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North St. Paul staff weigh expanding downtown facade grant to help small businesses
Summary
Staff told the EDA the facade improvement program (initially funded at $200,000) has helped two applicants and may be widened to lower the minimum project size so smaller downtown businesses can qualify; council members discussed possible eligible items including doors and windows and flagged legal/ownership limits for some projects.
Staff told the EDA that the downtown facade improvement program, initially seeded at $200,000, has funded two projects and may see additional applications, including a larger project under preliminary review.
Staff proposed reducing the program's minimum qualifying project threshold so smaller business owners can participate. Under the current structure a business must spend $10,000 to receive a $5,000 (50%) match; council and staff discussed lowering the minimum eligible spend to $5,000 so the city's half-match would be $2,500. Participants raised that eligible items could include doors, windows, signage and other street-visible improvements; staff also asked whether mechanical systems (heating/air-conditioning) should be considered.
Council members emphasized downtown as the program's priority and discussed the need to balance tangible infrastructure investments with the program's 50/50 match requirement. Staff noted that some prominent downtown properties (a VFW building and a corner bank with a nonoperational clock) may require owner cooperation and that the EDA attorney should be consulted before the authority uses funds for improvements on property without owner participation.
Staff said they will return with permit-driven proposals as applications arrive and suggested outreach to business owners and the business association to publicize any parameter changes. No formal policy changes were adopted at the meeting; staff asked for board feedback about lowering the minimum match and expanding eligible items.
