HomeMy WebLinkAbout07I RAISE Grant Application for County 19A/100th Street Project
CITY OF COTTAGE GROVE, MINNESOTA
CITY COUNCIL
RESOLUTION 2023-023
A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY TO APPLY FOR THE RESTORING
AMERICAN INFRASTRUCTURE THROUGH SUSTAINABILITY AND EQUITY
(“RAISE”) GRANT
Whereas, the City of Cottage Grove is seeing incredible growth and modernization;
and
Whereas, with such rapid growth, it has been a challenge for the City to replace
aging infrastructure, address increasing traffic congestion, and improve safety all while
encouraging and welcoming a robust period of diverse population growth and job growth;
and
Whereas, a 2019 study conducted by Washington County (the “Study”)
documented a lack of roadways specifically serving an area of growing industrial and
residential development near Jamaica Avenue and Trunk Highway 61, a pivotal
intersection for the community and region; and
Whereas, the Study recommended the solution to the increased congestion and
safety concerns is the construction of a new arterial roadway that would also require the
th
realignment of the existing 100 Street and County Road 19A, the intersection
reconstruction of County Road 19A and Trunk Highway 61 and the construction of a
railroad bridge to provide a grade-separated crossing over Canadian Pacific’s rail line
(hereinafter referred to as the “Southwest Arterial Project”); and
Whereas, the Southwest Arterial Project will serve as the main transportation route
to Trunk Highway 61 from this growing area of the community, will greatly reduce
congestion, increase capacity, and relieve stress at the Jamaica Avenue and Highway 61
interchange and also provide a much-needed additional access point to the City’s
Industrial Park; and
Whereas, there has been unprecedented new growth in the City’s Industrial Park
in 2021 and 2022, including the new NorthPoint Development, which broke ground in the
Spring of 2022 on a 3.4 million square foot industrial park that will bring 1,800 jobs to the
community, Renewal by Anderson which is in construction of a 330,000 square foot
expansion, which will add additional jobs to its existing workforce, and two additional
distribution center projects totaling 366,000 square feet.
Whereas, the residential development in this same area is also seeing the
extraordinary growth of several potential development projects by 2025 that will total
nearly 1,000 additional residential units and include a variety of housing stock and
affordability tiers with single-family lots, smaller lots for active adults, townhomes and
apartments; and
Whereas, the Southwest Arterial Project is both locally and regionally significant
as it is directly improving the access to the main thoroughfare of Trunk Highway 61 that
connects the City of Cottage Grove northerly to the Twin Cities Metro Area as well as to
the southern regions of the State; and
Whereas, this critical corridor is essential to the mobility of the City’s workforce and
the logistics and supply chain industries; and
Whereas, the targeted location of the Southwest Arterial Project and improvements
that will be realized from the Southwest Arterial Project by reducing traffic congestion and
increasing safety, will have a substantial and immediate profound impact by providing
efficiencies in mobility, accessibility and connectivity to travelers, residents, workforce and
industries; and
Whereas, the Southwest Arterial Project is an innovative project in collaboration
with other governmental agencies who all seek to increase workforce development
opportunities, create community connectivity, and remove barriers to opportunity; and
Whereas, there are significant funding obstacles to design, construct and realize
the Southwest Arterial Project, which has an estimated total project cost of $32,100,000;
and
Whereas, based on the estimated total project cost and the maximum $25,000,000
grant award, the City is committed to financing the $7,100,000 funding gap, which will
satisfy the 20% match requirement of $6,250,000; and
Whereas, the RAISE Grant, which seeks to provide funding for projects of
universal design and accessibility for travelers, increase mobility, and remove barriers to
opportunity and workforce development is a perfect match for the Southwest Arterial
Project’s purposes and goals by meeting the transportation needs of the new residential
growth and the growth and expansion of the City’s industrial mobility-related businesses
that will have both a local and regional impact; and
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, the City Council of the City of Cottage
Grove, County of Washington, State of Minnesota, that the City is hereby authorized to
apply for and execute the necessary documents for the RAISE Grant application to
request funding for the Southwest Arterial Project; and
Be it further resolved that if so awarded, the City will honor the local contribution
requirements to meet the full funding needs for the Southwest Arterial Project, and the
City will honor the program requirements of meeting a funding agreement by September
30, 2027 and full expenditure of funds by September 30, 2032.
th
Passed this 15 day of February 2023.
Myron Bailey, Mayor
Attest:
Tamara Anderson, City Clerk