Metropolitan Council grants support affordable housing, TOD projects

Nearly $14 million in grant funding has been awarded by the Metropolitan Council (Met Council) that will contribute to development that improves connections between where people live, work, shop, recreate, and can catch a bus or hop on a train. 

The grants are part of the Met Council’s Livable Communities program, investing in communities to help them achieve their goals of economic prosperity, job creation, housing choices and mobility. 

Grants help create a more livable and mobile region 

“Historically, the region’s geography has allowed us to rely heavily on automobiles and separated land uses,” said Met Council Chair Charlie Zelle. “With the help of these funds, development projects are incorporating design that promotes efficiency and allows people to live closer to transit or choose to bike or walk to destinations. Community design that improves access to amenities, jobs, recreation and so on makes us a more livable and mobile region and more economically successful.” 

The Livable Communities Grant Program includes several funding accounts used for different purposes. Grants approved this funding round come from the Demonstration Account for projects that promote affordable housing development and connections between land uses. The Met Council also approved grants from the account dedicated to supporting mixed-use development close to transit. 

Demonstration Account grant awards 

Northrup King Residential, Minneapolis: $1,907,000. The project will redevelop several vacant buildings into affordable housing. 

Simpson Community Shelter and Apartments, Minneapolis: $1,500,000. The project will replace the Simpson emergency shelter and add affordable housing and community gathering space and services for residents.  

Plymouth Avenue Apartments, Minneapolis: $314,700. A new building will provide affordable housing, including permanent supportive housing. 

Minnesota Independence College and Community (MICC) LCDA Project, Richfield: $1,210,000. To provide a permanent location for the MICC and provide affordable housing above the MICC offices and services. 

Cornerstone Village, Oakdale: $565,000. The project is a mixed-income housing development for families living with someone who has an intellectual or developmental disability. 

City of Columbia Heights Affordable Housing and Community Food Site Project: $1,232,000. Redevelopment of a parking lot to include affordable housing and a food shelf. 

City Square West, Chaska: $1,914,000. The project will bring new housing units, including affordable housing, to Chaska’s downtown area, along with a new public plaza. 

Cornelia View, Edina: $661,550. The project includes 118 units of senior housing, with a range of affordability, to an area of the city that provides transit and other amenities. 

Grants to support development and jobs near transit 

Seward Commons, Minneapolis: $1,500,000. This redevelopment project includes affordable housing and re-establishes a rooftop community garden business near Franklin Avenue Station on the METRO Blue Line. 

3030 Nicollet, Minneapolis: $500,000. For a mixed-use, community-focused redevelopment of the former Wells Fargo bank on Nicollet Avenue near the I-35W & Lake Street Station Area on the METRO Orange Line. The development will include affordable housing and ground floor commercial space for a new bank and business incubator. 

325 Blake Road, Hopkins $1,250,000. This project is a high-density, mixed-use redevelopment near the Blake Road LRT Station on the METRO Green Line Extension and Cedar Lake LRT Regional Trail. It will include a range of housing choices, a senior co-op, commercial space and public realm enhancements. 

Tessman Ridge, Brooklyn Park: $1,185,000. This development includes mixed-income housing, including supportive housing. Affordable commercial space is also included to support local businesses and small childcare operators. 

Livable Communities promotes prosperity, economic development 

To be eligible and compete for Livable Communities funding, metro area cities must participate in the Livable Communities Program, which provides funding for: 

• Affordable housing; 
• Development that promotes mixed-use and connected land uses linking housing, jobs and services; 
• Brownfield or polluted-site cleanup; and 
• Transit-oriented development. 

A total of 75 cities and 1 township in the seven-county metro are participating in the Livable Communities Program in 2022.