St. Cloud EDA Approves 5 Grants for Downtown Improvements

ST. CLOUD (WJON News) -- Five businesses in downtown St. Cloud have been approved for some state grant money.

The St. Cloud Economic Development Authority reviewed 21 applications with five moving forward to final approval from the Initiative Foundation. The five grants total nearly $644,000 of the $1.5 million available to St. Cloud in the form of Main Street Grants.

A grant of $199,000 was approved for Cowboy Jack's. The plan is to build a new three-story building with the first-floor housing several retail concepts, the second floor being the new Cowboy Jack's with a rooftop deck, and the third floor will be office space. The total project cost is estimated at about $4 million.

A grant of $199,000 was approved for Great River Children's Museum. The total project cost is about $7.3 million.

A grant of nearly $132,000 was approved for Harvester Square Event Center. The space is on the second level of the building at 539 East St. Germain Street. The total project cost is nearly $439,000. The first floor will be the home of Iron Street Distillery.

A grant of $60,000 was awarded to the buildings at 413 and 415 East St. Germain Street known as the Mackerel Building. The new owner is in the process of renovating the upper-level apartment spaces. The lower level will eventually be remodeled into two storefronts. The total project cost is about $200,000.

A grant of $54,000 was awarded to Blue Goose Speakeasy. The plan is to turn the lower level storage space of the Pioneer Place Theater into a speakeasy with a lounge and a limited menu of food. The total project cost is about $180,000.

All of the projects needed to be ready to go in the next six to 12 months to qualify for the money, must have been harmed by the events of the past few years and must create new jobs for the downtown.

St. Cloud EDA Director Cathy Mehelich says the board has identified six more projects that have merit, but they need more specific details on their projects. She says she expects to open up a second round of grant applications in the next few months.

The grant money is available for interior and exterior work on businesses between Cooper Avenue and Lincoln Avenue along the St. Germain corridor.