Friday, August 24, 2007

Request for Proposals for Great Streets Neighborhood Business District Program

Recognizing that healthy neighborhood business districts are an important component of the high quality of life we enjoy in Minneapolis, the City is seeking proposals through the Great Streets Neighborhood Business District program for activities that strengthen the economic vitality of neighborhood business districts located on commercial corridors, commercial nodes, downtown business districts and Hiawatha LRT station areas.

A copy of the request for proposals is available online at:
http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/cped/docs/GSRFP_supportactivity_aug07.doc.

Proposals are due no later than 4:00 pm on October 8, 2007.

City assistance will be prioritized for areas with demonstrated need and for activities supported with funding from business, non-profit, foundation and/or neighborhood partners. Priority will also be given to activities and programs that are consistent with recent planning efforts or recent or pending infrastructure investments.

The Great Streets program (http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/cped/great_streets_home.asp) focuses on areas of the City that have been identified in The Minneapolis Plan and other land use policy documents as places where the City supports commercial activity and development. These areas are: eleven designated Commercial Corridors, 45 designated Neighborhood Commercial Nodes, five downtown neighborhood business districts defined as eligible by City Council, and seven Hiawatha LRT station areas.

In addition to resources provided through this RFP, City assistance is available for business loans and real estate development gap financing loans. A Great Streets façade improvement matching grant program will be available in the fall of 2007.

Kristin Guild, AICP
Principal Project Coordinator
City of Minneapolis
Community Planning and Economic Development
105 Fifth Avenue South - Room 600
Minneapolis, MN 55401
kristin.guild@ci.minneapolis.mn.us
phone: 612-673-5168
fax: 612-673-5113