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Pelican Rapids EDA reports $40,000 in storefront grants and new affordable lots; staff touts $500,000 in external grants
Summary
EDA president Ryan Bennick told the council the EDA distributed eight $5,000 downtown grants, subdivided roughly 4 acres into seven lots offered for $5,000 each, helped bring five new businesses to town in 2025 and secured over $500,000 in additional grant funding.
Ryan Bennick, president of the Pelican Rapids Economic Development Authority, presented the EDA’s 2025 highlights to the City Council on Feb. 10, citing small-business and housing steps intended to spur downtown revitalization and workforce growth.
Bennick said the EDA awarded eight $5,000 grants to downtown businesses for rehabilitation and beautification — a $40,000 investment the EDA says is already visible on storefronts. The EDA also acquired about 4 acres of residentially zoned land and subdivided it into seven affordable infill lots priced at $5,000 apiece; the lots are intended for new single-family homes.
On incentives, Bennick reported that 27 new homeowners used up to two housing incentives in 2024 and 2025, including one year of free water and sewer, waived hookup or street breakup fees, a two-year family pool pass and low-cost city-owned land in select instances. He said industrial growth included two of three industrial park lots selling and two businesses now building brick-and-mortar locations in town.
Bennick credited partnerships — notably with CEDA and the Pelican Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce — and said those collaborations helped secure more than $500,000 in outside grant funding for local nonprofits and projects. "This past year has truly been a testament to what we can accomplish when we work together," Bennick said.
The council did not vote on new EDA items at the meeting; the presentation was for information. Bennick said 2026 looks promising and encouraged continued public-private cooperation to sustain housing and business growth.
Next steps: The EDA will continue to administer business and housing incentives and pursue grant funding opportunities to support revitalization and industrial development.
