Economic Development Services to Support Vibrant Communities
NLEA’s services help communities retain, grow, and attract employers who provide year-round family-sustaining jobs. We also help communities create vibrant places that retain and attract the workforce needed for a strong and resilient economy. We have a team of economic and community development professionals with expertise in planning, property rehabilitation and development, grant management, and policy.
We Offer the Following Services to Communities
Grant Writing and Administration
We help communities write, package, and refine competitive grant applications for state, federal, and private funding sources (e.g., MEDC, USDA, EDA, MSHDA, DNR, MDARD, Congressional District Spending Requests, etc.) to support a variety of community needs like infrastructure improvements and expansion, housing, commercial and industrial development, placemaking, and more. Additionally, we support communities in administering awarded state, federal, and private grants.
Development Finance Incentives
We can help communities navigate the steps involved in utilizing incentives that facilitate development and redevelopment, including but not limited to:
– Public Act 210-Commercial Rehabilitation Act
– Public Act 255-Commercial Redevelopment Act
– Public Act 198-Industrial Facilities Exemption Act
– Public Act 381-Brownfield Redevelopment Act
– Public Act 425-Intergovernmental Transfers Act
– Public Act 57-Tax Increment Financing Act
Site Readiness
We work with communities to help identify and navigate site readiness hurdles such as site identification, infrastructure needs, utility capacity, funding needs, and more to prepare sites for future use. Our work with local communities helps ensure they are development and redevelopment ready to attract new brick and mortar businesses or help existing businesses expand into new space. NLEA maintains a list of available sites for the MEDC’s Site Selector Database, monitors and responds to active site searches by businesses and developers, and collaborates with necessary stakeholders to support expansion and attraction.
Economic Development Planning, Data Analysis, and Policy Design
We provide research, data analysis, and policy development support to communities looking to enhance economic development through updated and more streamlined processes, financial incentives, or other strategies to build and sustain a thriving economy. This support can be an important complement to a community’s master planning process.
Education and Training
We provide education and training opportunities that cover topics including but not limited to Economic Development 101, economic data trends, and development incentives.
Business Retention and Attraction
To ensure communities understand the critical needs of their businesses and major employers, NLEA staff proactively conduct outreach to businesses to help them resolve any challenges they may be facing or identify other opportunities to support their success and growth. This involves connecting businesses to needed resources to solve workforce challenges, funding for equipment purchases or expansion, and more. These efforts help create wealth and reinvest it into our communities to support a great quality of life.
To request assistance, contact Jessica Lovay at jess@northernlakes.net.
