CEDA

Community Economic Development Associates

CEDA

Wednesdays on Broadway a Smashing Success in Spring Valley

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By Joshua Schuetz

From June to October 2022, the city of Spring Valley held a monthly block party event called “Wednesdays on Broadway.” The idea, born from a group of about 18 local business owners and community members, several of whom participated in Spring Valley’s Rural entrepreneurial Venture (REV) program, aimed to bring the people together, celebrate community, and have fun.

Downtown Spring Valley Wednesdays on Broadway event

The “Wednesdays on Broadway” group formalized into the Spring Valley Business Alliance, a registered 501c6, and CEDA team member Chris Hahn and the Spring Valley EDA played a crucial role in helping the group establish a nonprofit status, and coordinating logistics and marketing for the event.

“My role as EDA director is really about community building by connecting people,” Hahn explained. “We have so many assets in this community, so it’s a focus on connecting people with different strengths.”

The first “Wednesdays on Broadway” event was held in June, with three more following in July, August and September. Hahn said local community groups were able to sign up for free, which helped churches and local nonprofits get the word out to potential members and donors. Local businesses benefited from a crowded Broadway Avenue, with food, vendors, live music, vendors and fun activities for families.

“It was important to make sure our local restaurants had the chance to participate, before we looked to bring in food trucks.” stated Hahn. “Some of our local café’s were hesitant at first, but ultimately, they sold out of food, and offered food specials for the remaining events. The only outside food vendor we had was the ice cream truck!.”

The response from the community was so positive that the Spring Valley Business Alliance gave “Wednesdays on Broadway” an encore in the fall. “In September, which was our biggest event, we had more than 70 vendors and we ran out of places to put them,” Hahn said. “People didn’t want it to stop, so the group added an extra event in October complete with fire pits and smores!.”

Registration for this year’s events plans to open in March, and will be on the Spring Valley EDA website. Those interested in registering can do so at the www.springvalleyeda.org.

Mapleton residents weigh in on the future of the former Mapleton school building

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Mapleton residents weigh in on the future of the former Mapleton school building

By Maddie Paul,

Original News Article and video can be found here.

MAPLETON, Minn. (KEYC) – On Tuesday, the Maple River Schools’ auditorium filled with Mapleton residents, all ready to talk about what to do with the former Mapleton school building.

During the open forum, many ideas bounced among attendees on how to utilize the soon-to-be vacant area and how to fit the needs of the community. One question that residents want to know is what will take the place of the school if it’s demolished?

“I think everything’s up for a discussion,” said Robert Harris, community business developer,” We’re very early in the planning process. We’ve just put together some very preliminary sketches to get the conversation going.”

The city’s Economic Development Authority partners with the Southwest Minnesota Housing Partnership to create initial ideas for the space’s redevelopment.

“I’ve just got it start gotten started working in Economic Development here in Mapleton and I see that there’s a crunch for multifamily housing as well as commercial property,” said Harris.

During Tuesday’s open forum, the audience was split into groups to discuss and create their own preferred layouts. Many attendees agreed on fulfilling community housing needs, as well as creating commercial space for local businesses and childcare, and opening a new park.

For Julie Winters, a commercial space would help expand her business, Maple River Fitness, but she also advocated for residential space.

“This is a family oriented town. There’s a lot of families,” said Winters.

Mapleton resident Michelle Walters agreed with Winters, and carefully laid out her own preferences, since she lives a block away from the space.

“And so we can see the school from our house. Like, I can see it for my second story window. So, it’s like, would I rather look at houses or apartments? For me, houses because then we have a view,” said Walters.

Organizers say all designs are in its preliminary stages and more thorough designs will come out as the project develops.

Copyright 2023 KEYC. All rights reserved.

 

https://www.keyc.com/2023/02/01/mapleton-residents-weigh-future-former-mapleton-school-building/

CEDA Recognized as a critical partner in the Spring Grove Community

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Strengthening the fabric of our region

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Fillmore County Journal - Tim Penny
By Tim Penny
President/CEO
Southern Minnesota
Initiative Foundation

By Tim Penny

President/CEO

Southern Minnesota

Initiative Foundation

At Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF) we are starting off the new year by reflecting on how we have worked to strengthen the fabric of our region over time. In part, we do this by celebrating a handful of our partners through stories in our Foundation’s annual Impact Report.

In the first story we hear from Johnny Vuong in the small town of Truman. He and his girlfriend, Jialing, opened a restaurant in 2018. They needed support to get started so they reached out to SMIF for an Emerging Entrepreneur Loan, a funding partnership through the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development that supports minority entrepreneurs. Johnny and Jialing used the loan on equipment and inventory to build up their kitchen. China House Cafe has quickly become a destination, drawing customers from the surrounding communities.

For our second story we focus on the community of Spring Grove which has taken full advantage of SMIF’s grants and programming over the years. Community Economic Development Associates (CEDA), has been a critical partner in this work. From a Makerspace program in the schools that launched the design of a Habitat for Humanity project, to the transformation of an empty alleyway into a beautiful public space, multiple community organizations have leveraged funding and partnerships to enhance Spring Grove’s vitality.

Our final story is set in Rice County where early childhood leaders have developed systems of family support over many years with the help of grants from SMIF. These leaders are working hard to build a “ready for kindergarten” community so that families who raise their kids there can feel confident that there is a network helping their kids from birth to kindergarten. One of the most beneficial services they have provided is the hiring of “Early Childhood Navigators” who are bilingual and can help families navigate essential resources in the community.

These three stories are emblematic of SMIF’s efforts in support of entrepreneurship, community vitality and early childhood.

I invite you to read the stories from our 2022 Impact Report by visiting smifoundation.org/impactreport. These stories highlight the good things that happen when people, ideas and resources come together. We are proud to be a partner in the beautiful tapestry that is southern Minnesota. We could not do this work without the partners who are committed to the place they call home.

As always, I welcome your comments and questions. You can reach me at timp@smifoundation.org or (507) 455-3215.

Official Article can be found on the Fillmore County Journal Website.

Harmony updates home building incentive program

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Harmony updates home building incentive program

Article written by and can be found on KIMTs Website 
By Alec Oas  Jan 24, 2023

HARMONY, Minn. – The city of Harmony and the Harmony Economic Development Authority has updated its home incentive program to offer more benefits to those who want to build or renovate a home in the town.

Those who qualify for the program will now be able to receive a rebate upwards of $20,000 to help encourage new residents to build a new property or restore derelict ones.

The overall goal of the project is to expand the number of living places in the city and aid in growing its population, as well as increasing the city’s economic strength.

The rebates offered will range from $1,500 to $20,000, which is determined on the basis of the taxable value of the property that is selected.

“The program is structured in a way, and it still is with our update, to be paid essentially with our new city taxes that are going to be collected over five years,” said Chris Giesen, Harmony Economic Development Authority Coordinator.

There are no residency, age, or income limits, but general improvements or repairs will not qualify.

This means that the project must be construction of a new building or complete rehabilitation of old buildings that can be turned into new living places.

If you are interested in building a home in Harmony, visit the city website to learn how to apply.