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5.3. SR 06-14-2010ITEM 5.3. ~~~~ ~-^ ever MEMORANDUM TO: Mayor & City Council FROM: Catherine Mehelich, Director of Economic Development/~ DATE: June 14, 2010 SUBJECT: Transit Improvement Area Designation Attachments • DEED Transit Improvement Areas Notice for Applications • DEED Program Guidelines and Requirements The MN Department of Employment & Economic Development (DEED) recently announced it is accepting applications for the designation of Transit Improvement Areas (TIA). Upon designation TIAs would be eligible to receive loan dollars to help fund projects that increase the effectiveness of transit by incorporating commercial, residential, or mixed- use development and provide for sale, pedestrian-friendly use. The attached information summarizes the purpose, background and requirements of the application. Staff recently attended a workshop regarding the program and will discuss the benefits with the City Council. The City Council is asked to consider authorizing staff to proceed in preparing an application for designation of a Transit Improvement Area for the I/z mile radius of the Elk River Northstar Commuter Rail station. The application deadline is July 16, 2010. Transit Improvement Areas Page 1 of 1 .~,,~ µ ~~" , _, Transit Improvement Areas DEED is accepting applications from local government authorities for the designation of Transit Improvement Areas (TIA). TIAs were created to designate land parcels near bus rapid transit, light rail transit and commuter rail stations. Upon designation, TIAs would be eligible to receive loan dollars to help fund projects that increase the effectiveness of transit by incorporating commercial, residential, or mixed- use development and provide for safe, pedestrian-friendly use. Currentlv there are no state funds availahlP. However, with the recent availability of federal funds targeted towards transit and sustainable communities, DEED has been requested to make designations with the intention of leveraging applications for other sources of funding, Eligible Applicants Applications are only encouraged from applicants seeking federal funding or those that find applying would be beneficial for other immediate funding purposes. Eligible applicants include: • Statutory or home rule charter cities • Counties • Joint powers boards Eligible applicants must submit a Transit Improvement Area plan. Qualifying Plans Parcels must meet the following criteria in order to qualify for designation as a Transit Improvement Area: • The entire transit Improvement Area must be within ahalf-mile radius of the transit station. • The transit station must support at a minimum one of the following modes: bus rapid transit, light rail transit, or commuter rail. • The transit station must be operational by the year 2020. • The TIA plan must incorporate transit with commercial, residential, or mixed-use development. • Plans with a residential component must provide a minimum of 12 units per acre or a density bonus that allows for an increase in the number of residential units. Application Deadline The application deadline for the 2010 calendar year is July 16th at 4 pm. An applicant may seek designation for more than one TIA, though separate applications must be completed for each. • Click here to download the TIA application. Upcoming TIA Workshops DEED will be hosting two workshops in the Metro area. Topics discussed will include details pertaining to the application process, completing the application and other statutory requirements. The first workshop will be Thursday, June 3, 2010 at 11a.m. at DEED headquarters, 1St National Bank Building, 332 Minnesota Street, Ste E200, St. Paul, MN 55101. The second workshop will be Tuesday, June 8, 2010 at 2 p.m. at the Anoka County Library, Mississippi Branch, 410 Mississippi Street Northeast, Fridley, MN 55432. For More Information Contact Meredith Udoibok at 651-259-7454 or email meredith,udoibokstate.mn.us or Erin Welle at 651-259-7431 or email erin.welleCcz).state.mn.us. ©2010 Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development Privac~Policv Accessibility Site Map Webmaster Contact Us http://www.positivelyminnesota.com/Government/Community_Development_Resources/Transit Improveme... 6/9/2010 MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF EMPLOYMENT AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT 1St National Bank Building 332 Minnesota Street, Suite E200 St. Paul, MN 55101-1351 Contact: Meredith Udoibok or Erin Welle, Business and Community Development Telephone: 651-259-7454 / 651-259-7431 Toll Free: 800-657-3858 ***YOU MUST READ THE FOLLOWING NARRATIVE TO FULLY UNDERSTAND THE APPLICATION PROCESS*** PROGRAM GUIDELINES AND REQUIREMENTS PURPOSE/BACKGROUND: The Transit Improvement Area Account was established by the 2008 legislature and Minn. Stat. §§ 469.35 and 469.351, which give the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) authority to award Transit Improvement Area designation to land parcels in proximity of a transit station. The Transit Improvement Area Account was created as a loan program. Although the account is currently unfunded, applications for designation are being accepted with the intent that designation will allow applicants to leverage and secure financing from other sources. APPLICATIONS ARE ONLY ENCOURAGED FROM APPLICANTS SEEKING FEDERAL FUNDING OR THOSE THAT FIND APPLYING BENEFICIAL FOR OTHER IMMEDIATE FUNDING PURPOSES. Projects exemplifying the commissioner's Transit Improvement Area requirements and timelines will receive designation. APPLICATION DEADLINES: The application deadline for the 2010 calendar year is July 16th. Complete applications with all supporting documents and attachments (1 original, 5 copies, and 1 electronic copy, equaling a total of 7) must be received by DEED no later than 4:00 pm. An applicant may seek designation for more than one Transit Improvement Area; however separate applications must be completed for each. Applications received must be in paper form. Electronic copies will not be accepted in place of paper copies. All applications must be complete upon submission in order to qualify for designation. ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS: Eligible applicants are statutory or home rule charter cities or towns, counties, or a joint powers board defined under section 471.59. To be eligible for designation, an applicant must submit a Transit Improvement Area plan according to the requirements and timelines established by the commissioner. The applicant and city where the transit station is located must adopt a resolution that authorizes the submittal of this application, the adoption of the Transit Improvement Area plan, and the execution of subsequent implementation agreements and contracts. Sample resolutions are provided at the end of the application. QUALIFYING TRANSIT IMPROVEMENT AREA PLANS: A site must meet each of the following criteria in order to qualify for Transit Improvement Area designation. 1. Land parcels must be in close proximity to an existing or proposed transit station. If the application is for a proposed transit station, the transit station must be operational within ten years (year 2020) of receiving designation as a Transit Improvement Area. "Transit station" refers to a physical structure that supports the interconnection ofpublic transit modes. The entire Transit Improvement Area must be within a half mile radius of a transit station supporting at least one of the following modes: a. Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) is an enhanced bus system that operates bus lanes or other transit ways in order to combine the flexibility of buses with the efficiency of rail. By doing so, BRT operates at faster speeds, provides greater service reliability and increased customer convenience. It also utilizes a combination of advanced technologies, infrastructure and operational investments that provide significantly better service than traditional bus service. b. Light Rail Transit (LRT) is generally defined as electric rail cars that operate in short trains. Powered from an overhead wire, LRT can run on exclusive, semi- exclusive or shared alignments, with or without grade crossings, or even in traffic lanes on city streets. c. Commuter Rail is generally defined as passenger train service that operates on existing freight railroad tracks. Commuter rail service primarily operates during "rush" hours. Trains generally run inbound to the city center in the morning and outbound to suburban areas in the evening. 2. A Transit Improvement Area must increase the effectiveness of a transit project by incorporating one or more public transit modes with commercial, residential, or mixed- use development and by providing for safe, pedestrian friendly use. The commissioner possesses the right to modify an applicant's plan in order to better achieve the objectives of Transit Improvement Areas. Applicants will be notified of the designations and any changes (complete with justifications) to the applicants plan. 3. If the Transit Improvement Area plan has a residential component, it must propose at least 12 residential units per acre or a density bonus that allows for an increase in the number of residential units over what is permitted by the underlying zoning. DISCLAIMER: Upon receiving designation, the Department of Employment and Economic Development has no obligation to provide financing to the Transit Improvement Area.