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STAFF REPORT <br />TO:Mayor Fischer and Members of the City Council <br />FROM:Laura Linehan, Acting City Administrator <br />Ben Harrington, Community Development Director <br />DATE: May 14, 2025 <br />RE:Ramsey County Community and Economic Development - Critical Corridors - <br />Commercial Corridor Initiative 2024 <br />ACTION TO BE CONSIDERED: <br />Staff is requesting City Council consideration for a First Amendment to the Grant Agreement <br />between Ramsey County Housing and Redevelopment Authority and the City of Little Canada to <br />extend the timeframe for the city’s 2024 Critical Corridors Commercial Corridor Initiative. <br />BACKGROUND: <br />The Ramsey County 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 />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 />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 during a meeting with Ramsey County staff to incorporate existing areas along <br />Little Canada Road and Marketplace Drive. This clarification has been formalized in the attached <br />agreement (Exhibit A) through a map approved by Ramsey County staff. <br />At the June 24, 2024, City Council meeting, the City Council approved city staff to finalize the <br />agreement with Ramsey County and accept the grant funds. Ramsey County and city staff have <br />been working to finalize the agreement, which, per Ramsey County’s policies, needs to be <br />approved through a formal resolution approved by the City Council. Therefore, staff is <br />requesting City Council consideration for the resolution accepting the grant from Ramsey <br />County. <br />At the July 24, 2024, City Council meeting, the City Council approved a formal resolution <br />approving the initial grant agreement.