2022 Neighborhood STAR Awards

Applicant: Abogados Cafe LLC
Project: Abogados Cafe LLC
Award: $25,000 (grant)

Phase II: Remodel exterior to open patio seating and open indoor seating. Remove asphalt and add concrete (2 parking stalls), create steps on east corner of patio, Remove and redo pavers, replace bay window, exterior roof with terracotta in front of the Café, fix entrance concrete slab and landscape on both sides, replace both bay windows and surveillance system.

Applicant: African American Community Development Center
Project: Affordable Multi-Unit Housing for Mid-Large Size Families
Award: $80,000 (grant)

Create affordable housing for mid size families to create a pathway for generational wealth building. A portion of this grant would be allocated to acquisition and a portion to construction/rehab.

Applicant: African Economic Development Solutions
Project: Little Africa Plaza
Award: $200,000 (grant)

Roof replacement with insulation, tuckpointing brick, replacing roof, insulating & sheetrock walls, replacing windows, new rooftop HVAC units, new electrical wiring, 1 new standpipe, sprinklers, 1 LULA lift, new flooring & lighting.

Applicant: Arcade Wine & Spirits LLC
Project: Arcade Wine & Spirits LLC
Award: $15,000 (grant), $15,000 (loan)

Replace windows, flooring, the side door for product deliveries and as a safety exit, remodel the bathroom, add lights, repaint the building and repair the cracking bricks around the building and in the basement.

Applicant: Bang Brewing Company LLC
Project: Bang Brewing 2310
Award: $75,000 (grant), $25,000 (loan)

Updating the pole barn with 3 new glass overhead doors, new egress/entrance doors, windows, add water/sewer service, bathrooms, cold room, bar, lighting, concrete work to include interior radiant heat and extend patio on south side, remove asphalt and replace with permeable TrueGrid system.

Applicant: Blendz Barbershop Minnesota LLC
Project: Blendz Barbershop
Award: $15,000 (grant)

New floors, install a new exterior business sign and patch some of the brick outside of the structure.

Applicant: District 2 Community Council
Project: District 2 Revitalization Program
Award: $49,000 (grant)

The funds will support facade improvements as well as upgrading interior improvements such as HVAC, ventilation and other improvements to bring properties up to code.

Applicant: District 6 Planning Council
Project: North End Economic Development
Award: $150,000 (grant)

A relending program offering funding for building facades, signage interior rehabilitation and renovation including but not limited to HVAC, and build-outs.

Applicant: FilmNorth
Project: FilmNorth Terrace Space
Award: $40,000 (grant)

Improving and occupying a vacant storefront in the Creative Enterprise Zone by establishing filmmaking classrooms, work space, a cinema and an outdoor gathering space for FilmNorth, its students, audiences, and partners.

Applicant: FYI LLC
Project: Exterior remodel and updates
Award: $30,000 (grant)

The property houses 2 restaurants and a 2 bedroom apartment. The funds would be used to fix and update the exterior of the property, brick veneer, tuck pointed roof repairs, drainage and driveway repair.

Applicant: Herizon One Inc.
Project: Horizon Realty Office Basement Project
Award: $50,000 (grant)

Fully renovate unfinished basement into a finished usable space with multi-purpose conference room and additional 4-8 additional offices areas. Required new framing, drywall, 2 egress windows, updating HVAC, electrical, plumbing, drain tile, flooring and lighting.

Applicant: Irreducible Grace Foundation
Project: The Black Youth Healing Arts Collective (BYHAC)
Award: $81,296 (grant)

This non-profit recently purchased property at 643 Virginia Street with plans to remodel the space for programming facilitated by Black youth leaders and provide residential space to house 16 of those leaders with a shared kitchen, dining and laundry facility.

Applicant: It’s A Wrap Hair Studio
Project: It’s A Wrap Hair Studio
Award: $40,000 (grant)

Replace asphalt parking lot, front sidewalk, add brick to front, landscaping, replace awnings, windows, tuck pointing, add air conditioning to business & apartments.

Applicant: Wabasha Partners LLC
Project: The Lowlands
Award: $100,000 (grant), $100,000 (loan)

A new 13,000 square foot multi-use event venue. Updating building façade with 6 new doors and 12 windows throughout, installing an elevator/vestibule addition to the exterior of the building for access, creating an outdoor paved terrace for gatherings, re-working the lot to provide adequate driving lanes and parking stalls (including an ADA ramp), installing a proper storm-water management system, planting a full landscaping scope to include MN native prairie sod, amongst other interior updates and renovations (full mechanical, electrical, plumbing overhaul, new lights throughout, interior and exterior new paint).

Applicant: ROLU LLC
Project: Mi Linda Tierra New Commercial Kitchen
Award: $118,640 (grant)

Construction and build out of a new commercial kitchen, demo of two to three interior walls, removal of concrete flooring, framing, sheetrock, mud & taping, painting, install 2 interior doors, flooring, plumbing, electrical, mechanical, Ansil system and roofing.

Applicant: Selby Wilkins LLLP / Twin Cities Housing Development Corporation
Project: Selby Wilkins
Award: $81,296 (loan)

Convert vacant/underutilized commercial space in the Milton Building (Selby Ave. & Milton St.) into eight (8) two-bedroom affordable apartment units and a community room.

Applicant: Shanghai Wholesale LLC
Project: Shanghai Wholesale New Warehouse
Award: $100,000 (grant), $150,000 (loan)

An established wholesale food distribution and retail business consisting of more than 100,000 sq ft retail building to provide a variety of ethnic foods, groceries for community and restaurant/food service owners. The location will also include a warehouse to provide deliveries of food/groceries to restaurants, food service facility and supermarkets.

Applicant: Vina Highland Inc.
Project: Vina Restaurant Highland Park
Award: $100,000 (grant), $100,000 (loan)

Removal and reconstruction of the entry vestibule to make it ADA accessible. Construction of (2) new ADA-accessible restrooms on the main floor, a major kitchen reconstruction/expansion to accommodate updated code-compliant equipment and required equipment separations. This reconstruction also includes a fire code/Health Department compliant exhaust hood including an updated fire suppression system.

Applicant: Walker West Music Academy
Project: Walker West Music Academy Permanent Home
Award: $40,468 (grant), $40,468 (loan)

A $8.1 million capital campaign to purchase & renovate the building at 650 Marshall Avenue to meet the needs of the Rondo neighborhood & Walker West ’s teaching artists, students, & audiences. Neighborhood STAR to specifically support renovations of the facility.