The Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED), through its Brownfields and Redevelopment Unit, is accepting grant applications through the Contamination Cleanup and Investigation and RAP Development Grant Program.
Donor Name: Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED)
State: Minnesota
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 11/01/2023
Size of the Grant: $50,000
Details:
This grant program assists local communities with the investigation and cleanup of soil, soil vapor, and groundwater contamination at previously or currently developed sites. Sites where significant barriers exist to redevelop contaminated properties into a different and/or more productive use, which are complex and more costly to redevelop than undeveloped parcels. This program is not intended for parties that have operated on the site long-term, but rather to assist new parties with site redevelopment. Grants are awarded based on statewide, statutory criteria.
Funding Information
As authorized, approximately $4 million is available for grants under the Contamination Cleanup and Investigation and RAP Development Grant Program. If applying for an Investigation and RAP Development Grant, the grant cannot exceed $50,000.
Eligibility Criteria
Eligible applicants are cities, counties, federally recognized Tribe, housing and redevelopment authorities (HRAs), economic development authorities (EDAs), and port authorities. In addition, the following eligibility requirements apply:
- A grant may not be awarded to a municipality in the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area unless it is participating in the Metropolitan Council Local Housing Incentives Program.
- A site may not be scheduled for funding under the Federal Superfund Program or the Minnesota Environmental Response and Liability Act under the current or next fiscal year.
- A site must contain contaminants, pollutants or hazardous substances as referenced or petroleum that is not eligible for reimbursement from the Minnesota Petrofund. Asbestos abatement in buildings does not qualify under this grant program unless it is part of demolition necessary for RAP implementation.
- Finally, to qualify for this grant program, it is expected that the site will be improved with buildings or other improvements within a reasonable period of time, and that these buildings or improvements will provide a substantial increase in the property tax base or will be used for an important publicly owned or tax-exempt facility. The redevelopment of polluted sites may include, for example, commercial, industrial, office, multi-family housing, or mixed-use development.
Selection Criteria
DEED will award Cleanup and Investigation grants to projects that provide the highest return in public benefits for the public costs incurred and meet all of the statutory requirements. In order to evaluate the applications for public benefits with respect to the costs incurred, the law specifies priorities that DEED must consider.
- The recommendations or ranking of the projects by the MPCA regarding potential threat to public health and the environment that would be reduced or eliminated by completion of each of the response action plans. Maximum 25 points.
- The potential increase in the property tax base of the local taxing jurisdictions, considered relative to the fiscal needs of the jurisdictions, that will result from developments that will occur because of completion of each of the response action plans. Maximum 15 points.
- The social value to the community that will result from the cleanup and redevelopment of the site. Social value includes the project’s time frame, job creation and/or job retention, the importance of the proposed public facilities, the removal of blight at the site, and the readiness of the project including but not limited to site ownership or control, local entitlements, development feasibility, and financial commitments. Maximum 65 points.
- The likelihood that each site will be cleaned up without the use of government money in the reasonably foreseeable future by considering but not limited to the current market value of the site versus the cleanup cost. Maximum 25 points. 5. The amount of cleanup costs for each site. Maximum 10 points.
- The amount of the commitment of municipal or other local resources to pay for the cleanup costs. Maximum 5 points.
For more information, visit DEED.
