The Cook County Senior Center is one of the successful applicants for Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) funding for commercial rehabilitation in downtown Grand Marais. The other business is The Garage.
The Cook County Senior Center will receive up to $78,500 to replace windows, make bathrooms handicap accessible and weatherize the building.
A second business, The Garage, will also receive up to $78,500 to repair masonry, upgrade the electrical system, replace the garage door and weatherize the building. If these fixes are made, local owner Jill Terrill said The Garage may go from a seasonal business to a year-round establishment.
The funds are a mix of grants and loans and they come from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) Small City Development program, the City of Grand Marais Storefront Loan program, and the Cook County/Grand Marais Economic Development Authority Housing- Commercial Rehab program. Up to $24,500 can be sought from the City of Grand Marais Storefront Loan program for building improvements, said Steve Grabko of Community Fundraising Solutions. Grabko presented his report to EDA at its October 12 meeting.
Bids to complete the work will be solicited and received within the next couple of weeks, said Grabko.
Under terms of the application businesses were picked based on a first come/first served basis. All told 13 businesses applied for the program. Grabko said that in the next round of commercial rehabilitation grants businesses would be included from outside the Grand Marais city limits.
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