In October, the Cook County – Grand Marais Economic Development Authority (EDA) agreed not to seek funding for commercial rehab projects in 2013. Nancy Grabko of Community Fundraising Solutions (CFS), the EDA’s housing coordinator, explained that the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) wanted current commercial rehab projects to be at least 75 percent complete before another grant is awarded. Grabko told the EDA board that would not be the case, as the program has a full slate of 2012 projects just being started. At the November 13 EDA meeting, Grabko gave the board an update, announcing two of the businesses that would be receiving commercial rehab assistance.
The EDA received word in June 2012 that the grant application submitted by Grabko had been fully funded. The EDA would be receiving $291,000 for five residential owner-occupied buildings and four commercial rehabilitation projects in the city of Grand Marais.
The EDA sought and received 19 applications for commercial rehab assistance. The applications were narrowed to seven who best met the DEED criteria, and the EDA’s commercial rehab committee— Hal Greenwood, Vicki Wenz and Jan Sivertson—made the decision on the final four to be funded.
Receiving commercial rehab assistance will be Mangy Moose Motel, which will use the money for energy efficiency upgrades and handicap accessibility for the motel and the beauty salon housed on its grounds. The second business to receive assistance will be the Gunflint Tavern-Fireweed Brewery which applied for assistance to become more energy efficient and for help with signage.
Grabko told the EDA board that two more businesses would be receiving commercial rehab assistance, but she could not make that announcement yet, as those business owners had not been contacted.
In addition to procuring commercial rehab funding from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) Small City Development Program, the EDA works with business owners to obtain funding from the City of Grand Marais Storefront Loan Program and the Cook County Revolving Loan Fund.
The Cook County Senior Center and The Garage were the first two Cook County businesses to receive such assistance.
In other business:
. Grabko said Northeastern MN Home Consortium and AEOA are very pleased with the results of the EDA/CFS’s work on the first time homebuyer program. Four Cook County families are taking advantage of the program, which was introduced to the community at the Home Stretch Workshop held at the EDA offices in April 2012.
. EDA Board Member/County Commissioner Bruce Martinson said the county had requested a revised EDA budget. Since this needs to be done before the end of the year, he suggested scheduling a special meeting. A date was set to discuss revisions to the EDA budget for 8 a.m. on November 26.
. EDA Chair Mark Sandbo encouraged the board to check out the EDA’s new website at www.GrandMaraisEDA.org or www.CookCountyEDA.org. He said either web address takes a visitor to www.prosperitynorth.com.
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