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Jason Hale
Following the resignation of Cook County/ Grand Marais Economic Development Authority (EDA) Executive Director Elizabeth (Beth) Drost on January 20, 2023, the EDA board of directors began exploring the possibility of merging its operations with the Cook County Housing and Redevelopment Authority (HRA).
Beth Drost left the EDA to accept the Executive Director position for the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe.
After two meetings between the two boards, the two sides agreed to join the organizations. However, the final decision is up to the Cook County Board of Commissioners and Grand Marais City Council to make the final determination about the merger.
The Cook County/ Grand Marais Economic Development Authority (EDA) was created by laws of Minnesota, Chapter 516, in 1988.
Last year, on April 25, 2022, Jason Hale began his first day as Executive Director of the newly formed HRA. At the time of his hiring, Hale said, “I am delighted to be selected to serve as the Cook County HRA’s first Executive Director. We all know the challenge that finding and providing housing has become for our businesses, neighbors, and would-be residents. I am eager to work with the residents, businesses, local government and agency partners of Cook County to get more housing built and ensure people earning a variety of incomes have a safe, stable place to call home.”
If both the city council and county boards okay the consolidation, the HRA will be dissolved, and the “control, authority and operations of all programs and projects of the HRA” will be transferred to the Cook County/Grand Marais EDA, with Jason Hale taking on that title.
If the final decision is made to merge the operations into one, Hale has repeatedly stated that he will need help as he works to deliver housing while trying to keep up with the day-to-day operations of the EDA. The EDA manages the Superior National golf course and the Business Park in Grand Marais and helps new and existing businesses expand or relocate in Cook County. “The EDA is dedicated to strengthening the business community to ensure economic development ad growth in Cook County,” states the EDA website.
In the last few years, the EDA has been focusing a lot of its energy on solving the housing dilemma in the county. However, the EDA also works with a network of partners like the Iron Range Resource Rehabilitation Board (IRRRB) and state agencies to help secure grants and loans for area businesses.
The Cook County Commissioners will have a resolution in front of them at the board’s March 28 meeting calling for the dissolution of the HRA and transferring its projects to the Cook County Grand Marais EDA. The Grand Marais City Council will have a similar resolution in front of it sometime in April.
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