October 6, 2026 Business, Housing & Zoning Committee

At the October 6, 2026 Minneapolis Business, Housing & Zoning Committee meeting, members approved a contract for Metro Blue Line Extension station-area planning services. The contract amount was listed as $750,000; staff explained that the underlying federal grant was initially $700,000, with the Metropolitan Council identifying a possible additional $50,000 that would require a later acceptance action. The 12–18-month planning effort is intended to include community engagement, station-area development strategies, and identification of needed capital improvements. The committee also approved submitting 14 grant applications seeking approximately $6 million from state, regional, and county grantors for projects including affordable housing, property rehabilitation, commercial development, and environmental cleanup; the applications propose 241 affordable units, and awards remain pending. Members also received an update on the Emergency Housing Voucher Program, which has just under $1.2 million under contract with the Minneapolis Public Housing Authority (MPHA), including $50,000 paid for startup costs.

The committee approved dissolving the Minneapolis Development Finance Committee, with staff describing a proposed successor advisory arrangement between CPED and the Finance Department; a follow-up memo on the change and City Council authority was requested. A proposed amendment to Trio Development’s affordability terms for 14 Avenue townhomes—from up to 60% to up to 80% of area median income—was delayed one cycle for further discussion. The committee also reviewed tax-increment-financing district closures and a modification expected to return about $3.2 million in value to the general tax base. Other actions included approving routine license items and Driftwood’s license-condition changes, while forwarding the Los Andes Latin Bistro settlement to the full Council without recommendation.