Nonprofits, water projects, economic development programs in line for millions under cash infrastructure law

With an estimated $17.5 billion budget surplus, and following several years without a capital investment agreement, Minnesota was primed to spend big on infrastructure.

Legislators responded with a $2.6 billion package of capital investments which includes $851 million in cash from the General Fund to improve assets owned by the state, local governments, and nonprofit community organizations.

Capital projects paid for by cash from the General Fund are open to more entities than those funded through borrowing. State money is the last in under the new law, however, and organizations must show they can access sufficient funds to complete the project.

Workers on all projects must be paid at least the prevailing wage.

Sustainable building guidelines must be followed on new or major renovations of state, Minnesota State and University of Minnesota buildings. The law appropriates $300,000 to improve accountability in the state’s sustainable building guidelines.

Sponsored by Rep. Fue Lee (DFL-Mpls) and Sen. Sandra Pappas (DFL-St. Paul) the law generally took effect June 2, 2023.

HF670*/SF677/CH71

What’s in the law

It appropriates $395.6 million to the Department of Employment and Economic Development to fund more than 100 projects undertaken by local governments and nonprofits. These include swimming pools, ice arenas, community centers, emergency shelters, recreation areas, trails, museums, public health facilities, parks, trails, inclusive playgrounds, food shelves and theaters.

There is $120.4 million to the Public Facilities Authority for the Lewis and Clark Regional Water System, Western Lake Superior Sanitary District, and drinking water and wastewater projects in Austin, Braham, Buhl, Dayton, Litchfield, Gilbert, Lincoln-Pipestone, Mankato, Minneapolis, Mound, Red Rock, Tyler, and West St. Paul.

More than $76 million will go to the Department of Transportation.

Among the projects funded are improvements to Highway 65 interchanges in Blaine; paving 13th Street in Barnesville; reconstruction of Fifth Ave. N. in Biwabik; grade separation and other safety improvements to Nicollet Avenue in Burnsville; a pedestrian bridge in Coon Rapids; street infrastructure including wastewater and stormwater sewers in Madelia; raising Highway 6 above 50-year flood levels in Sibley County near Henderson; and improvements to Cedar Lake Road and Louisiana Avenue in St. Louis Park.

Other transportation projects to receive funding are $7 million for a freight car storage facility in Lakeville, $3.9 million to relocate and improve an instrument landing system at the St. Cloud airport, and $3.9 million for construction of a primary runway at the Karlstad airport, which is in addition to $5.6 million authorized in 2021’s transportation law.

The Department of Public Safety will receive $48.7 million for 15 projects including fire stations, law enforcement centers and training facilities in Brooklyn Park, Chisholm, Dilworth, Edina, Golden Valley, Hibbing, Maplewood, Marshall, Minneapolis, Lake Johanna, Virginia, and Winona.

Among the $47.7 million to the Pollution Control Agency are $26 million to build an anaerobic digester in Hennepin County, available after the county submits plans to close the Hennepin County Energy Recovery Center; $12.8 million to expand the Pope/Douglas recycling center; and $6.1 to address contaminated drinking water in Andover.

Other provisions include:

• $47.9 million to the Metropolitan Council for 14 projects making improvements to parks, trails, greenways, pedestrian crossings in Champlin, Dellwood, Minneapolis, St. Paul and White Bear Lake. This includes $7 million to renovate the Red Line 147th Street Station in Apple Valley and $6.2 million for design work for a new Park at RiversEdge in St. Paul;

• $30.1 million to rehabilitate public housing;

• $21.6 million for Phase II renovations at the St. Peter Regional Treatment Center;

• $18.4 million to renovate buildings and construct support space at the Shakopee prison;

• $8.9 million to drain the Canisteo Legacy Mine Pit Complex where rising water threatens the nearby town of Bovey;

• $5.7 million for the Minnesota Military Museum at Camp Ripley — $13 million was appropriated in the 2020 bonding law;

• $4.5 million to raze the Ford Building near the State Capitol;

• $4 million for grants to build new skate parks, which must be free to the public;

• $3.4 million to renovations at the Harriet Tubman Center East Building in Maplewood;

• $1.88 million to extend the Willow Creek Trail in Rochester;

• $1.29 million for improvements to all-terrain vehicle trails in St. Louis County; and

• $700,000 to stabilize the Mississippi River riverbank near the Weyerhaeuser Museum in Morrison County.

HF0670* / SF0677 / CH71