Sponsor: Community & Economic Development
Title
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Spring 2025 Obligation of Housing and Redevelopment Authority Levy Toward Critical Corridors
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Recommendation
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1. Approve recommended projects and funding amounts totaling $300,000 for Critical Corridors projects.
2. Authorize the County Manager to enter into the necessary grant, loan or other agreements and execute amendments to these agreements in a manner consistent with federal, state and local regulations and requirements, in a form approved by the County Attorney’s Office.
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Background and Rationale
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Ramsey County has a need for place-based investments that support identified goals around affordable housing, economic development and community reinvestment. Ramsey County’s Economic Competitiveness and Inclusion (ECI) Plan prioritizes investments in place-based inclusion as necessary to create resilient and equitable communities. Countywide, there is a need for tens of thousands of new units of affordable housing, and hundreds more minority business enterprises are needed to match the US business ownership rate. Cities and communities are also looking for support to enact policies and plans that drive equitable development tailored to their community.
The Critical Corridors programs were created in 2022 to enact three key strategies from the Economic Competitiveness & Inclusion Plan that address these needs: (1) fostering inclusive economic development- including affordable housing- within county transit, economic and cultural corridors; (2) developing pathways to entrepreneurship and business ownership in racially and ethnically diverse communities; and (3) supporting communities in equitable site development.
To obligate Housing and Redevelopment Authority (HRA) levy funds, Community & Economic Development (CED) staff opened the Planning and the Commercial Corridor Initiative (CCI) Critical Corridors solicitations on March 4, 2025. These annual spring solicitations closed on April 1, 2025. The solicitations were publicized on the Ramsey County website, in the CED newsletter, on social media and through direct outreach to partner organizations and cities. An informational webinar open to the public was held by CED staff on February 24, 2025. At the close of the solicitations, eight Planning applications and two CCI applications were eligible and reviewed by interdepartmental evaluation teams.
Staff recommend that the HRA obligate $300,000 of the 2025 HRA levy to further strategies in the ECI Plan related to redevelopment activities through the Critical Corridors programs.
The following projects are recommended for HRA levy funding through the Spring 2025 Critical Corridors Solicitations. Additional information on each project and geographic distribution of funds can be found in the attachment, Critical Corridors Funding Recommendations Spring 2025.
Planning
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African American Cultural Corridor, Rondo Community Land Trust |
$50,000 |
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Snelling & University Cohesive Vision Plan, Union Park District Council |
$50,000 |
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Como/Front/Dale Urban Design Framework and Action Plan, North End Neighborhood Organization |
$50,000 |
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Envisioning New Brighton Town Center, City of New Brighton |
$50,000 |
Commercial Corridor Initiative
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Rice Street Corridor Business & Community Investment Fund, Rice & Larpenteur Alliance |
$50,000 |
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Sustaining & Enhancing Downtown White Bear Lake’s Economic Vibrancy, City of White Bear Lake |
$50,000 |
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Total Critical Corridors Spring 2025 Recommendations |
$300,000 |
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County Goals (Check those advanced by Action)
☒ Well-being ☒ Prosperity ☒ Opportunity ☐ Accountability
Racial Equity Impact
Critical Corridors HRA levy funds are invested in projects that aim to reduce racial disparities related to redevelopment and small business district growth, in alignment with strategies from the ECI Plan. These strategies include promoting development activity in disinvested areas without displacing current residents and strengthening suburban small business districts by investing in pathways to entrepreneurship for racially and ethnically diverse communities. A majority of the recommended projects represent significant place-based investments in historically Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) and immigrant neighborhoods with intentional community engagement conducted by cities, community-based organizations and nonprofits.
Community Participation Level and Impact
CED implemented a robust community engagement process in the creation of the Economic Competitiveness & Inclusion Plan and the approval of the HRA levy. This included engagement with residents, businesses, community organizations, other governmental agencies, elected officials and local municipalities. Community was informed about the competitive solicitations, one step towards the implementation of the community-driven Economic Competitiveness & Inclusion Plan.
☒ Inform ☐ Consult ☐ Involve ☐ Collaborate ☐ Empower
Fiscal Impact
In 2025, approximately $13,346,926 is available for eligible housing and redevelopment projects under the HRA levy. Of this total, $2,350,000 has already been obligated to projects and programs through previous board actions. As a result of the actions in this RBA, six projects are recommended for HRA levy awards with a total funding amount of $300,000 that will come from unobligated 2025 HRA levy funding. The remaining funds available for programming will go towards recommended projects from the 2025 Housing Development Solicitation, Emerging and Diverse Developers program and the Critical Corridors Development & Infrastructure program.
Last Previous Action
On January 21, 2025, the Ramsey County Housing and Redevelopment Authority (HRA) approved the Wealth Generation Initiative obligations of $2,350,000 (Resolution H2025-004).
On December 17, 2024, the Ramsey County HRA approved the 2024 Emerging and Diverse Developers program obligations of $2,396,862 (Resolution H2024-012).
On December 3, 2024, the Ramsey County HRA approved the Fall 2024 Critical Corridors Development & Infrastructure program obligations of $1,604,305 (Resolution H2024-011).
Attachments
1. Critical Corridors Funding Recommendations Spring 2025