DEED awarded $2.1M to five projects in August.

Byline: J.D. Duggan

The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development awarded about $2.1 million in grants to five projects in the August round of the Redevelopment Grant Program.

The program helps communities with the costs of redeveloping blighted industrial, residential or commercial sites and putting land back into productive use.

The grants awarded in the August 2022 round are expected to create 78 jobs and retain 466 jobs. They will lead to the redevelopment of 50 acres, and the construction of 540 housing units 136 of which will be affordable.

The grants leverage more than $210 million in private investment.

The projects are:

Hillside Development Project in Clara City, which was awarded $250,000 to demolish the 2.07-acre site and redevelop it into a three-story, 38-unit apartment building.

O'Jay Juice Factory in Lindstrom, which was awarded $200,000 to demolish a 1.94-acre site and redevelop it into a dental office, laundromat and a three-story, 54-unit affordable apartment building.

Four Seasons Mall site in Plymouth, which was awarded $775,000 to prep the 16.29-acre site. The mall closed 11...