Roseville council approves $394,000 package and Chamber contract to expand Venture Lab programming

The Roseville City Council on Sept. 3 voted unanimously to amend the city's agreements and authorize funding to expand the Roseville Venture Lab, a downtown hub for entrepreneurship, workforce development and youth programming.

City staff presented a package that included an amended program agreement with the Growth Factory, a two-year professional services agreement with the Roseville Area Chamber of Commerce, authorization to sign partner sponsorship agreements, and a budget ordinance to transfer $394,000 into the Venture Lab project fund. The council approved the measures on a 5-0 roll call.

The city will transfer $300,000 from the Strategic Improvement Fund into the Venture Lab project fund and expects to transfer $94,000 in sponsorship receipts into the same fund as sponsors deliver on their commitments, staff said. The professional services agreement with the Chamber is for an amount not to exceed $80,000 per year for two years to support management and programming for the space. Wayne Wiley, the city's economic development manager, told the council the $394,000 covers the next phase of programming and operations for the Lab.

Why it matters: Council members and presenters framed the move as an investment in local entrepreneurship and workforce pipelines. City staff highlighted that the Venture Lab attracted more than 4,000 visitors last year from a previously vacant city-owned space and that the Lab has become a convening location for industry, education and community partners.

Staff presentation and financial details

Melissa Agiano, Roseville's economic development director, joined Wiley for the presentation. Wiley reviewed a multi-year implementation plan that began in 2022 and said the next phase of work emphasizes expanded program delivery. He described specific new offerings under consideration, including CAD (computer-aided…