The Redevelopment Grant Program helps offset the costs of redeveloping blighted industrial, residential, or commercial sites and putting properties back into productive use. When a new owner and new use for the property have been identified, funding from the Redevelopment Grant Program can help you complete your project. Widseth’s funding department can help you prepare and submit a winning application.

1. Program & Description

Redevelopment Grant Program

Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development

The Redevelopment Grant Program helps communities with the costs of redeveloping blighted properties when a new owner and re-use is identified. These can be industrial, residential, or commercial sites that will generate taxes and put properties back into productive use. This funding is designed to encourage private development.

2. Eligibility

Eligible applicants: Cities, counties, port authorities, housing and redevelopment authorities, and economic development authorities.

Eligible projects: Public acquisition, demolition, infrastructure improvements (water, sewer, sidewalks, lighting roads, etc.), soil stabilization when in-fill is required, ponding or other environmental infrastructure, and adaptive reuse of buildings, including remedial activities at sites where a subsequent redevelopment will occur. 

Priority is given to projects with one or more of the following characteristics:

• Contamination remediation needs in conjunction with a redevelopment project
• Project meets current tax increment financing requirements for a redevelopment district, and tax increments will contribute to the project
• Redevelopment potential within the municipality
• Proximity to public transit if located in the metropolitan area
• Multi-jurisdictional projects that consider the need for affordable housing, transportation, and environmental impact
• Advances or promotes the Green Economy

3. Type of Funding

Projects are funded by a grant. Grants pay up to half of the redevelopment costs for a qualifying site, with a 50% local match.

4. Application Deadline

Applications must be submitted online by September 1, 2021.

5. How to Get Started 

Call Gail Leverson, Widseth’s Funding Specialist, to get started. Our funding assistance offers consulting help to assemble and submit your funding request.

When your community has the opportunity to redevelop properties, there is a benefit to working with a full-service design firm such as Widseth. Your architectural and engineering design, and its funding applications, will be developed simultaneously, saving your community time and expense.