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<br /> <br /> STAFF REPORT <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />TO: Mayor Fischer and Members of the City Council <br /> <br />FROM: Chris Heineman, City Administrator <br /> Laura Linehan, Community Relations Manager <br /> <br />DATE: June 24, 2024 <br /> <br />RE: Ramsey County Community and Economic Development - Critical Corridors - <br />Commercial Corridor Initiative 2024 <br /> <br />ACTION TO BE CONSIDERED: <br />Motion to accept grant funds from Ramsey County Community and Economic Development for <br />the 2024 Critical Corridors Commercial Corridor Initiative and authorize staff to sign and enter <br />into a grant agreement upon receipt. <br /> <br />BACKGROUND: <br />The Ramsey County’s Commercial Corridor Initiative program, funded through the Housing <br />Redevelopment Authority levy, strengthens suburban small business districts by supporting <br />thriving main streets and investing in pathways to entrepreneurship for racially and ethnically <br />diverse communities. <br /> <br />Total funding available through the Commercial Corridor Initiative program was approximately <br />$200,000 with a maximum anticipated award of $50,000 per project. Activities funded by this <br />program must be completed by June 30, 2025. <br /> <br />On April 2, 2024, the City of Little Canada submitted a grant application to Ramsey County <br />entitled Foundations of Belonging: Building Community Spirit and Connection in Little Canada. <br />On May 30, 2024, the city was notified of an award of $31,500. <br /> <br />In the application, staff outlined the city’s goals of placemaking, community engagement, and <br />inclusion by focusing on public property and Right-of-Way (ROW) in the Rice Street corridor. <br />This was clarified to incorporate existing areas along Little Canada Road and Marketplace Drive <br />during a meeting with Ramsey County staff. One of the primary initiatives proposed to be <br />funded by this grant are banners that will feature artwork and designs that celebrate the city's <br />cultural diversity of the Little Canada community, including representations of Black, Latinx, <br />Asian (Hmong), and Indigenous residents. Engagement will be a key part of this initiative. <br /> <br />Staff has not yet received a formal grant agreement, which is anticipated to be provided within <br />the next few weeks. At this time, staff is requesting City Council support in accepting these grant <br />funds, and authorizing Administrator Heineman to execute the agreement upon receipt and <br />following staff review. <br />