Economic Development Authority Meeting Date: July 27, 2026
To: Members of the Economic Development Authority
From: Scott Wopata, Community Development Director
Emery John, Interim Program Coordinator
Title
Staff Updates
Body
Action Requested:
No action at this time.
Summary Report:
- Paul Bruhn Looking Upward Grant
o Buildings located in the Historic District are eligible to apply for up to $70,000 (10% match required) for upper story building renovations. Shovel ready projects are encouraged to apply, with projects needing to be completed on a tight timeline (end of the year 2026).
o Applications are due August 2nd at midnight. Reach out to Emery <mailto:emery.john@northfieldmn.gov> if you have questions. The attached link contains more information about the program.
- Harvest Hills, a private development project located adjacent to the middle school, is proposing 71 units of housing. City Council approved the development agreement and TIF agreement on July 21, 2026 for phase one.
- The Archer House is headed to City Council in August for a Development Agreement and TIF agreement discussion and vote. Public bathroom access, a clear want of the downtown business community as articulated in the Connecting Business and Community survey program, is included in the agreements, pending Council approval.
- Note: the first City Council meeting in August is on Monday, August 3 instead of Tuesday, August 4, to make way for Night to Unite.
- The Redevelopment Committee met on July 22, 2026 - staff and committee members will provide a verbal report.
- The Loan Committee is set to meet Monday, August 10 to work on pilot program development.
- The Community Development Department has continued reorganizing staffing in-line with City and Community Priorities. The previous position of Economic Development Coordinator and the position of Housing Coordinator have both been eliminated. The two positions have been combined into a higher-level Community Development Manager job description. This reflects a more financially efficient use of resources, while investing in two key strategic priorities: economic development and housing.
City Plans & Policies Relevance:
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Alternative Options:
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Financial Impacts:
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Tentative Timelines:
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