Capital Projects Grant Program Awards
Overview
The 2012 Capital Projects Grant Program makes available $47.5 million in bond funding. Applications for projects were received between May 31 and July 9, 2012.
The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic received, evaluated and evaluated 90 applications requesting a total of $288.4 million in funding. Download the list of proposals with scores.
Southern Minnesota Grant Recommendations
Litchfield, MN – First District Association (224 jobs)
First District Association is a cheese producer in Litchfield, purchasing milk from farmers in 36 Minnesota counties and surrounding states. To continue expanding and adding jobs, First District Association needs to work with the City of Litchfield to relocate sanitary sewer lines on its expansion site. The project will create 59 construction jobs, 30 full-time equivalent jobs, retain 135 jobs, and leverage approximately $100 million in private investment. The total project cost for public infrastructure is $5.1 million and the total award from DEED is $2.3 million.
Hector, MN – Triple J Farms (200 jobs)
Triple J Farms is a kosher and halal beef processor in Buffalo Lake, which wants to expand but cannot in Buffalo Lake due to wastewater capacity issues. The business and Buffalo Lake are teaming up with the City of Hector, six miles to the West, to expand Hector’s treatment plant to accommodate Triple J Farms’ capacity as well as those of the two cities. The project will create four construction jobs, 120 full-time equivalent jobs, retain 80 jobs, and leverage at least $1.25 million in private funds. Private investment at Triple J Farms is expected to be in the range of $10 million. The total cost of the infrastructure for the project is $2.5 million and the total award from DEED is $1.1 million.
Lonsdale, MN – Midwest Cryogenic (73 jobs)
The City of Lonsdale is equipping a new 16-site business park with sewer and water, which will initially be the new home of Midwest Cryogenics, a local business that cannot expand at its current location in town and intends to build an 18,000 square foot facility. The project, in partnership with Steele Waseca Electric Cooperative, will create 53 construction jobs, up to 20 permanent jobs and leverage $2,121,800 in private investment. The total project cost is $4.33 million and the award from DEED is $1.5 million.
Redwood and Renville County, MN – Renville Regional Solid Waste Board (44 jobs)
Redwood and Renville Counties requested funds to construct and provide infrastructure for a joint material recovery facility to improve collection, processing, and marketing of recyclables. The project will create approximately 20 construction jobs, eight full-time equivalent jobs (public sector), and retain 16 jobs. The total project cost is $4.5 million and the total DEED award is $1.89 million.
Hutchinson, MN – Ashwill Industries (50 jobs)
The City of Hutchinson is constructing a regional entrepreneurship business incubator which will include anchor tenant Ashwill Industries, specializing in prototyping, water jet cutting, and custom fabrication. Ashwill will more than double in size, adding employees and branching into development of agricultural test equipment and products made of food-grade stainless steel. The project will create 35 construction jobs, 15 permanent jobs and expand local tax base by about $1.56 million. The total project cost is $2.18 million and the award from DEED is $763,750.
Northern Minnesota Grant Recommendations
Duluth, MN – Infrastructure to Enable Business Expansion (900 jobs)
The City of Duluth and a private corporation partner are collaborating on a downtown corporate tower that will created hundreds of jobs. Demolition of an old office building, and construction of new parking facilities and a skywalk, will set the stage for construction of a new 15-story office tower that will represent an $80 million total investment. The project will create up to 300 construction jobs, more than 200 new full time equivalent jobs and retain more 400 jobs, and leverage $60 million in private investment. The name of the primary corporate partner will be announced on Friday in Duluth. The total project cost for public infrastructure is $20 million and the total award from DEED is $8.5 million.
Wadena, MN – Wellness Center (110 jobs)
The City of Wadena requested funds to design, construct and furnish a 50,000 SF public health and wellness facility to replace facilities destroyed in the June 2010 tornado. The project will create approximately 100 construction jobs and 10 new full time equivalent jobs. The total project cost is $10 million and the total DEED award is $4.2 million.
Metro Minnesota Grant Recommendations
Saint Paul, MN - Saints Stadium (248+ jobs)
The City of St. Paul requested funds to replace a vacant and polluted industrial site in St. Paul's Lowertown with a new 7,000-seat ballpark serving state and regional needs for youth, amateur, and St. Paul Saints baseball. The project will create 225 construction jobs, 23 full time equivalent jobs, hundreds of seasonal positions, and produce $10 million in direct economic activity each year. The land swap with the St. Paul Port Authority will also generate new industrial space in Energy Park. The total project cost is $54 million and the total DEED award is $25 million.
Metropolitan Council – Southwest Corridor (150 jobs)
The Metropolitan Council requested funds to continue design and engineering of the Southwest Light Rail Transit project extending the Central Corridor LRT line 15 miles with 17 new stations from downtown Minneapolis to the southwest suburbs of St. Louis Park, Hopkins, Minnetonka and Eden Prairie. This will serve 30,000 riders per day and provide improved transit access to the 60,000 additional jobs to be created in the southwest corridor by 2030. The project will create 150 immediate design and engineering jobs. The construction phase will generate over 3,500 construction jobs and ultimately 175 permanent jobs to operate and maintain the LRT line. The Southwest LRT project will generate numerous private residential and commercial investments. Additionally, this $2 million DEED grant award will leverage nine times more funding from the Counties Transit Improvement Board, Hennepin County Regional Railroad Authority and the Federal Transit Administration.
For More Information
Contact Blake Chaffee at 651-259-7161 or email Blake.Chaffee@state.mn.us