News release: County board actions for May 12, 2015

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
05/12/2015

Contact: 
Carolyn Marinan, Communications, 612-348-5969

County board actions for May 12, 2015

Board votes to transfer Webber Park Library surplus property to Hennepin County Housing and Redevelopment Authority

The board voted to transfer surplus property at 4414 Humboldt Avenue North in Minneapolis, purchased by the county for the Webber Park Library, to the Hennepin County Housing and Redevelopment Authority (HCHRA).

The HCHRA issued a request for interest in October 2014 for a party to purchase and renovate or develop a 1.17 acre parcel of surplus property. The county received six responses and they were presented to the community and evaluated by both county and city of Minneapolis staff. The item will be on the next HCHRA meeting agenda for June 9.

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Board declares May 10 – 16 Law Enforcement Officers Week

National Law Enforcement Week is observed annually during this week. The week is to recognize law enforcement officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty and for the safety and protection of others. One law enforcement officer is killed in the line of duty somewhere in the United States every 58 hours.

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Public hearing to issue housing revenue bonds for A-Mill Artist lofts 

The board, acting as the Hennepin County Housing and Redevelopment Authority, established a public hearing on Tuesday, June 9 to issue $5 million in housing revenue bonds for A-Mill Artist Lofts project. The project is located at 301 Main Street S.E. in Minneapolis (the historic Pillsbury A-Mill building). The project is being developed by Plymouth-based Dominium. The project will create 251 housing units serving households at or below 60 percent of area median income. The project was originally estimated at $156 million and received $85 million of revenue bond proceeds ($30 million from Minneapolis and $55 million from Hennepin County Housing and Redevelopment Authority). The project cost has increased and the developers are asking for an additional $5 million in HCHRA bonds.

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Transit oriented development funds awarded

The board, acting as the Hennepin County Housing and Redevelopment Authority, approved transit oriented development grants and loan agreements. The grants and loans are to support development in areas that promote and support transit use. The awards include:

Suburban Hennepin County

  • $470,000 to the City of Eden Prairie for the West 70th Street extension project to support the creation of a new complete street that will connect the future Golden Triangle Station on the Green Line extension with Shady Oak Road and Flying Cloud Drive, and fund the construction of the first phase of its implementation.
  • $300,000 with Beacon Interfaith Housing Collaborative for the 66 West project to support the creation of approximately 39 units of affordable housing targeting suburban homeless youth. The project is located across from the Southdale Transit Center in Edina.
  • $400,000 to Project for Pride in Living for the Oxford Village project to support the construction of approximately 51 units of affordable housing. The project is located near the future Blake Road Station on the Green Line extension in Hopkins.
  • $430,000 agreement with Bader Development for the Encore project to support the construction of approximately 150 units of housing, 28 (20 percent) of which are affordable and 20,000 square feet of office space. The project is located on County Road 25 and France Avenue, which is located in the West Lake Station area on the Green Line extension in St. Louis Park.

Minneapolis

  • $600,000 agreement with 2200 Snelling, LLC to support the creation of approximately 119 units of market-rate housing at the third phase of Seward Commons, a project adjacent to the Franklin Avenue Station along the Blue Line in Minneapolis.
  • $150,000 for the Eastside Food Cooperative expansion project to support the renovation and expansion of an 18,000 square foot grocery store on Central Avenue NE just north of Lowry Avenue in Minneapolis.
  • $150,000 with American Indian Community Development Corporation for the Anishinabe Bii Gii Wiin project to support the creation of 32 units of affordable housing. The project is adjacent to the Franklin Avenue Station along the Blue Line Minneapolis.

The HCHRA also reallocated $300,000 from a previous agreement to fund the recommended 2015 transit oriented development projects. Projects are selected based on criteria developed and approved by the board in 2003. Since 2003, the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners and the HCHRA has approved a total of $25.3 million for 94 transit oriented development projects.

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Board approves affordable housing agreements

The board, acting as the Hennepin County Housing and Redevelopment Authority, approved 11 Affordable Housing Incentive Fund (AHIF) agreements totaling $2.7 million under the 2015 Affordable Housing Incentive Program. These projects will assist a total of 1,220 affordable housing units in Hennepin County, including 154 households/individuals at or below 30 percent of adjusted median income; 1,059 at or below 60 percent adjusted median income; and seven at or below 80 percent adjusted median income.

The projects include:

  • $200,000 for 66 West (Beacon) located at 3330 66th Street West, Edina, for adaptive reuse of a vacant commercial building to create 39 AHIF efficiency units to serve homeless, unaccompanied youth.
  • $150,000 for Anishinabe Bii Gii Wiin (Project for Pride in Living and American Indian Community Development Corporation) located at 1600 East 19th Street, Minneapolis, to construct 32 new supportive/sober housing rental units, including seven units serving long-term homeless, and rehabilitate adjacent Anishinabe Wakiagun, a 45-bed rental wet/dry facility.
  • $200,000 for Indian Neighborhood Club Expansion (Indian Neighborhood Club) located at 2010 5th Avenue South, Minneapolis, to construct 20 supportive housing rental units as sober housing for single adults with chemical dependency, includes five long-term homeless units.
  • $350,000 for Veterans East (Community Housing Development Corporation) located at 2910 East Franklin Avenue (East) and 2515 South 9th Street (West), Minneapolis, to construct 100 efficiency service-enriched rental units with preference to serve veterans adjacent to the Veterans and Community Housing project.
  • $200,000 for Aeon (Opportunity Housing Partnership) located at 66 South 12th Street, 1801 LaSalle Avenue, and 706 Avenue North, Minneapolis, to refinance, rehabilitate and reconfigure 117 rental units in three buildings primarily serving formerly homeless single adults of which 66 units will serve long-term homeless people.
  • $300,000 for Seward Towers (Seward Redesign and CommonBond Communities) located at 2910 East Franklin Avenue and 2515 South 9th Street, Minneapolis, to refinance and rehabilitate two 21-story, high-rise rental buildings to preserve 623 HUD-assisted project-based Section 8 units for a total of 604 AHIF units.
  • $400,000 for Corcoran Triangle (Wellington Management, Inc.) located at 3120-24th Avenue South, Minneapolis, to construct 135 new workforce rental housing units for families, including nine long-term homeless units, in a mixed-use, TOD development adjacent to the Hiawatha LRT.
  • $200,000 for Dayton Apartments (Sand Companies) located at Balsam Lane North, Dayton; acquire and construct 48 new workforce rental housing units for families including four long-term homeless units; 48 AHIF units (NTE).
  • $450,000 for Hawthorne EcoVillage (Project for Pride and Living) located at 617 Lowry Avenue, Minneapolis, to construct new 75 workforce rental units, including four long-term homeless units.
  • $100,000 for CLCLT Homebuyer Initiated Program (City of Lakes Community Land Trust) located at various sites in Minneapolis, to purchase and rehabilitate three single-family homes (includes duplex initiative) for homeownership.
  • $150,000 for WHAHLT Homes Within Reach (West Hennepin Affordable Housing Land Trust) located at various sites in suburban Hennepin County, to acquire and rehabilitate four single-family homes.

AHIF funding agreements are typically in the form of a 30 to 40 year loan (depending upon other financers' requirements).

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Bottineau LRT Community Works program funding

The board voted to formally establish the Bottineau LRT Community Works Program. The program will develop the structure, partnerships, and investment framework necessary to maximize the return on investment for the Metro Blue Line extension (Bottineau) LRT project by integrating land use planning and transportation investments that support transit oriented development and economic development, increase transit ridership, and support a multi-modal transportation system.

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The board approves economic development funding criteria

The board approved criteria and authorized $500,000 for a newly established Economic Development Infrastructure Fund. The objective of the fund is to enhance the economic competitiveness of Hennepin County by leveraging private investment, increasing the tax base, and creating and retaining jobs. The Economic Development Infrastructure Fund will be used to offset extraordinary costs and infrastructure upgrades associated with relocating, starting or expanding a business. Requests for funding will be reviewed based on the following project evaluation criteria:

  • Job creation and/or retention
  • Need for financial assistance, including justification for use of Hennepin County resources
  • Readiness to proceed
  • Tax base enhancement
  • Leverage from private or other public sources
  • Alignment with other Hennepin County priorities and interests

This new fund will help support business recruitment and expansion in Hennepin County and create/preserve an estimated 160 – 300 jobs.

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Look for more news on the Hennepin County website at www.hennepin.us/news.