News and Events

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) encourages businesses of all sizes, private nonprofit organizations, homeowners and renters to apply for a disaster loan before the Nov. 2 deadline. Anyone in the declared counties in Minnesota with damages caused by the civil unrest on May 27 through June 8, 2020 should appl...Continue Reading

Three contracting opportunities are currently available for organizations and individuals to support Ramsey County's work to provide emergency food and basic need supplies to residents during the coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic.  Funded in part by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, the purpose of these contract opportunities is to make strategi...Continue Reading

Many local businesses affected by COVID-19, the civil unrest and the economic downturn are looking for ways to save money this fall.??  Recognizing the current financial hardship that many businesses are experiencing, BizRecycling?created Relief grants—up to $10,000 each—for small businesses in Ramsey County and Washington County. Businesses are eligible for a Relief grant even i...Continue Reading

On paper, the intersection of Rice Street and Larpenteur Avenue forms the gateway to St. Paul, Roseville and Maplewood, a three-way border that one might expect to yield significant investment. In reality, civic leaders have for years called the intersection sparse and neglected. It’s also not immune to crime, including th...Continue Reading

A return to normalcy won’t cut it in the post-COVID workplace. How real estate leaders approach this all-new landscape will have lasting implications on our communities’ health, employee safety and well-being, and organizational performance alike. If it sounds like a tall order, that’s because it is. Yet, tumultuous times have historicall...Continue Reading

Twin Cities businesses looking for the light at the end of the coronavirus tunnel are finding hope in ultraviolet rays. Requests for UV filtration systems for air ducts are up and one local inventor has a patent-pending bulb he hopes to see installed in large spaces, such as U.S. Bank Stadiu...Continue Reading

A proposed second train from St. Paul to Chicago rolled a little closer to reality this week with the approval of a $31.8 million federal grant. Ramsey County commissioners involved in the project spoke about the grant approval at Tuesday’s board meeting. An official announcement is expected later this week. “This i...Continue Reading

White Bear Township received more than it needed from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, so the Town Board decided to offer grants to local businesses. Most of the $835,000 disbursed by the Minnesota Department of Management and Budget will be put toward public safety expenses incurred by th...Continue Reading

The iconic TCO Sports Garden (formerly Vadnais Sports Center) is a staple of the Ramsey County community, hosting over a million people each year for sporting events and special exhibitions. In February 2020, the Ramsey County Board of Commissioners approved the naming rights contract for the sports center. Thanks to the new, 15-year partnership with Twin Cities Orthopedics...Continue Reading

There are many entry-level jobs in demand now that put Minnesotans on a career path to family-sustaining employment. This week in our Jobs in Demand series, the Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) is focusing on entry-level health care and social assistance jobs that, with additional training and certification, ca...Continue Reading

The Brownfields and Redevelopment Unit is accepting applications for grant funding for contaminated site projects through the Contamination Cleanup and Investigation and RAP Development grant program. Call for Applications Application/Forms Submission Deadline The deadline for submission of applications is 4:00 p.m., November 2, 2020. For applications due November 2, 2020.  Application deadline remains 4:00 pm o...Continue Reading

September is Workforce Development Month – and never in recent memory have investments in our state's workforce been more important. The pandemic has had a dramatic impact on jobs and employment in Minnesota. Our state's unemployment rate as of July is at 7.7%, down more than two percentage points fro...Continue Reading

TechPak, a partnership between Tech Dump, Literacy Minnesota, Saint Paul Public Library and Ramsey County, is a new initiative bringing computers, internet and digital literacy training into the homes of Ramsey County residents who have experienced economic impacts due to COVID-19. The packs include a refurbished laptop, a hotspot for internet access and quick start guides. During the upcomin...Continue Reading

The SBA has just made available low-interest disaster loans for Minnesota businesses, non-profits and residents who were affected by civil unrest on May 27 through June 8, 2020. If you are located in Hennepin County or the adjacent counties of Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Ramsey, Scott, Sherburne, and Wright, you may be eligible t...Continue Reading

Ramsey County continues to provide emergency assistance to small local businesses adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Beginning Aug. 4, a second round of applications will be accepted for the Small Business Relief Fund, providing grants of up to $10,000 to small businesses and self-employed entrepreneurs. The application deadline is Aug. 18 at ...Continue Reading

The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) has announced a new partnership with Coursera, to provide Minnesotans FREE career-based, online learning resources. Coursera offers 3,800 courses and training modules from over 200 top businesses and universities, including more than 60 courses from the University of Minnesota. These learning opportunities are aimed at both preparin...Continue Reading

The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) announced that 1,020 small businesses throughout Minnesota received a Small Business Emergency Loan, which is different than the more recently announced Small Business Relief Grants. More than $27 million in loans were made from $30 million in special revenue funds allocate...Continue Reading

The Conway Community Center hosted a ceremonial groundbreaking Tuesday to mark the $11 million improvements being made to its outdoor soccer fields on St. Paul’s East Side. The Sanneh Foundation, which is leading the fundraising effort, recently announced the Delta Dental of Minnesota Foundation has contributed $2 million to the project...Continue Reading

The COVID-19 pandemic has hit the restaurant and health care industries especially hard. That’s why one local high school student has launched an initiative for residents to simultaneously help out people working in both fields. Sruthi Subramanian is a rising senior at Mounds View High School. She is also the founde...Continue Reading

Minneapolis/St. Paul is among the top five sports markets in the nation, topping bigger cities like Los Angeles, New York and Dallas, according to a new ranking from Forbes. The Twin Cities — really just "Minneapolis" in the ranking, but the study includes St. Paul's Minnesota Wild — place fifth in th...Continue Reading

The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) announced today that it has completed the lottery drawing for the winners of the Small Business Relief Grant Program. The program will award $10,000 grants to small businesses that have suffered financial hardship as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, an...Continue Reading