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15 West Kellogg Blvd. <br />Saint Paul, MN 55102 <br />651-266-9200 <br />Housing and Redevelopment <br />Authority <br />Resolution <br />H2024-008 <br />Sponsor: Community & Economic Development Meeting Date: 6/4/2024 <br />Title: Spring 2024 Obligation of Housing and Redevelopment <br />Authority Levy Toward Critical Corridors <br />File Number: 2024-188 <br />Ramsey County has a need for place-based investments that support identified goals around <br />affordable housing, economic development, and community reinvestment. Ramsey County’s <br />Economic Competitiveness and Inclusion (ECI) Plan prioritizes investments in place-based inclusion <br />as necessary to create resilient and equitable communities. Countywide, there is a need for tens of <br />thousands of new units of affordable housing, and hundreds more minority business enterprises are <br />needed in order to match the US business ownership rate. Cities and communities are also looking <br />for support to enact policies and plans that drive equitable development tailored to their community. <br />The Critical Corridors programs were created in 2022 to enact three key strategies from the <br />Economic Competitiveness & Inclusion Plan that address these needs: (1) fostering inclusive <br />economic development - including affordable housing -- within county transit, economic, and cultural <br />corridors; (2) developing pathways to entrepreneurship and business ownership in racially and <br />ethnically diverse communities; and (3) supporting communities in equitable site development. <br />To obligate HRA levy funds, Community & Economic Development (CED) staff opened the Planning <br />(previously called “Pre-Development Planning”) and the Commercial Corridor Initiative Critical <br />Corridors solicitations on March 6, 2024. These annual spring solicitations closed on April 3, 2024. <br />The solicitations were publicized on the Ramsey County website, in the CED newsletter, on social <br />media, and through direct outreach to partner organizations and cities. An informational webinar <br />open to the public was held by CED staff on March 4, 2024. At the close of the solicitations, 6 <br />applications were eligible and reviewed by interdepartmental evaluation teams. <br />Staff recommend that the HRA obligate $156,500 of the 2024 HRA levy to further strategies in the <br />ECI Plan related to redevelopment activities through the Critical Corridors programs. <br />The following projects are recommended for HRA levy funding through the Spring 2024 Critical <br />Corridors Solicitations. Additional information on each project and geographic distribution of funds <br />can be found in the attachment, Critical Corridors Funding Recommendations Spring 2024. <br />Planning <br />Rice Street Corridor, District 6 Planning Council $50,000 <br />Little Mekong Market Sustainable Stormwater Management, Asian Economic Development <br />Association $50,000 <br />City Center Northeast Quadrant Small Area Plan, City of Vadnais Heights $25,000 <br />Commercial Corridor Initiative <br />Foundations of Belonging: Building Community Spirit and Connection in Little Canada, City of Little <br />Background and Rationale: <br />Page 1 of 2