In 2007, the Minneapolis City Council approved the Great Streets Neighborhood Business District program, a coordinated effort to help businesses develop and succeed along commercial corridors and at commercial nodes throughout the city.
City resources are available for business loans, real estate development gap financing, and business district assistance such as façade improvement programs, market studies, and retail recruitment efforts.
The 15 programs getting funding through the Great Streets Neighborhood Business District Program are:
Catalyst Community Partners: $45,000, for business development and business recruitment. Area: West Broadway Avenue.
East Gateway Partnership: $34,320, for public safety initiatives. Area: West Broadway Avenue.
Harrison Neighborhood Association: $29,500, for business organizing and technical assistance. Area: Glenwood Avenue and Van White Boulevard.
Hennepin Theater Trust: $50,000, for analysis and planning for commercial space. Area: Hennepin Avenue.
Lake Street Council: $30,000, for business recruitment and marketing assistance for businesses. Area: East, Midtown, and West Lake Street.
Latino Economic Development Center: $46,750, for technical assistance. Area: Midtown; East Lake Street; Central Avenue.
Longfellow Community Council: $25,645, for real estate/market assessment and Art in Vacant Storefronts initiative. Area: East Lake Street.
Lowry Ave North Collaborative: $30,588, for real estate and market analysis and business organizing. Area: Penn & Lowry avenues, Emerson & Lowry avenues, Lyndale & Lowry avenues.
NEON: $35,000, for business technical assistance. Area: West Broadway Avenue, Penn & Lowry avenues, Emerson & Lowry avenues, Lyndale & Lowry avenues.
Nicollet East Harriet Business Association: $15,250, for construction mitigation, business technical assistance and marketing.
Seward Redesign: $42,245, for business recruitment, business and property owner technical assistance. Area: Franklin Avenue / LRT station area.
University Area Business Associations: $30,000, for construction mitigation, business technical assistance, district marketing. Area: Cedar Avenue, Riverside Avenue, West Bank LRT, 29th Avenue LRT, East Bank LRT station areas.
Uptown Association: $9,025, for business education and Adopt-a-Block program. Area: Uptown Activity Center.
West Bank Business Association: $30,000, for communication, marketing, and media technical assistance.
West Broadway Coalition: $46,550, for web and social media technical assistance, membership drive, networking for businesses and business resource brokering.
