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Authorizing the Department of Planning and Economic Development to apply to the Metropolitan Council for Livable Communities Demonstration Account for Tax Base Redevelopment Account projects at: 680-694 Minnehaha Avenue E. (Hamm's Brewery - District 4, Ward 7) and 1165 Arcade Street (F2F@Arcade by Face to Face - District 5, Ward 6); as well as applying for TBRA-SEED Site Investigation funds for projects at 680-694 Minnehaha Avenue E. (West End of Hamm's) and 706 Marshall Avenue (Rondo Revitalize - District 8, Ward 1).
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WHEREAS, the City of Saint Paul (the “City”) is a participant in the Metropolitan Livable Communities Act (“LCA”) Local Housing Incentives Program for 2025, and is therefore eligible to apply for grants funds under the LCA’s Livable Communities Demonstration Account (“LCDA”), the LCA’s Tax Base Revitalization Account’s (“TBRA”) funds, and other funds; and
WHEREAS the City has identified these contamination cleanup projects within the City at (1) 680-694 Minnehaha Avenue E. (Hamm's Brewery Abatement for historic rehabilitation) and at (2) 1165 Arcade Street (F2F@Arcade by Face to Face) that each meet the LCA’s TBRA purposes and criteria and are consistent with and promote the LCA and the policies of the Metropolitan Council’s adopted metropolitan development guide; and
WHEREAS the City has also identified the following projects within the City at (1) 680-694 Minnehaha Avenue E. (West End of Historic Hamm's Brewery) and (2) 706 Marshall Avenue (Rondo Revitalize), that each meet the LCA’s Seeding Equitable Environmental Development (“SEED”) purposes, criteria and policies of the Metropolitan Council; and
WHEREAS the City has the institutional, managerial and financial capability to ensure adequate project and grant administration; and
WHEREAS the City certifies to the Metropolitan Council that it will comply with all applicable laws and regulations as stated in the applicable contract grant agreements; and
WHEREAS the City finds that the required contamination cleanup will not likely occur through private or other public investment within the reasonably foreseeable future without the LCA’s TBRA grant funding; and
WHEREAS the City represents to the Metropolitan Council that it has undertaken reasonable and good faith efforts to procure funding for the activities for which the LCA TBRA funding and/or the SEED funding is sought but was not able to find or secure from other sources funding that is necessary for cleanup completion and states that this representation is based on the following reasons and supporting facts:
1. The City has no general fund resources budgeted to invest in site investigations or remediation activities; and
2. Planning and Economic Development (“PED”) staff and private sector teams attempt to balance brownfield grant funding subsidy requests for large cleanup costs with approach to county, state and regional government programs.
WHEREAS, the City agrees to act as legal sponsor for the projects contained in the grant applications submitted by the City on or about November 3, 2025; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that, after appropriate examination and due consideration, the Saint Paul City Council, as the governing body of the City:
1. Finds, as a public purpose, that it is in the best interests of the City’s development goals and priorities for the following proposed projects to occur at these particular sites and at this particular time from these Metropolitan Council program funds:
TBRA Contamination Clean Up Projects:
680-694 Minnehaha Avenue E. (West End of Hamm's Brewery) not to exceed $1,450,000; and
1165 Arcade Street (F2F@Arcade by Face2Face, or Face to Face Health & Counseling Service, Inc., or its affiliated entity) not to exceed $65,000.
SEED Site Investigation Applications:
680-694 Minnehaha Avenue E. (West End of Hamm's Brewery) not to exceed $50,000; and
706 Marshall Avenue (Rondo Revitalize) not to exceed $50,000.
2. Finds that the project components for which LCDA funding is sought:
a. will not occur solely through private or other public investment within the reasonable foreseeable future, and
b. will occur within three years after a grant award only if LCDA funding is made available for these projects at this time.
3. Authorizes its Interim Director of PED (or her designee) to submit on behalf of the City, grant applications referenced above for Metropolitan Council TBRA and SEED Site Investigation grant program funds for project components identified in the applications, and authorizes such Interim Director (and other City officials, as appropriate) to execute such agreements or documents as may be necessary to implement the projects on behalf of the City, wherein said agreement contains indemnification provisions in favor of the Metropolitan Council.