Archives for August 2018

Article by: Reva Mische

Through their work with CEDA, the Frazee, MN Economic Development Authority (EDA) has had great success in connecting with their business community through Social Media that they wanted to take it one step further with the launch of Business Community Events. The EDA hosted a Coffee and Community event held on July 10^th at The Palace Café in Frazee. This was a casual event, welcoming business members as they shared ideas for supporting and strengthening the business community. Topics for discussion ranged from providing a welcoming environment for new and existing businesses to visualizing ideas for the vacant lot downtown. Attendees included area business members, community organization leaders, City and EDA representatives, and the director of the Detroit Lakes Regional Chamber of Commerce. The power of collaborating was evident at this meeting, as attendees brainstormed, shared thoughts and concerns, and generated energy around area business and community initiatives.  One of these initiatives is a quarterly After Hours event, titled Community Unwind After 5. The idea for this event was inspired by discussions about how to continue fostering connections and collaborations among business community members. The kick-off event will be held on August 23^rd, from 5-7PM, at the Harvest Fellowship Church and will feature a meet and greet with the new owners of the Frazee-Vergas Forum.

Article by: Rebecca Charles

The City of Lewiston, MN has been working with Widseth Smith & Nolting of Rochester on a Comprehensive Housing Study for the City.  The final study was delivered to Lewiston on May 31st, 2018.

CEDA team member Rebecca Charles worked with the Economic Development Authority (EDA)to host a Land Owner Forum in Lewiston on June 18th, 2018.  Landowners with property directly abutting current City boundaries were invited to attend the meeting to hear the results of the Comprehensive Housing Study, and discuss how the City and its landowners could work together to solve the housing crisis that the City is currently facing.  

“There was a lot of really interesting conversation that came out of this forum” Said Ms. Charles.  “We received some great leads for exciting new projects that we will be exploring closely.”

Ms. Charles and the City’s EDA applied for and were awarded a $2,500 grant from Compeer Financial that made the study possible.

Article by: Chris Giesen

On May 30th, 2018 Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton signed into law a $1.5-billion-dollar public improvement bill which included two different provisions to extend the Harmony-Preston Valley trail about 6 miles from Harmony to Niagara Cave and the Iowa border.  This new trail segment, dubbed the Harmony Stateline Trail, received $1.5 million in traditional state “bonding” dollars and $235,000 from the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR) in the bill signed by Governor Dayton.

“$1.5 million will go to the DNR for general project expenses and the LCCMR money will come directly to the City of Harmony for land acquisition.” explained CEDA Vice President and Harmony EDA Coordinator Chris Giesen.  Giesen also authored and was awarded a grant from the Harmony Area Community Foundation of $15,000 to help as a match for the LCCMR funding. The City contributed $25,000 as well to fund the purchase of option contracts and some land to secure the trail corridor. The project will total $1.75 million for completion.

Volunteers serving on the City’s trail committee had been working on securing a route for this trail segment since 1989.   In 2014, the committee finally received the last landowner handshake agreement.  The EDA then funded the purchase of option contracts to hold the City’s right to buy the land needed for the route for a period of 4 years.  Giesen and City officials worked with the legislature and Governor to change the law to designate this route as a state trail.

Giesen assisted the City in applying for the LCCMR grant to fund property acquisition.  The LCCMR grant on its own would have allowed the City to at least secure and preserve the trail corridor in the event the main funding package from the state didn’t come through before the option contracts expired.

Giesen and the trail committee are already working with the DNR to move forward with planning and construction, although no firm timelines are in place yet.  When the trail is complete, it will serve as the connection between the Root River/Blufflands trail system in southeast Minnesota with the Northeast Iowa trail system creating a 115-mile network serving multiple cities.  CEDA team members Jason Passmore and Spiff Slifka who serve Howard County Business and Tourism are also working with the Harmony team while leading the effort to connect the Iowa portion of the network to Minnesota. The trail will also connect to Niagara Cave, Fillmore County’s busiest tourist attraction and the #2 cave in the nation as ranked by USA Today.

“We appreciate all of the support we got for this great project locally and across the region and state.” Giesen explained “It’s really because of the willingness of the land owners to help and the dedication of the volunteers throughout the years that we were in position to apply for funding to complete this exciting project.”

Conceptual renderings are realistic simulations that can help demonstrate ideas or concepts. These renderings can aid communities in their advertisement and communication of development opportunities.  While the drawings are typically not business specific, the visual representation of the opportunity can be more impactful to some developers when evaluating how their structure might suit a business park or individual lot.  In addition, the renderings often display existing and planned infrastructure and neighboring businesses which are valuable considerations for developers and companies.

Some CEDA communities are utilizing this tool to strategically attract businesses.  The City of Stewartville, MN’s Economic Development Authority (EDA) recently worked with architecture and engineering firm Widseth Smith Nolting (WSN) to produce conceptual renderings that would depict a strip mall including a drive through entity in the City’s Schumann Business Park highway adjacent lots. CEDA team member Joya Stetson and City Finance Director Barb Neubauer met with WSN staff to discuss potential options for the business park’s future as it relates to amenities, features and priorities. Ultimately, the final design layout was based upon lot structures, traffic counts and community feedback. The EDA plans to share the drawings with potential businesses and developers to incite interest and showcase advantageous commercial development opportunities in the Park.

Kasson, MN also worked with WSN in the production of conceptual renderings that highlight the Kasson Commercial Park.  CEDA team member Rebecca Charles aided Kasson in formulating the image for the future of the Park. These drawings are a useful tool that the City expects to distribute and promote as a part of their business development efforts.

View the Stewartville Renderings HERE.

View the Kasson Renderings HERE.