A cohort from the Floodwood area participated with 4 other communities across Northeast Minnesota to learn about issues facing housing and help promote growth in our current landscape.

A "Phase 1" is an environmental site assessment / report prepared for a real estate holding that identifies potential or existing environmental contamination liabilities.

The City of Floodwood acquired and annexed 127.5 acres of land that would come to be known as the "West Development", setting in motion a new chapter of growth and opportunity for the community. 

Later taken over by F.I. Salter, this contract brings a statewide presence and decades of experience of partnering with local municipalities to address infrastructure and growth needs to this project.

The initial draft reflected the desire for multi-use development including single-family, multifamily, commercial, and light industrial sections.

The city began engaging area developers and evaluating building costs and options that meet the desired specifications for the new development.

Floodwood received a $50,000 Contamination Cleanup and Investigation grant from MN Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED). The West Development site, which was historically used for agricultural cropland and possible vehicle maintenance, is being evaluated for the need for cleanup based on site samples and testing. 

Through a competitive application process for the Greater Minnesota Housing Infrastructure Grant Program, that yielded 48 requests for a total of $17.2 million, Floodwood was awarded $500,000 towards infrastructure development - 1 of 21 recipients of a total of $7.5 million awarded.

Thanks to Senator Klobuchar who sponsored the funding request with the Senate Appropriations Committee and was able to ensure the project advanced to inclusion in the final appropriations bill.

The city submitted a capital project request for $1.5 million in general obligation bonds through Minnesota Management and Budget while elected officials authored legislation to champion the proposal through the Capital Investment Committee and to final inclusion in the state omnibus bill.

Community and Economic Development Associates (CEDA) conducted an in-depth study of housing, demographic, and economic factors for the Floodwood area that shows the need for a combination of 18-22 owner-occupied and rental housing units to maintain current levels and an additional 22-28 units recommended to accommodate growth.

The wetland delineation completed by GEI consultants was submitted to and accepted by the MN Department of Natural Resources (DNR). This allows the plan to be updated to reflect buildable and unbuildable areas and decision makers to determine where wetland exchange or credits may be practical.

After the wetland delineation, adjustments were needed to the overall development layout. Areas demarcated as wetlands were further evaluated for use of wetland credits and cost effectiveness of development. The light industrial area was removed from the plan for the time being due to the size of the contiguous wet area on the West side of the property.