Metropolitan Council Grants Support Equitable Development in Saint Paul
In September, the Metropolitan Council awarded nine grants totaling $1 million to support cities as they prepare for development or create local policies that influence physical development.
Two projects in the City of Saint Paul were awarded grants in this Livable Communities funding round:
- 796 Stewart Avenue (Little Mod): $8,600 toward a market/feasibility study to evaluate development scenarios for a proposed development that would be a co-living project, combining community and sustainability. The concept features leased private bedroom/bathroom suites surrounding a high-quality, intentionally designed communal kitchen and living area. The project is proposed to be net-zero emissions within a short walk to a high-frequency transit corridor.
- 694 and 600 Minnehaha Avenue (Hamm’s Brewery II): $200,000 for architectural design, market/feasibility study, and soil testing. The proposed East End Apartments, new construction on a redevelopment site, would be affordable with a focus on a family-friendly rental unit mix and multiculturally sensitive design.
The pre-development grants support cities with projects in the early stage of physical development or redevelopment, explained Hannah Gary, planning analyst in the Met Council’s Community Development division. The grants fund feasibility analysis, infrastructure improvements, design, community engagement, and other activities needed to ready a project for construction.
Like all Livable Communities grants the Met Council makes, the pre-development and policy development grant programs support goals in Thrive MSP 2040, the regional development guide, including:
- Create more housing options
- Create or preserve living-wage jobs
- Intensify land uses to take advantage of connections between amenities
- Reduce greenhouse gas emissions and preserve natural resources
- Realize more equitable development outcomes