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item # 7. <br />C <br />ver <br />MEMORANDUM <br />TO: Economic Development Authority <br />FROM: Catherine Mehelich, Director of Economic Development <br />DATE: August 10, 2009 <br />SUBJECT: Shovel-Ready Site Certification Program <br />Presentation & Discussion by Gene Goddard, MN DEED <br />Attachment <br />• Shovel-Ready Site Certification information from DEED website <br />Background <br />Within the recently adopted Economic Development 2009-2012 Strategic Plan, the EDA <br />has identified the following Industrial Development Strategies: <br />• Build on existing light industrial base <br />• Diversify economic base to include professional services, corporate campuses, and <br />energy-related technology businesses <br />• Ensure resources (compatible sites, financing tools, focused marketing, etc) are in <br />place to achieve goals <br />Staff has invited Gene Goddard, Senior Business Development Specialist for the MN Dept <br />of Employment & Economic Development (DEED) to provide an overview of the new <br />Minnesota Shovel Ready Certification Program. The Shovel-Ready program certifies that <br />the most time-consuming technical and regulatory aspects of development are already <br />complete for public and privately owned development sites. The certification gives these <br />sites a unique marketing advantage and is more attractive to companies and site selection <br />consultants looking for locations for business startups, expansions or relocations. <br />The EDA may wish to consider the Shovel-Ready Site Certification program as a marketing <br />tool on the 2 remaining Northstar Business Park lots, privately-owned Business Park/Light <br />Industrial lots, as well as any future Business Parks the EDA pursues. The application fee <br />for the MN Shovel-Ready Site program is $2,950 per site and covers the cost of initial <br />review, onsite inspection, final certification, marketing and annual maintenance of the <br />