Is your home in need of some repairs? Are you planning on making some improvements this year? You can finance these with a Home Improvement Loan from the Dakota County CDA.
The CDA provides loans up to $25,000 to income eligible Dakota County homeowners to make repairs such as re-roofing, furnace replacement, electrical and plumbing repairs, insulation and siding. The loans feature no monthly payments and are repayable when ownership changes or homeowners move from the property.
To request an application, contact Mark Hanson at (651) 675-4469.
Applications are available for a new affordable senior housing development, Oakwoods East, currently under construction in Eagan. There will be 55-units available including 1 one-bedroom accessible unit, 28 one-bedroom units and 26 two-bedroom units.
Oakwoods East will be located on Park Center Drive just north of Cliff Road in Eagan and is close to both 35E and Cedar Avenue. The building will be completed by fall 2008.
Building features include underground heated parking, community room with kitchen and screened porch. Individual units will feature ceiling fans, microwaves, stove, refrigerator, garbage disposals, air conditioning and emergency response systems. Additionally, Oakwoods East will be smoke-free meaning that smoking will not be permitted anywhere inside the building including inside individual apartments or on the grounds outside of the building.
Applications for Oakwoods East can be obtained by mail by calling the Dakota County CDA at (651) 675-4440. Applications are also available at the CDA’s office located at 1228 Town Centre Drive in Eagan.
Oakwoods East is part of the CDA's Senior Housing Program and will be the 21st building completed in Dakota County since 1990.
Questions? Call the CDA at (651) 675-4504.
The Minnesota Housing Finance Agency has awarded $485,000 to the Dakota County Community Development Agency (CDA) to assist in upgrading affordable scattered site public housing. The funding award was made on January 29, 2008 as part of a $5 million investment by the State of Minnesota to preserve public housing stock across the state.
The funding will help the CDA correct foundations to prevent water intrusion, improve heating and cooling ventilation and install carbon monoxide and smoke detectors at scattered site units located throughout Dakota County. It will also assist the CDA in leveraging other local financial resources to use for additional capital improvement efforts.
The CDA manages 244 units of scattered site public housing providing affordable housing for families and disabled households earning less than 80% of area median income.
|
