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2023.05.11 Work Session Packet 4141 Douglas Drive North • Crystal, Minnesota 55422-1696 Tel: (763) 531-1000 • Fax: (763) 531-1188 • www.crystalmn.gov Posted: May 5, 2023 City Council Work Session Agenda Thursday, May 11, 2023 at 6:30 p.m. Council Chambers/Zoom Pursuant to due call and notice given in the manner prescribed by Section 3.01 of the City Charter, the work session of the Crystal City Council was held on Thursday, May 11, 2023 at ______ p.m. in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 4141 Douglas Dr. N., Crystal, MN and via Zoom. The public may attend the meeting via Zoom by connecting to it through one of the methods identified on the Notice of May 11, 2023 Work Session. I. Attendance Council members Staff ____ Cummings ____ Bell ____ Eidbo ____ Gilchrist ____ Kamish ____ Therres ____ Kiser ____ Elholm ____ Onesirosan ____ Larson ____ Adams ____ Ray ____ Budziszewski ____ Revering ____ Sutter ____ Serres II. Agenda The purpose of the work session is to discuss the following agenda items: 1. Bass Lake Road Station Area Plan update. 2. Blue Line Extension Anti-Displacement Working Group update. 3. Blue Line Extension project update * III. Adjournment The work session adjourned at ______ p.m. * Denotes no supporting information included in the packet. Auxiliary aids are available upon request to individuals with disabilities by calling the city clerk at (763) 531-1145 at least 96 hours in advance. TTY users may call Minnesota Relay at 711 or 1-800-627-3529. 4141 Douglas Drive North • Crystal, Minnesota 55422-1696 Tel: (763) 531-1000 • Fax: (763) 531-1188 • www.crystalmn.gov Posted: May 5, 2023 CRYSTAL CITY COUNCIL NOTICE OF MAY 11, 2023 WORK SESSION NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the City Council of the City of Crystal will hold a work session on Thursday, May 11, 2023, at 6:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 4141 Douglas Dr. N., Crystal, MN and via Zoom. In accordance with the requirements of Minn. Stat Section 13D.01, Council Member Forest Eidbo will appear remotely via interactive technology from the following public location: Rua Santo Antonio, 34, Porto Seguro, Bahia 45810-000, Brazil, within the open air lounge. The public may attend the meeting via Zoom by connecting to it through one of the methods identified below. Topic: City Council Work Session Time: May 11, 2023, 6:30 p.m. Central Time (US and Canada) Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86043905137?pwd=cTJUNmt6V3lha2RFTFFVOEMveUt2Zz09 Meeting ID: 860 4390 5137 Passcode: 414141 One tap mobile +19292056099,,86043905137#,,,,*414141# US (New York) +13017158592,,86043905137#,,,,*414141# US (Washington DC) Dial by your location +1 929 205 6099 US (New York) +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC) +1 305 224 1968 US +1 309 205 3325 US +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago) +1 646 931 3860 US +1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose) +1 689 278 1000 US +1 719 359 4580 US +1 253 205 0468 US +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma) +1 346 248 7799 US (Houston) +1 360 209 5623 US +1 386 347 5053 US +1 507 473 4847 US +1 564 217 2000 US Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kxhjQJN9R Auxiliary aids are available upon request to individuals with disabilities by calling the City Clerk at (763) 531-1145 at least 96 hours in advance. TTY users may call Minnesota Relay at 711 or 1-800-627-3529. CRYSTAL STATION AREA UPDATE DF/ DAMON FARBER with Visible City and SEH Bass Lake RdWe s t B r o a dw a y A v e Crystal Airport 2023 May 11 #0000273 Crystal Station Area B o t t i n e a u B l v d F o rm e r BN S F R o u t e Becker ParkCrystal Shopping Center City Council Work Session Presentation CRYSTAL - BLUE LINE STATION AREA UPDATE / PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING 05/08/2023 AGENDA 01 Introduction 02 Existing Conditions 03 Station Area Improvements 04 Redevelopment Study 05 Next Steps CRYSTAL - BLUE LINE STATION AREA UPDATE / PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING 05/08/2023 INTRODUCTION CRYSTAL - BLUE LINE STATION AREA UPDATE / PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING 05/08/2023 Beginning in 2015, Hennepin County and the City of Crystal collaborated on a station area plan for the Bass Lake Road LRT station to envision new land uses within 1/2 mile of the proposed station. Community meetings were held in September and November, 2015 and January 2016. The final report was completed in July, 2016. This plan evaluated a station along the route using freight rail property as previously planned for the METRO Blue Line Extension. Since August 2020, the Metropolitan Council and Hennepin County have partnered to evaluate revised route options that do not use freight rail property. In Crystal, the proposed route along Bottineau Boulevard, evaluated in this Station Area Update, closely parallels the original route. Bass Lake Road Station Area Plan (2016) Bass Lake Road Station Area Plan (2016) High Level Goals ï Re-envision the Bottineau Corridor as a multi-modal transit corridor that supports LRT, bus, pedestrian, and bicycle connections. ï Maximize and strategically align public and private investments in the corridor to support transit-oriented development (TOD) through catalytic investments in life-cycle housing, commercial development, and public infrastructure. ï Promote economic opportunity by improving access to jobs and supporting business recruitment and expansion along the corridor. ï Promote opportunities for local business owners ï Enhance livability in the corridor by improving public spaces, supporting the creation of healthy communities, and connecting people to key destinations, including employment centers, educational institutions, and regional amenities. Bass Lake Road Station Area Plan Crystal, Minnesota | July 2016 STATION AREA PLAN UPDATE CRYSTAL - BLUE LINE STATION AREA UPDATE / PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING 05/08/2023N evA notgnihsaWN evA tnomerFN evA eladnyLN evA nnePMi ssi ss i ppi Ri ver100 Twin L a ke M I N N E A P O L I SMINNEAPOLIS 94 Olson Memorial Highway Golden Valley Rd 5 5 Wirth L ake G O L D E N VA L L E Y G O L D E N VA L L E Y Plymouth Ave N Lowry Ave N We s t B r o a d w a y A v e 73rd Ave 610 B o t ti n e a uBl vd(Co u n t yRoad81 ) C rysta l La ke B RO O K L YN C E N TE R B RO O K L YN C E N TE R B RO O K L YN P A R K B RO O K L YN P A R K RO B B I N S D A L EROBBINSDALE N E W H O P E N E W H O P E 694 C R YSTALWest Broadway Ave!! !! !! !! BASS LAKE ROAD 63RD AVENUE PLYMOUTH AVENUE PENN AVENUE DOWNTOWN ROBBINSDALE BROOKLYN BOULEVARD 85TH AVENUE 93RD AVENUE OAK GROVE NORTH MEMORIAL EMERSON - FREMONT AVENUE TARGET FIELD STATION BASS LAKE ROAD BASS LAKE ROAD BASS LAKE ROAD 63RD AVENUE 63RD AVENUE 63RD AVENUE PLYMOUTH AVENUE PENN AVENUE PENN AVENUE PENN AVENUE DOWNTOWN ROBBINSDALE DOWNTOWN ROBBINSDALE DOWNTOWN ROBBINSDALE BROOKLYN BOULEVARD BROOKLYN BOULEVARD BROOKLYN BOULEVARD 85TH AVENUE 85TH AVENUE 85TH AVENUE 93RD AVENUE 93RD AVENUE 93RD AVENUE OAK GROVE OAK GROVE OAK GROVE NORTH MEMORIAL NORTH MEMORIAL NORTH MEMORIAL EMERSON - FREMONT AVENUE EMERSON - FREMONT AVENUE EMERSON - FREMONT AVENUE TARGET FIELD STATION [0 1 2 M i l e s !!Planned LRT Stations Station Study Areas METRO Blue Line Extension Route Recommendation The Blue Line Extension will run from downtown Minneapolis to Brooklyn Park, connecting some of our region’s most diverse communities to jobs, education, and opportunities. In Minneapolis, where two route options were evaluated, the West Broadway route is recommended. The following full route, described from north to south, meets the project’s principles and stated goals and is recommended to move forward for further evaluation: • West Broadway Avenue from Oak Grove Parkway to 73rd Avenue in Brooklyn Park. Includes stations at Oak Grove, 93rd Avenue, 85th Avenue, and Brooklyn Boulevard. • Bottineau Boulevard (County Road 81) between 73rd Avenue in Brooklyn Park to the intersection of County Road 81 and West Broadway Avenue. Includes stations at 63rd Avenue and Bass Lake Road in Crystal, and stations in the downtown and at North Memorial Hospital in Robbinsdale. • West Broadway Avenue from County Road 81 to Lyndale Avenue through North Minneapolis. This includes a design option along 21st Avenue North from Irving Avenue to Lyndale Avenue, one block to the north of West Broadway Avenue. • Lyndale Avenue to 7th Street or Olson Memorial Highway, eventually terminating at the existing Target Field Station in Downtown Minneapolis. METRO BLUE LINE EXTENSION Route Modification Report Summary • April 2022 1 METRO BLUE LINE EXTENSION ROUTE RECOMMENDATION (2022) BASS LAKE ROAD STATION AREA CRYSTAL - BLUE LINE STATION AREA UPDATE / PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING 05/08/2023 3 Project Schedule CRYSTAL - BLUE LINE STATION AREA UPDATE / PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING 05/08/2023 Interchange and At-Grade Scenarios at Bass Lake Road INTERCHANGE AND AT-GRADE SCENARIOS AT BASS LAKE ROAD CRYSTAL - BLUE LINE STATION AREA UPDATE / PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING 05/08/2023 0’200’400’N FIGURE 1: PROPOSED STATION CRYSTAL - BLUE LINE STATION AREA UPDATE / PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING 05/08/2023 BASS LAKE ROAD: INTERCHANGE OPTION At-grade Pedestrian Crossing with Trail Connections Park and Ride Design Features: z County Road 81 two lanes in each direction on a grade-separated overpass at Bass Lake Road with ramps for access from Bass Lake Road z The intersection maintains full access for Bass Lake Road z Light rail is at-grade centered between overpass bridges z Park and ride access via Lakeland Avenue North from the Wilshire Boulevard intersection z Station platform is at-grade framed by adjacent interchange bridges z The south at-grade crossing provides grade-separation from County Road 81 and provides access to trails on either side of County Road 81 and to the park and ride Aerial View of Station Area Looking North DRAFT: CONCEPT IN DEVELOPMENT Note: This image represents a planning concept based on cursory engineering work. If this concept advances, significant additional design would be required. CRYSTAL - BLUE LINE STATION AREA UPDATE / PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING 05/08/2023 Blue Line Extension materials for 10/13/2022 Crystal City Council work session and 10/26/2022 community meeting Bottineau Blvd & Bass Lake Road - Interchange Option CRYSTAL - BLUE LINE STATION AREA UPDATE / PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING 05/08/2023 Blue Line Extension materials for 10/13/2022 Crystal City Council work session and 10/26/2022 community meeting Bottineau Blvd & Bass Lake Road - Interchange Option CRYSTAL - BLUE LINE STATION AREA UPDATE / PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING 05/08/2023 Blue Line Extension materials for 10/13/2022 Crystal City Council work session and 10/26/2022 community meeting Bottineau Blvd & Bass Lake Road - Interchange Option CRYSTAL - BLUE LINE STATION AREA UPDATE / PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING 05/08/2023 EXISTING CONDITIONS CRYSTAL - BLUE LINE STATION AREA UPDATE / PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING 05/08/2023 EXISTING CONDITIONS | STATION AREA DESTINATIONS AND AMENITIES CRYSTAL - BLUE LINE STATION AREA UPDATE / PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING 05/08/2023 EXISTING CONDITIONS | AVERAGE WEEKDAY TRANSIT ACTIVITY BY STOP, FALL 2022 Data sources: Hennepin County, City of Crystal, Metro Transit CRYSTAL – BLUE LINE STATION AREA Average Weekday Transit Activity by Stop, Fall 2022 Sidewalk Route 716 Route 721 Average Weekday Activity (Boardings + Alightings) 0.1 – 0.5 0.6 – 1.5 1.6 – 3.0 3.1 – 5.0 5.1 – 15.0 15.1 – 43.4 Redevelopment Study Site Other Opportunity Site Planned Park & Ride Bo t t i n e a u B l v dBo t t i n e a u B l v d L a k e l a n d A v e N L a k e l a n d A v e N H a n s o n C t N H a n s o n C t NW B r o a d w a y A v eW B r o a d w a y A v eDouglas Dr NDouglas Dr NBass Lake RdBass Lake Rd Bass Lake RdBass Lake Rd Bot t ineau B lvdBot t ineau B lvd W B r o a dw a y A v eW B r o a dw a y A v e 54th Ave N54th Ave N 53rd Ave N53rd Ave N Elmhu r s t Ave NElmhu r s t Ave N 57th Ave N57th Ave N Wilshire BlvdWilshire Blvd 57th Ave N57th Ave N 58th Ave N58th Ave N Vera Cruz Ave NVera Cruz Ave NYates Ave NYates Ave N59th Ave N59th Ave N CRYSTAL - BLUE LINE STATION AREA UPDATE / PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING 05/08/2023 EXISTING CONDITIONS | PEDESTRIAN NETWORK CRYSTAL - BLUE LINE STATION AREA UPDATE / PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING 05/08/2023 EXISTING CONDITIONS | PARCEL WALK SCORE 4 – 30 41 – 50 61 – 75 Data sources: Hennepin County, City of Crystal, Walkscore.com CRYSTAL – BLUE LINE STATION AREA Walk Score, April 2023 Parcel Walk Score 31 – 40 51 – 60 76 – 87 Sidewalk Bo t t i n e a u B l v dBo t t i n e a u B l v d L a k e l a n d A v e N L a k e l a n d A v e N H a n s o n C t N H a n s o n C t NW B r o a d w a y A v eW B r o a d w a y A v eDouglas Dr NDouglas Dr NBass Lake RdBass Lake Rd Bass Lake RdBass Lake Rd Bot t ineau B lvdBot t ineau B lvd W B r o a dw a y A v eW B r o a dw a y A v e 54th Ave N54th Ave N 53rd Ave N53rd Ave N Elmhu r s t Ave NElmhu r s t Ave N 57th Ave N57th Ave N Wilshire BlvdWilshire Blvd 57th Ave N57th Ave N Vera Cruz Ave NVera Cruz Ave NYates Ave NYates Ave N59th Ave N59th Ave N Redevelopment Study Site Other Opportunity Site CRYSTAL - BLUE LINE STATION AREA UPDATE / PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING 05/08/2023 EXISTING CONDITIONS | BICYCLE NETWORK 20-MINUTE BIKESHED MAP CRYSTAL - BLUE LINE STATION AREA UPDATE / PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING 05/08/2023 STATION AREA IMPROVEMENTS CRYSTAL - BLUE LINE STATION AREA UPDATE / PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING 05/08/2023 Bass Lake Road Station Area Plan Guiding Principles (2016 PLAN) Placemaking ï Create a welcoming sense of arrival to the community from the station ï Reimagine Becker Park ï Convert Bass Lake Road from just an arterial into compelling place ï Assist in the densification of shopping centers ï Create safe and welcoming public spaces below the underpass ï New landscape plantings and trees to offset the loss of landscaping due to the new station change GUIDING PRINCIPLES Connectivity ï Engage residents in future decisions about Becker Park ï Connect all modes of transportation to the light rail station ï Work to eliminate conflicts between pedestrians, bikes, and cars at County Road 81 ï Encourage pedestrian and bike friendly crosswalks ï Create walkable and bikeable streets Land Use ï Take advantage of compact building design and reduced parking requirements within a 1/2-mile radius of stations ï Allow for targeted mixed land uses ï Identify long-range opportunity sites ï Remove hurdles to economic development ï Consider additional opportunity sites east of Bottineau into the TC District Key ï From 2016 Plan ï Completed since 2016 ï New in 2023 CRYSTAL - BLUE LINE STATION AREA UPDATE / PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING 05/08/2023 STATION AREA CONNECTIONS CRYSTAL - BLUE LINE STATION AREA UPDATE / PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING 05/08/2023 STATION AREA IMPROVEMENTS POTENTIAL GRADE SEPARATED CROSSING A A WW W W W W W WW W W W W W OVERLOOKMULTI-USE PATH: LONG-TERM ON-STREET FACILITY (FRONTAGE RD) ON-STREET FACILITY UTILITY COORDINATION REQUIRED TO MINNESOTA RIVER VALLEY TRAILS TRAFFICCALMING SEE CARNELIAN LANE SECTION SEE NICOLS ROADSECTION ¾¿Cedar AvenueNicols RoadRahn RoadDiffley RoadHighway 13 LEGEND Proposed Station Area Improvements ° 8000800400Feet8000800400Feet ¾¿METRO Red Line Station METRO Red Line Route 1/2 mile Station Area Pedestrian Connection Multi-Use Trail Connection Streetscape Enhancement New Roadway Grade-Separated Crossing Enhanced Pedestrian Crossing Potential Opportunity Site Bridge Improvement Wayfinding Signage Bicycle Connection On-Street Bike/Ped Connection Existing Features Existing Sidewalk ExistingMulti-Use Trail Existing Interior Sidewalk Network W Existing Local Bus Stop (MVTA) Existing School/Civic Institution Existing Park/Open Space Existing Water/Wetland Existing Ped X-ing Signage/Signal Existing All-Way Stop Intersection Existing Signalized Intersection Public Art A Figure 2.11 CeDAr grOVe STATiON AreA iMPrOVeMeNTS CEDAR AVENUE TRANSITWAY2-25 CRYSTAL - BLUE LINE STATION AREA UPDATE / PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING 05/08/2023 STATION AREA IMPROVEMENTS Pedestrian Connections Improvements at County Road 81 and Bass Lake Road ï Pedestrian Improvements to be Implemented: »Add stop bar in advance of crosswalk (for visibility) »Add crosswalks at right-turn islands »Add advanced pedestrian/bike signage »Add audible pedestrian signals »Tighten corner radius »Widen white crosswalk markings (min. 10 feet) »Underlay crosswalk markings with a black field so they are more visible ï Pedestrian Improvements Requiring Further Study: »Add no right turn on red for east-west movement »Add intermediate pedestrian signals/pushbuttons to medians (only when there is sufficient space) »Narrow or remove left turn lanes to create larger refuge area »Add bollards/landscaping in median »Enhance crosswalk markings (raised crosswalk at channelized turn. »Review east-west right turn lane. »Crosswalk tables at porkchops Intersection Improvements along Bass Lake Road »Develop pedestrian promenades along south sides of Bass Lake Road, from County Road 81 to West Broadway to match north side »Add a crossing at Elmhurst with white pavement marking and a stop bar in advance of the crosswalk Improvements to City Streets »Add sidewalks to Elmhurst Avenue to connect Station Area redevelopment north of Bass Lake Road to the station and pedestrian promenade »Widen white crosswalk markings (minimum 10 feet) »Evaluate stop bars in advance of crosswalk (for visibility) »Provide pedestrian and bike crossing signage »Rapid flashing beacons »Raised crosswalks »For streets within the station area that currently do not have sidewalks, the recommendation is to consider adding sidewalks within the ½-mile radius of the Bass Lake Road station on the following streets: »Yates Ave N »57th Ave N »Brunswick Ave N »58th Ave N »60th Ave N »Elmhurst Ave N CRYSTAL - BLUE LINE STATION AREA UPDATE / PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING 05/08/2023 Bicycle Network Priority recommendations of the Bottineau Bike study include: »Multi-use trail on the south side of Bass Lake Road, connecting existing trails west of Minnesota State Highway 169 with the Bass Lake Road LRT station and the existing Crystal Lake Regional Trail. »Bike lanes on Sherburne Avenue between Douglas Drive and Becker Park, providing a direct connection between the LRT station (through Becker Park), planned trails and bike lanes on West Broadway, and the existing bike lanes on Douglas Drive. »Bike lanes on 60th Avenue, Wilshire Boulevard, and Bass Lake Road connecting the Bass Lake Road LRT station with planned trails on County Road 81. This corridor is an important connection to the east of the transitway where Twin Lake and the Crystal Airport create barriers in the street network. Similarly, limited east-west crossings of County Road 81 make this an important bicycle connection across Crystal. »Combination of a trail, buffered bike lane, and bike lane along West Broadway connecting Brooklyn Park to Crystal and down-town Robbinsdale. This route provides local bicycle connections and an alternate on-street route to the Crystal Lake Regional Trail. »Provide bike pumping and repair station at the Transit Station. »Provide visible, convenient and accessible bike parking and lockers at the Transit Station. Roadways »When feasible, eliminate as many conflicts as possible between pedestrians, bicyclists, and motor vehicles at County Road 81 intersections (e.g., remove free-right movements with porkchop medians, or alternatively, install crosswalk tables). »Optimize signal timings along County Road 81 at Bass Lake Road and Wilshire Blvd/Lakeland Ave to minimize delay increases for cross-street traffic and improve accessibility to the proposed station’s park and ride area. »In order to make the proposed park-and-ride more accessible from the downtown area, consider a connection from W. Broadway Avenue or Sherburne Avenue. A bridge would be required over the BNSF rail corridor. »Incorporate the Bass Lake Road Promenade initiative: »Construct a 12-foot-wide multi-use path on the south side of Bass Lake Road between Sherburne Avenue and W. Broadway Avenue »Construct a 8-foot-wide sidewalk on the north side of Bass Lake Road between Hampshire Avenue and W. Broadway Avenue »Streetscape enhancements (e.g., pavers, street trees, furniture, lighting) to extend the 2018 project »On-street parking on both sides of Bass Lake Road »Prioritize sidewalks, bike infrastructure, and pedestrian crossings in the proposed station area. CRYSTAL - BLUE LINE STATION AREA UPDATE / PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING 05/08/2023 Transit Connections »Include seating and paved waiting areas at all transit stops within the station area. »Include bus shelters at higher-demand transit stops and/or at stops closest to proposed LRT station. »Include adequate lighting for safety and visibility at higher-demand transit stops and/or at stops closest to the proposed LRT station. »Provide bus schedules and transfer information at all bus stops in the station area. »In the immediate LRT station area, consider providing real-time travel information and complimentary WiFi, flexible curb space for shared mobility, bicycle amenities, electric vehicle charging stations, and comfortable waiting and loading areas Parking and Kiss-and-Ride The proposed Bass Lake Road station would impact off-street parking in the station area. As part of this station area update, further study of the district parking impacts and strategies for the future will be undertaken. To facilitate desired parking activity and encourage more transit ridership at the Bass Lake Road station, improvement recommendations include the following: »Accommodate designated passenger drop-off areas (kiss-and-ride) to provide more accessible drop-off points and prevent illegal parking activity. »Kiss-and-ride can and should be accommodated at both the LRT station park and ride lot west of the station and the area east of the station. »Provide wayfinding information to direct drivers to the designated park- and-ride and kiss-and-ride areas at key intersections to minimize parking in the neighborhoods and in other private lots. »Allocate spaces for carshare services (e.g., HOURCAR), rideshare services (e.g., Uber/Lyft), and other microtransit services (e.g., Metro Mobility, shuttle services). »Provide bicycle parking at the transit station. »Consider a “right size” parking ratio for the TOD to encourage a walkable environment and encourage transit ridership. Park-and-Ride »In order to make the proposed park-and-ride more accessible from the downtown area, consider a connection from W. Broadway Avenue or Sherburne Avenue. A bridge would be required over the BNSF rail corridor. Wayfinding and Signage »Integrate recommendations from the 2019 Bottineau Wayfinding Plan to facilitate bicycle and pedestrian navigation and maximize connections within the Bottineau Corridor along the proposed METRO Blue Line LRT Extension (BLRT) »Community feedback preferred well-lit signage with bright colors »Integrate family of signage typologies from the Wayfinding Plan. Each sign type plays a different role in assisting station area visitors with navigation to area destinations, such as helping visitors orient themselves to the station area after they get off the train, providing diretions to community destinations with estimated walking and biking times to those destinations, or simply affirming that they are on the correct route. »Design and install a cohesive and contextual wayfinding and signage system near the LRT station and within the station area, includin key intersections at County Road 81/Bass Lake Road, County Road 81/Wilshire Blvd, W. Broadway Avenue/Douglas Drive, Bass Lake Road/W. Broadway Avenue as well as major destinations such as Becker Park, major shopping destinations, and the Crystal Community Center. Public Spaces »Enhance the new public plaza at the transit station with landscaping and site furnishings (seating, trash receptacles, etc.). Public Art »Integrate public art within the new transit station area plaza, parking lot, or structure to strengthen the identity of the transit station and the surrounding district. »Use public art to mask cell tower near Bass Lake Road and County Road 81. CRYSTAL - BLUE LINE STATION AREA UPDATE / PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING 05/08/2023 STREETSCAPE AND STATION ENHANCEMENTS • High visibility crosswalks • HAWK signals (High-Intensity Activated Crosswalk) where warranted • Public Art • Wayfinding and signage • Street trees and plantings • Pedestrian-scaled lighting • Site furnishings • Visible and accessible cycling amenities including bike parking, repair and pumping stations, and wayfinding to support cyclists to and from adjacent trail networks CRYSTAL - BLUE LINE STATION AREA UPDATE / PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING 05/08/2023 STREETSCAPE ENHANCEMENTS | PRECEDENT IMAGERY STATION AREA PLAN: NOVEMBER 20172-26 POTENTIAL GRADE SEPARATED CROSSING A A WW W W W W W WW W W W W W OVERLOOKMULTI-USE PATH: LONG-TERM ON-STREET FACILITY (FRONTAGE RD) ON-STREET FACILITY UTILITY COORDINATION REQUIRED TO MINNESOTA RIVER VALLEY TRAILS TRAFFICCALMING SEE CARNELIAN LANE SECTION SEE NICOLS ROADSECTION ¾¿Cedar AvenueNicols RoadRahn RoadDiffley Road Highway 13 LEGEND Proposed Station Area Improvements ° 800 0 800400Feet8000800400Feet ¾¿METRO Red Line Station METRO Red Line Route 1/2 mile Station Area Pedestrian Connection Multi-Use Trail Connection Streetscape Enhancement New Roadway Grade-Separated Crossing Enhanced Pedestrian Crossing Potential Opportunity Site Bridge Improvement Wayfinding Signage Bicycle Connection On-Street Bike/Ped Connection Existing Features Existing Sidewalk Existing Multi-Use Trail Existing Interior Sidewalk Network W Existing Local Bus Stop (MVTA) Existing School/Civic Institution Existing Park/Open Space Existing Water/Wetland Existing Ped X-ing Signage/Signal Existing All-Way Stop Intersection Existing Signalized Intersection Public Art A HAWK signal Street trees High-visibility crosswalk Wayfinding Curb extension Public art STREETSCAPE ENHANCEMENTS »Curb extensions »High visibility crosswalks »HAWK signals (High-Intensity Activated Crosswalk) where warranted »Public art »Wayfinding »Street trees and plantings »On-street pedestrian way »Pedestrian-scaled lighting »Site furnishings SEE FIG. 2.12 • High visibility crosswalks • HAWK signals (High-Intensity Activated Crosswalk) where warranted • Public Art • Wayfinding and signage • Street trees and plantings • Pedestrian-scaled lighting • Site furnishings • Visible and accessible cycling amenities including bike parking, repair and pumping stations, and wayfinding to support cyclists to and from adjacent trail networks Lighting CRYSTAL - BLUE LINE STATION AREA UPDATE / PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING 05/08/2023 STREETSCAPE ENHANCEMENTS | PRECEDENT IMAGERY STATION AREA PLAN: NOVEMBER 20173-30 STREETSCAPE ENHANCEMENTS: NORTHBOUND STATION AREA »Public art »High-visibility crosswalks »Areas for waiting/gathering »New development along the street »Tree-lined boulevards New development at the street Tree-lined boulevards Areas for waiting and gathering Public Art High-Visibility Crosswalks 77 §¨¦35E CLIFF RD CEDAR AVECEDAR AVEBURNSVILLEEAGANBURNSVILLEEAGANCinnamon Ridge Park WWW W W WW W ¾ ¾ ¿ ¿BOARDWALKCONNECTIONLONG-TERMLONG-TERMLONG-TERM OPPORTUNITY SITE SEE CLIFF ROADSECTION SEE NICOLS ROAD SECTION SEE SLATER ROADSECTION SEE CLIFF ROADBRIDGE SECTION LONG-TERMFUTURE POTENTIAL GRADE SEPARATED CROSSING LONG-TERMLONG-TERMON FRONTAGE ROADA A T BERKSHIREDRCLIFFLAKERDCLIFF RD RAMPCLIFFDR JANE C H O T R L SAFARI TRLJANECHOTRLCLIFF RDCLIFF RD OAK WAYSHALE LN C IN N A M O NRID GE T R LSLATERRDRA V O U X CT CLARKCTVILLA PKWYCLIFF RD E S L A T E R R D S A FARIHEI S L A T E R R D SLA T E RRD GRANT ALCOVE AKE CT S E L K I R K D R RE D O A K C IR S FREMONTALCOVERAHNCLIFF RDCLIFF RDRAMPDIAMONCLIFFHILLLN CLARK ST PIN OAKDR JAMES ST INTERSTATE 35ENANCY CIR CINNAMONRIDGETRL WARRICKCT C O P P E R LN WOODHILLCT CEDAR LN B ERKSHIRECTWYNDE M E R E LN SLAT ERCT HILLSCIRCINNAM O N RIDGE T R L SANDSTONEDRKENTWOODCT WESTWOOD LN SELKIRK D RSELKIRK AVENICOLS P THIGH MAHOGANY WAY PE R R O T L N M CLE O D ST O N Y X DRCOVINGTON LN PE R ROTLN TRAVELERSTRL KINGS RDRAVOUXAVEHIGHERIN LNLEWVIENNA LNCEDAR RIDGE CIR JAMES ST G A L T I ERDRREDOAKCTNHITTNERPTRAHN WAY INTERSTATE 35EKE A T IN G C T JAMES CTINTERSTATE35ESBRAMPBURROAKSTCEDARAVERAMPVIBURNUM TRL INTERSTATE 35E NB RAMP LN TE35ESBRAMPCLIFFRDRAMPCEDARAVENB R A MP C E D A R A V E S B R AMPCEDAR AV E NB R A M P ES B RAMP CINNA M O N RI D G E TRLCEDARAVECEDAR AVESLATER RDSLATER RD SCOTT TRLSCOTTTRL CARTIERAVESCEDARAVECEDAR AVEPARKCENTER DR NICOLS RDNICOLS RDR AH N RDRAHN RDWIL D WOODST RL BEAR PATHTRLBEAVERDAM RDOVERLAND CIR WHISPERING TRLGALTIER DRGALTIERDR FOUR SE A S ON S DR OO ERIN DR ERIN DRWHITEOAKCTO NYXPTRED OAK CIRN METCALF DRMETCALF DRVILLA DRVILLAD R COPPERPTOAKCLIFFDRR E D OAKCIRNCLIFFVIEW DRCLIFFVIEWDR RAHNCLIFF CT RAHNCLIFF C TMEDA RE D O AKCTS VESBRAM PCliff RoadCedar AvenueNicols RoadRahn Elementary School River Hills Park South River Hills Park Lake Park River Hills Park Kettle ParkRed OakPark Rahn Park Slater Acres Park LEGEND Proposed Station Area Improvements ° 800 0 800400Feet8000800400Feet ¾¿METRO Red Line Station METRO Red Line Route 1/2 mile Station Area Pedestrian Connection Multi-Use Trail Connection Streetscape Enhancement New Roadway Grade-Separated Crossing Enhanced Pedestrian Crossing Potential Opportunity Site Bridge Improvement Wayfinding Signage Bicycle Connection On-Street Bike/Ped Connection Existing Features Existing Sidewalk Existing Multi-Use Trail Existing Interior Sidewalk Network W Existing Local Bus Stop (MVTA) Existing School/Civic Institution Existing Park/Open Space Existing Water/Wetland Existing Ped X-ing Signage/Signal Existing All-Way Stop Intersection Existing Signalized Intersection Public Art A SEE FIG. 3.15 • High visibility crosswalks • HAWK signals (High-Intensity Activated Crosswalk) where warranted • Public Art • Wayfinding and signage • Street trees and plantings • Pedestrian-scaled lighting • Site furnishings • Visible and accessible cycling amenities including bike parking, repair and pumping stations, and wayfinding to support cyclists to and from adjacent trail networks Public Art Underpass CRYSTAL - BLUE LINE STATION AREA UPDATE / PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING 05/08/2023 REDEVELOPMENT STUDY CRYSTAL - BLUE LINE STATION AREA UPDATE / PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING 05/08/2023Data sources: Hennepin County, City of Crystal CRYSTAL – BLUE LINE OPPORTUNITY SITES Site A (Crystal Gallery Mall) Redevelopment Study Site TC-PD Overlay CURRENT CONDITIONS Land area (acres): Bldg area (sq ft): Total EMV: EMV per acre: $1,366,340 8.4 103,655 $11,518,000 5502-90 W Broadway Ave:5502-90 W Broadway Ave: Crystal Gallery MallCrystal Gallery Mall 5500 W Broadway Ave:5500 W Broadway Ave: VacantVacant Bass Lake RdBass Lake Rd W B r o a dw a y A v eW B r o a dw a y A v e Sherburne Ave NSherburne Ave N55th Ave N55th Ave NOther Opportunity Site CRYSTAL - BLUE LINE STATION AREA UPDATE / PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING 05/08/2023Data sources: Hennepin County, City of Crystal CRYSTAL – BLUE LINE OPPORTUNITY SITES Site B (Perkins + Cajun Kitchen) 5440 W Broadway Ave:5440 W Broadway Ave: Cajun KitchenCajun Kitchen 5420 W Broadway Ave:5420 W Broadway Ave: PerkinsPerkins55th Ave N55th Ave NW B r o a d w a y A v eW B r o a d w a y A v e Douglas Dr NDouglas Dr NRedevelopment Study Site TC-PD Overlay Other Opportunity Site CURRENT CONDITIONS Land area (acres): Bldg area (sq ft): Total EMV: EMV per acre: $568,907 3.2 11,577 $1,796,000 CRYSTAL - BLUE LINE STATION AREA UPDATE / PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING 05/08/2023Data sources: Hennepin County, City of Crystal CRYSTAL – BLUE LINE OPPORTUNITY SITES Site C (Industrial + Vacant Parcels) CURRENT CONDITIONS Land area (acres): Bldg area (sq ft): Total EMV: EMV per acre: $593,753 10.9 146,746 $6,511,000 5430-46 Douglas Dr N:5430-46 Douglas Dr N: Steen Engineering + other industrialSteen Engineering + other industrial 5400 Douglas Dr N:5400 Douglas Dr N: MN GrindingMN Grinding 5428 Hanson Ct N:5428 Hanson Ct N: Schmit TowingSchmit Towing 5316 Hanson Ct N:5316 Hanson Ct N: Vacant industrial landVacant industrial landDouglas Dr NDouglas Dr NHanson Ct NHanson Ct NH a n s o n C t N H a n s o n C t N Redevelopment Study Site TC-PD Overlay Other Opportunity Site Currently in Development CRYSTAL - BLUE LINE STATION AREA UPDATE / PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING 05/08/2023Data sources: Hennepin County, City of Crystal CRYSTAL – BLUE LINE OPPORTUNITY SITES Site D (Car-Related Businesses + Food Shelf) CURRENT CONDITIONS Land area (acres): Bldg area (sq ft): Total EMV: EMV per acre: $594,686 4.2 25,633 $2,493,000 5209 W Broadway Ave:5209 W Broadway Ave: Near Food ShelfNear Food Shelf 5213 W Broadway Ave:5213 W Broadway Ave: Auto detailingAuto detailing 5231 W Broadway Ave:5231 W Broadway Ave: Transmission shopTransmission shop 5241 W Broadway Ave:5241 W Broadway Ave: Car dealershipCar dealershipDouglas Dr NDouglas Dr N51st Pl N51st Pl N W B r o a d w a y A v eW B r o a d w a y A v e Redevelopment Study Site TC-PD Overlay Other Opportunity Site Currently in Development CRYSTAL - BLUE LINE STATION AREA UPDATE / PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING 05/08/2023Data sources: Hennepin County, City of Crystal CRYSTAL – BLUE LINE OPPORTUNITY SITES Site E (Pawn Shop + CarHop) CURRENT CONDITIONS Land area (acres): Bldg area (sq ft): Total EMV: EMV per acre: $853,465 2.5 29,439 $2,101,000 5417 Lakeland Ave N:5417 Lakeland Ave N: CarHopCarHop 5445 Lakeland Ave N:5445 Lakeland Ave N: Pawn shopPawn shop L a k e l a n d A v e N L a k e l a n d A v e NBot t i n e a u B l v dBot t i n e a u B l v d B o t t i n e a u B l v d B o t t i n e a u B l v d Redevelopment Study Site TC-PD Overlay Planned Park & Ride CRYSTAL - BLUE LINE STATION AREA UPDATE / PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING 05/08/2023 CRYSTAL – BLUE LINE EXTENSION Market Background 2013-23 Citywide Absorption2023 InventoryLand Use 119 Units1,200 UnitsMultifamily 27,233 Square Feet712,000 Square FeetRetail (23,170) Square Feet105,000 Square FeetOffice N/A75,000 Square FeetMedical CRYSTAL - BLUE LINE STATION AREA UPDATE / PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING 05/08/2023 CRYSTAL – BLUE LINE EXTENSION Current Conditions ZoningEst. Mkt. ValueArea in Sq FtArea in AcresSite TC$11,518,000367,2038.43 A TC/Comm (CK) + TC-PD (Perkins)$1,796,000137,5163.16 B Industrial + TC-PD$6,511,000477,67210.97 C Commercial + TC-PD$2,493,000182,6094.19 D TC + TC-PD$1,409,00061,3141.41 E N/A$121,994,0004,124,62094.69 Other Commercial CRYSTAL - BLUE LINE STATION AREA UPDATE / PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING 05/08/2023 CRYSTAL – BLUE LINE EXTENSION Development Capacity in Key Opportunity Sites Square FootageSite FAR of 1.0FAR of 0.5 365,000185,000A 140,00070,000B 480,000240,000C 185,00090,000D 60,00030,000E CRYSTAL - BLUE LINE STATION AREA UPDATE / PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING 05/08/2023 CRYSTAL – BLUE LINE EXTENSION Site Redevelopment Viability SITE A | The second-largest of the redevelopment opportunities considered for this study, this site’s size, geometry and proximity to amenities are encouraging of redevelopment. Sample program could include 300 units of multifamily and a medical office of 40,000 sq ft with supportive retail. SITE E | Adjacent to the planned Crystal Station platform area, this site is a strong candidate to build the 80 units/acre allowable under the TC code, creating 200 new units. Retail to support the residence and platform activity is also a market opportunity here. SITE B | Despite a challenging layout, this site lends itself to multifamily given the adjacent residential use, and also to limited commercial development on the Broadway frontage. Sample program could include 100 multifamily units, with a 40,000 medical office building and limited retail. SITE C | The largest of the opportunity sites is suited to residential, to leverage station area proximity and manage relative lack of visibility for other uses. This could include 300 multifamily units, 50 townhomes, and limited retail. SITE D | While benefiting from visibility on Broadway, this site is less desirable for denser redevelopment in earlier phases. Longer term, a sample program might include 50 townhomes, a 40,000 sq ft medical office building, and limited retail. CRYSTAL - BLUE LINE STATION AREA UPDATE / PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING 05/08/2023 CRYSTAL – BLUE LINE EXTENSION Land Use Type + Density Examples FAR = 0.5 FAR = 1.0 FAR > 1.0 MULTIFAMILY RETAIL TOWNHOMESMEDICAL/OFFICE CRYSTAL - BLUE LINE STATION AREA UPDATE / PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING 05/08/2023 CRYSTAL – BLUE LINE EXTENSION Tools to Support TOD at Station Area For Housing Affordability • Affordable Housing Trust Fund • Inclusionary zoning • Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) • Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) • Hennepin TOD grant program • Land banking for affordable housing • New Markets Tax Credit (station area is eligible) For Site-Level Barriers to Development • Value Capture Tools • Tax Increment Financing • Tax Abatement • Station area location in Opportunity Zone • New Markets Tax Credit (station area is eligible) For Placemaking + Leveraging Station Proximity • Revolving Loan Fund • Debt Financing • General Obligation • Special Assessments • Revenue Bonds • Conduit For Business Retention and Expansion • Corridor-based Tax Increment Financing • Station area location in Opportunity Zone – eligible for business development CRYSTAL - BLUE LINE STATION AREA UPDATE / PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING 05/08/2023 NEXT STEPS CRYSTAL - BLUE LINE STATION AREA UPDATE / PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING 05/08/2023 01 Public Meeting - early June 2023 02 District Parking Strategies 03 Redevelopment Sites - Programming/Massing Studies 04 Refinements to Station Area Planning/Revelopment Study 05 Draft Study Update - late June 2023 06 Final Study Update - July 2023 NEXT STEPS ___________________________________________________________________________________ FROM: John Sutter, Community Development Director TO: Adam R. Bell, City Manager (for May 11 work session) DATE: May 4, 2023 SUBJECT: Update on Blue Line Extension Anti-Displacement Working Group ___________________________________________________________________________________ The Blue Line Extension project formed an Anti-Displacement Working Group (ADWG) comprised of representatives from stakeholders and communities along the proposed route including the City of Crystal. More information about the ADWG can be found at: https://mybluelineext.org/anti-displacement The University of Minnesota’s Center for Urban and Regional Affairs (CURA) has completed its Anti-Displacement Recommendations report which can be downloaded at: 14191a422cee0d59e53da3f349c8edd8_Blue-Line-Extension-Anti-Displacement-Project- Report-draft3.pdf (amazonaws.com) I have attached excerpts from the report including CURA’s recommended policies and programs, with Crystal staff comments in color italics. These comments are essentially the same as what staff presented to the Council at its Sep. 8, 2022 work session and subsequently shared with CURA when they surveyed government agencies in the corridor in fall 2022. City staff has carried this policy perspective through the ADWG meetings since then. The May 11 work session is intended as an update and check-in with the Council to confirm that the city’s perspective on these policies and programs has not changed, or if it has changed, for Council to discuss desired changes and give direction to staff. Attached ADWG report excerpts: • Cover and Introduction (report pages 1-7) • Recommended Policies and Programs (report pages 34-51) with city staff comments in color italics • Initial government agency survey results from fall 2022 (report pages 84-91) COUNCIL STAFF REPORT BLX Anti-Displacement Working Group Update Prepared for Hennepin County April 2023 BLUE LINE EXTENSION ANTI-DISPLACEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS © 2023 The Regents of the University of Minnesota. This material is based upon work supported by Hennepin County under Contract No PR00003564. This work is licensed under the CreaƟve Commons ƩribuƟonͲNonCommercialͲ^harelike 3.0 Unported >icense. To view a copy of this license, visit hƩp͗ͬͬcreaƟvecommons.orgͬlicensesͬbyͲncͲsaͬ3.0ͬ or send a leƩer to CreaƟve Commons, 444 Castro ^treet, ^uite ϵ00, Mountain siew, California, ϵ404ϭ, U^. ny reproduc Ɵon or distribuƟon of this work under this license must be accomͲ panied by the following aƩribuƟon͗ ͞© The Regents of the University of Minnesota. Reproduced with permission of the University of Minnesota͛s Center for Urban and Regional īairs ;CURͿ.͟ ny derivaƟve use of this work must be licensed under the same terms and accompanied by the following aƩribuƟon͗ lue >ine ǆtension nƟͲisplacement Proũect Report, pril 2023.͟ &or perͲ missions beyond the scope of this license, contact the CUR editor. Contents Introduction................................1 Applying a Reparative Justice Framework and Organizing Philosophy........................3 Anti-Displacement Work Group................5 t'ƌĞĂƟŽŶWƌŽĐĞƐƐĂŶĚDĞŵďĞƌƐŚŝƉ ................ 5 Project Process.............................7 tŽƌŬƐŚŽƉ ^ƚƌƵĐƚƵƌĞ .................................. 7 &ƌĂŵŝŶŐ ƚŚĞ WƌŽũĞĐƚ WƌŽĐĞƐƐ ............................ 7 Research.................................10 >ĞƐƐŽŶƐ ĨƌŽŵ 'ƌĞĞŶ >ŝŶĞ ..............................10 ĂƐĞůŝŶĞ ƐƚƵĚǇ ŽĨ ůƵĞ >ŝŶĞ ǆƚĞŶƐŝŽŶ ŽƌƌŝĚŽƌ ...........18 Recommendations.........................31 /ŶƚƌŽĚƵĐƟŽŶ .........................................31 hŶĚĞƌůǇŝŶŐ WƌŝŶĐŝƉůĞƐ .................................31 ĞƐŝƌĞĚ KƵƚĐŽŵĞƐ ....................................31 KƵƚĐŽŵĞƐ ďǇ :ƵƌŝƐĚŝĐƟŽŶ ............................. 32 dŝŵĞůŝŶĞ ........................................... 32 WŽůŝĐŝĞƐ ............................................ 32 ZĞĐŽŵŵĞŶĚĂƟŽŶƐ ŽŶĐůƵƐŝŽŶ ĂŶĚ EĞǆƚ ^ƚĞƉƐ ...........48 Appendix .................................49 Sources Used..............................50 The lue >ine ǆtension has been in the works for over a decade. &or at least that long, lue >ine ǆtension corridor communiƟes have been challenging governments and priͲ vate sector actors to be considerate of the local populaƟon to ensure that they are not displaced as a result of developͲ ment. /n response to these concerns and to ensure the lue >ine ǆtension transit investment beneĮts current corridor residents and businesses, Hennepin County and the MetroͲ politan Council iniƟated an anƟͲdisplacement iniƟaƟve and contracted with the University of Minnesota’s Center for UrͲ ban and Regional īairs ;CUR Ϳ to work with community to develop anƟͲdisplacement policy and strategy recommenͲ daƟons, including the formaƟon of the lue >ine ǆtension nƟͲisplacement torking 'roup. This report represents the outcomes of that work. This challenge includes thinking more compleǆly about how histories of redlining, racial covenants, unũust housing pracƟcͲ es, and other histories of racialized policies play a role in the outcomes of government investment today. thile Hennepin County and the Metropolitan Council may view that the lue >ine ǆtension proũect is rooted in eƋuity involving investͲ ment into a historically disinvested corridor, the community may view that same proũect diīerently. there governments see the lue >ine ǆtension proũect as a correcƟon of history, some community members may see it as another that thing leads to their marginalizaƟon. More speciĮcally, community members throughout this corridor see that without strong anƟͲdisplacement intervenƟons, the lue >ine ǆtension proũect will only serve the populaƟon of people that replaces them aŌer they are displaced. INTRODUCTION 1 INTRODUCTION | >U >/N yT N ^/KN NT/ͳ/^P>C MNT PRK:CT RPK RT thile this report eǆclusively seeks to address displacement, it is sƟll important to recognize the relaƟonship between gentriĮcaƟon and displacement. CUR ’s 20 ϭϳ report ͞The iͲ versity of 'entriĮcaƟon͗ MulƟple &orms of 'entriĮcaƟon in Minneapolis and ^t. Paul͟ ;'oetz, >ewis, amiano, and CalͲ hounͿ details the various stages of gentriĮcaƟon and how they lead to mulƟple forms of displacement. This history lives vividly within the stakeholders of this proũect. lue >ine ǆͲ tension nƟͲisplacement torking 'roup members began this process with an understanding that displacement due to economic pressures was already impacƟng these comͲ muniƟes and shared concerns that light rail would further eǆacerbate displacement. CommuniƟes recognize and feel the painful cycles of marͲ ginalizaƟon that geographies like North Minneapolis have eǆperienced. nd the community recognizes that, in par ƟcͲ ular, /PKC residents and /PKCͲowned businesses, youth, unhoused persons, and other marginalized idenƟƟes are at the center of this history. These same populaƟons are the most at risk of displacement as a result of the lue >ine ǆͲ tension, and should therefore be centered as the primary beneĮciaries of strong anƟͲdisplacement policies and stratͲ egies. The lue >ine ǆtension nƟͲisplacement Proũect is the result of decades of organizing in the North Minneapolis, Rob Ͳ binsdale, Crystal, and rooklyn Park communiƟes. 'roups like the lue >ine CoaliƟon have been asking for an anƟͲdisplaceͲ ment and reparaƟve framing of light rail planning for over ten years. Kver several decades, CUR has worked eǆ tensively with placeͲbased organizaƟons, governments, neighborhood associaƟons, and community members to complete commuͲ nityͲbased research and communityͲbased work to reimagine public policy, deconstruct a history of ineƋuity, and strengthͲ en the capacity of historically marginalized communiƟes to realize and own a vision of their healing and prosperity. ^igͲ niĮcant anǆiety has been communicated from lue >ine ǆtension corridor residents and businesses regarding the ability of governments to implement necessary safeguards to prevent the worst negaƟve eǆ ternaliƟes of light rail comͲ ing to their communiƟes. Namely, businesses and residents have idenƟĮed displacement as the preeminent concern of the lue >ine ǆtension proũect. The lue >ine ǆtension nƟͲisplacement work is meant to support and leverage various resources for the beneĮt of /PKC communiƟes and other historically marginalized comͲ muniƟes that have been leŌ out of Minnesota’s prosperity. then eǆamining maũor public infrastructure proũects, like the lue >ine ǆtension, there is a clear paƩern that is Ƌuite troublesome͗ public infrastructure investment in vulnerable communiƟes can oŌen eǆacerbate harm instead of catalyzͲ ing repair and prosperity for eǆisƟng residents in proǆimity to those proũects. The proũect assumes that the lue >ine ǆͲ tension will be built in the neǆ t several years and, therefore, there is urgency to this work and vision that is outlined in this report. This work recognizes that while investment in historically disͲ invested communiƟes can be a good thing, it can come at the cost of eǆisƟng residents being displaced. This type of infrastructure investment can increase demand for land and property near light rail corridors. This trend has also been obͲ served locally through implementaƟon of the lue and 'reen lines. It is necessary, then, for federal, state, regional, local governments, and philanthropic partners and private sector organizaƟons commiƩed to the advancement of eƋuity in this corridor to invest in the communiƟes that the lue >ine ǆtension will serve through both capital investments and anƟͲdisplacementͲcentered policy. Primarily, this investment should serve to prevent displacement, repair historical harm in disinvested communiƟes, maǆimize future community and economic beneĮts to corridor residents, and build the capaciͲ ty of marginalized communi Ɵes to have more agency in public works proũects that government agencies pursue. The current framework of this work naƟonally is civil rightsͲ legislated engagement, but CUR believes that it is necessary to have a ƌĞƉĂƌĂƟǀĞƉůĂŶŶŝŶŐĂŶĂůǇƐŝƐand ƌĂĐŝĂůĞƋƵŝƚǇ framework to imagine the lue >ine ǆtension aligning with community interests and maǆimizing the beneĮts of the proũͲ ect. Principally, Hennepin County, the Metropolitan Council, and other governments have the chance to ensure that curͲ rent residents along the planned line will not be displaced as a result of the transit investment. CUR uses a ReparaƟve Ƌuity &ramework to support communityͲ driven eīorts toͲ wards systems and policy change. y combining our research capability and issue eǆperƟse with our community organizing approach that centers community members’ visions, we think proũect stakeholders can produce a robust package of investͲ ments and policies that will allow current residents to be the primary beneĮciaries of the lue >ine ǆtension. 2>U >IN yT N ^IK N NTIͳI ^P>C M NT PRK:CT RP K RT | INTRODUCTION Contextualized Public infrastructure investments should be conteǆtualized in the broader paƩerns of investment and disinvestment, inͲ clusion and eǆclusion in regional prosperity, and eǆisƟng momentums of gentriĮcaƟon and displacement. &urther, we should learn from other proũects in the region, like the current 'reen and lue >ines ;including 'reen >ine ǆtensionͿ, and how they impacted the communiƟes those investments took place in. &or eǆample, the 'reen >ine’s ability to repair transportaͲ Ɵon ineƋuity in Rondo, ^t. Paul needs to be conteǆ tualized in the history of Interstate ϵ4 that was built through and ripped apart the black community in that geography. To conte ǆtualize the work of the lue >ine ǆtension, the nƟͲ isplacement tork 'roup͗ • Recalled what has already been said by community ;IPKC, in parƟcularͿ that has been engaging on the lue >ine ǆͲ tension for years, in par Ɵcular what they said they needed to ensure the lue >ine ǆtension beneĮts eǆisƟng resiͲ dents •IdenƟĮed harm as a result of previous lue >ine ǆͲ tension work, namely in Harrison and other parts of North Minneapolis •etailed the history of disinvestment and eǆclusion in marginalized communiƟes along the planned lue >ine ǆͲ tension route •^tudied the eǆisƟng 'reen >ine and lue >ine planning, construcƟon, and aŌerͲoperaƟon impacts on vulnerable communiƟes and populaƟons as a case study for what can be eǆpected to happen during lue >ine ǆtension planͲ ning, construc Ɵon, and operaƟon • Conducted a demographic analysis of vulnerable populaͲ Ɵons, housing, and businesses along corridor that would need investment to protect APPLYING A REPARATIVE JUSTICE FRAMEWORK AND ORGANIZING PHILOSOPHY CUR uƟlized its ReparaƟve :usƟce &ramework and Krganizing Philosophy; this philosophy of organizing ensures that stakeͲ holders are treated with dignity and oīered agency. tith IͲ PKC par Ɵcipants at the center of reimagined structures, CUR sought to create a proũect structure that allowed community stakeholders to co Ͳcreate the ƋuesƟons and soluƟons. This framework led to a structure that sought to ;ϭͿ conteǆtualize displacement in the Twin CiƟes through research, ;2Ϳ center community by creaƟng a workgroup that elevated community agency and capacity, and ;3Ϳ ulƟmately recommend anƟͲdisͲ placement strategies and policies that would lead to imporͲ tant communityͲdeĮned outcomes. 3 PHILOSOPHY | >U >IN yT N ^I KN NTIͳI^P>CMNT PRK:CT RPK RT Community-Centered lack, brown, and indigenous communiƟes ;among other marͲ ginalized communiƟesͿ have historically been underengaged and disproporƟonately aīected by transportaƟon proũects in the Twin CiƟes Metropolitan area. ven more, engagement of these populaƟons is only one step toward repairing a legacy of harm. CUR ’s repara Ɵve ũusƟce framework centers a process of healing for these groups by ĞŵƉŽǁĞƌŝŶŐ ƚŚĞŵ ƚŽ ƚĂŬĞ ŽǁŶ- ĞƌƐŚŝƉ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ǀŝƐŝŽŶ ƚŽ ďĞ ĐĂƌƌŝĞĚ ŽƵƚ. thile tradiƟonal power playersͲͲin this case Hennepin County and other governmentsͲ Ͳwill play an eǆ tremely important role in the compleƟon of this work, it’s important to recognize that the needs of the comͲ munity should be deĮned by the community, and the proũect should aim to address those needs. This is in contrast to proͲ cesses that are simply seeking to build buyͲin from a broad, indiscriminate group. To center vulnerable communiƟes in their work, the nƟͲisͲ placement tork 'roup͗ • Connected with organizing eīorts in community around displacement issues •Centered CUR’s research work as a capacity building tool for vulnerable community members to develop a clear viͲ sion about what kind of anƟͲdisplacement investments and policies would best protect and upliŌ them •Convened the nƟͲisplacement tork 'roup with othͲ er proũect stakeholders to build a shared analysis of the problems that eǆist, developed shared intent on how to address those issues, and eǆpanded the capacity for vulͲ nerable communiƟes to have power over the vision of the lue >ine ǆtension •<ey stakeholders include͗ • Community organizaƟons engaging members on the lue >ine ǆtension • Residents that are vulnerable to displacement • Hennepin County staī and elected oĸcials •^taī and elected oĸcials for the CiƟes of MinneͲ apolis, Robbinsdale, Crystal, and rooklyn Park, Minneapolis Parks and RecreaƟon oard • Metropolitan Council staī and council members Reparative CCreaƟng a vision for lue >ine ǆtension nƟͲisplacement work must envision a structure that strives to be eƋual in imͲ pact with what caused the ineƋuiƟes in the corridor in the Įrst place. In other words, if displacement is a result of decades of underinvestment in aīordable housing and weak protecƟons for renters, governments relevant to this work can aspire to invest in aīordable housing and Įnd ways to strengthen proͲ tecƟons for renters in the lue >ine ǆtension corridor. Kr, if the harm revealed is a loss of cultural idenƟty, then Hennepin County and other governments along the line can aspire to inͲ vest in strengthening the arƟsƟc and social spaces along the corridor to reŇect the story of the eǆisƟng community. To envision lue >ine ǆtension nƟͲdisplacement work, CUR͗ •ssisted community residents, government staī and others in developing an achievable vision to prevent displacement along the lue >ine ǆtension corridor, inͲ cluding͗ • recommendaƟon for how Hennepin County, the MetͲ ropolitan Council, and city governments can allocate investment and enact policy around the lue >ine ǆtenͲ sion to prevent displacement • recommendaƟon for how governments, foundaͲ Ɵons, and others can operaƟonalize anƟͲdisplacement work internally • Created accessible and commonly understandable materials for the compleǆ work that the nƟͲisplaceͲ ment tork 'roup is doing to share with the general public •dvised and facilitated a structure of accountability that is mutual between community residents and organizaƟons and relevant government agencies 4>U >IN yT N ^IK N NTIͳI ^P>C M NT PRK:CT RP K RT | PHILOSOPHY RECOMMENDATIONS Introduction Underlying Principles • All policies need to be accessible to people with different language needs, people with disabiliƟes, and people with- out social security numbers/documentaƟon • Every recommendaƟon should be measurable and should have accountability mechanisms • RecommendaƟons should be designed to support those most impacted by construcƟon • Policies and outcomes should target exisƟng residents, not potenƟal ones. Desired Outcomes • CreaƟng opportuniƟes for community ownership and be- ing able to measure levels of community ownership • Providing opportuniƟes for community to connect to BLRT and development in a joyful way • Being transparent around the progress of the project and tracking of displacement • Providing opportuniƟes for exisƟng residents and busi- nesses to stay in place and feel supported • Empowering community to be involved in decision-making throughout the corridor •GrĂŶƟng reparaƟons to the Harrison neighborhood for the harm caused by the previous iteraƟon of the align- ment • Developing a workforce program that strives to ensure that 50% of jobs from the Boƫneau Light Rail develop- ment are held by corridor residents • Ensuring that there are sufficient resources to support policy implementaƟon, organizing efforts, community de- velopment and ownership, and other anƟͲdisplacement strategies • CreaƟng and enforcing structures of accountability for government agencies along the alignment • IncenƟvizing community insƟtuƟons, business organiza- Ɵons, community members to own on West Broadway and connect to other commercial nodes • Improving the climate for businesses post-construcƟon, and prioriƟǌing the development of spaces for small busi- nesses • Ensuring that there is access to land, housing and business- es in the corridor throughout all phases of construcƟon • Addressing indirect construcƟon impacts • Keeping the rich culture of the corridor in place and en- hancing it so it thrives • SupporƟng the development, preservaƟon, and access of safe and affordable housing and housing choice • Ensuring that there is a conƟnued role for ADWG members 31 RECOMMENDATIONS | BLUE LINE EXTENSION ANTIͳDISPLACEMENT PROJECT REPORT Throughout an 18 month process, CURA convened the Blue Line AŶƟ Displacement Work Group (ADWG) as a method to unify vision among community (both businesses and residents), philanthropy, and government for anƟ- displacement as a re- sult of the planning, construcƟŶg, and iŵƉůĞŵĞŶƟŶg the Blue Line Extension. ADWG members were empowered to engage research, community input, and their own experiences to rec- ommend policies that would prevent displacement in the Blue Line Extension corridor. RecommendĂƟons were intended to be made to various governments, philanthropy, and vested community partners. The ADWG considered a large body of informaƟon in the iden- ƟficaƟon of what policies should be recommended to prevent displacement. As described, the first full Saturday meeƟng of the ADWG ended with nearly 30 policies that have already been implemented in some form around the Twin CiƟes and country that could be modified to fit the exact context of the Blue Line Extension corridor communiƟes. Nearly 50 different policies were discussed in total throughout the project process, and there are even more that could have been considered if Ɵme was not a factor for this work. The recommendaƟons of the ADWG prioriƟze outcomes first, which are to be read as desired outcomes as a result of implemented anƟ-displacement strategies. The recommenda- Ɵon secƟons fall short of being implement-ready policies and strategies because the ADWG group process does not imitate policy making processes of governments nor does govern- ment parƟcipaƟon signify commitments of governments or other implemenƟng organizaƟons. The ADWG process was meant to increase transparency and heighten communicaƟon between governments and communiƟes. RecommendaƟons are conscious of the various challenges to implemenƟng an- Ɵ- displacement strategies, but implemenƟng agencies will need to refine recommendaƟons through real budget, poliƟ- cal, legal and other realiƟes. Because of this, there are many pathways to achieving the recommended anƟ-displacement outcomes including the policies named and unnamed in this report. Outcomes are then meant to be interpreted as the guiding framework for ĂŶƟ-displacement work and poli- cies are encouraged and researched possibiliƟes to achieve those outcomes. The hope is that organizaƟons that receive ADWG recommendaƟons are to first support the outcome ƌĞĐŽŵŵĞŶĚĂƟons presented in this report. City staff comments on ADWG recommended policies (following pages): Green = already in place by city, orange = possible city role, red = unlikely city role. throughout all phases of the project • Ensuring that youth feel safe on and around the lightrail, and feel excited and proud to remain in their communiƟes • Improving infrastructure around the project Outcomes by Jurisdiction Minneapolis • Providing opportuniƟes for community to connect to BLRT and development in a joyful way • CreaƟng opportuniƟes for community ownership and be- ing able to measure levels of community ownership • Empowering community to have control over decision- making throughout the corridor • Providing opportuniƟes for exisƟng residents and busi- nesses to stay in place and feel supported • Addressing reparaƟons to the Harrison neighborhood from previous route alignment. • CreaƟng and enforcing structures of accountability for government agencies along the alignment • Ensuring that there are sufficient resources to support policy implementaƟon, organizing efforts, community de- velopment and ownership, and other anƟͲdisplacement strategies • Ensuring that there is access to land, housing and business- es in the corridor throughout all phases of construcƟon • Ensuring that 50% of jobs from the Boƫneau Light Rail de- velopment are held by corridor residents. • Ensuring that there is a conƟnued role for ADWG members throughout all phases of the project Brooklyn Park • Keeping the rich culture of the corridor in place and en- hancing it so it thrives • Improving the climate for businesses post-construcƟon, and prioriƟǌing the development of spaces for small busi- nesses • Providing opportuniƟes for exisƟng residents and busi- nesses to stay in place and feel supported • SupporƟng the development, preservaƟon, and access of safe and affordable housing and housing choice • Ensuring that youth feel safe on and around the lightrail, and feel excited and proud to remain in their communiƟes. Crystal/Robbinsdale • Addressing indirect construcƟon impacts • Improving the climate for businesses post-construcƟon, and prioriƟǌing the development of spaces for small busi- nesses • Improving infrastructure around the project • SupporƟng the development, preservaƟon, and access of safe and affordable housing and housing choice • Keeping the rich culture of the corridor in place and en- hancing it so it thrives • Ensuring that there are sufficient resources to support policy implementaƟon, organizing efforts, community de- velopment and ownership, and other anƟͲdisplacement strategies Timeline The ADWG was also considerate of the implementaƟon Ɵming of each policy recommendaƟon. AnƟͲdisplacement strategies need to considered whether policies should be implemented prior to construcƟon, during construcƟon, or aŌer construc- Ɵon because it is important to know when a parƟcular type of displacement pressure needs to be miƟgated. The majority of anƟͲdisplacement policies need to be implemented prior to construcƟon. Our research suggests that in a lot of cases, early implementaƟon will lead to more effecƟve displacement miƟͲ gaƟon. Each policy in the secƟon below talks about when each policy will be effecƟve as recommended by the AnƟͲisplace- ment Work Group. Policies Mandatory Relocation Assistance Unsure of legal basis for city to require landlords to pay relocation benefits. . Would require new staff to monitor & enforce compliance. DESCRIPTION OF POLICY With mandatory relocaƟon assistance, renters who are served a no-cause evicƟon or encounter other triggering events may have the right to be paid relocaƟon assistance from their landlord. While the specific triggering events differ by juris- dicƟon, they may include things like a noƟce of nonrenewal of a fixed term lease, a housing unit failing inspecƟon or being condemned, qualified landlord reason for terminaƟon, rent in- crease of 10% or more over a 12-month period, or a substanƟal change of lease terms. Generally, assistance amounts vary by the size of the unit and the geography. HOW DOES IT SUPPORT ACHIEVING THE DESIRED OUTCOME? Mandatory relocaƟon assistance can be a useful mechanism for supporƟng increased tenant stability and landlord account- ability, as it creates a financial disincenƟve if out of compliance. Forced relocaƟon from rental housing, either through evicƟon or informal means, is common among renters and reproduces poverty among low-income renters (Desmond, 2015). Man- datory relocaƟon assistance can make or break some renters' abiliƟes to move to different housing, which highlights the importance of building into policy a mechanism to ensure land- lord compliance and accountability. 32BLUE LINE EXTENSION ANTIͳDISPLACEMENT PROJECT REPORT | RECOMMENDATIONS EXAMPLE The City of Portland has one of the most comprehensive ordi- nances in the country, as it applies to the following triggering events: • No-cause evicƟon • Non-renewal of lease on substanƟally the same terms • Rent increase of 10% or more over a 12 month period • Qualifying landlord reason (demoliƟon, change of use, landlord plans to sell) Tenants in a studio or SRO receive $2,900, $3,300 in a 1BR unit, $4,200 in a 2BR, and $4,500 for a 3BR or larger. In Portland, if a landlord fails to comply with relocaƟon assistance or exemp- Ɵon requirements, they are liable to the tenant for an amount up to 3 Ɵmes the monthly rent as well as actual damages, Relo- caƟon Assistance, reasonable aƩorney fees and costs. Between March 2018, when the policy was adopted into city code, and December 31, 2019, 544 noƟĮcaƟons of payment have been received by the Portland Housing Bureau (PHB). Staff report that this is likely an undercount, due to their belief that landlords do not always report payments. Of those pay- ments, 372 were due to no -cause terminaƟon, 30 were for rent increases in excess of 10%, 78 were for the landlord’s declining to renew the lease, and 64 were for landlord-based reasons (City of Portland, 2023). WHERE DOES IT EXIST ALONG ALIGNMENT? While the City of Portland’s mandatory relocaƟon assistance applies to no-cause evic Ɵons and a wide array of triggering events, some ciƟes have implemented the policy for more specific situaƟons. In 2019, the City of Minneapolis passed an ordinance requiring landlords whose rental licenses get re- voked or whose property is condemned to either pay out of pocket for their tenants’ relocaƟon costs or face a property tax assessment later from the city. Property owners have to pay three months’ worth of rent regardless of whether a tenant is current on rent payments. Similarly, the Met Council has a policy that provides relocaƟon assistance for people and busi- nesses displaced by the Council’s acquisiƟon of property. HOW DO EXISTING POLICIES NEED TO CHANGE? While only the City of Minneapolis and the Met Council have relocaƟon assistance ordinances in place, there are opportu- niƟes to implement new policies and retrofit exisƟng ones to beƩer meet the needs of communiƟes vulnerable to displace- ment because of the Blue Line. Renters along the alignment may be subject to increased rent hikes or displacement due to the sale of buildings, and city governments have an opportu- nity to implement a relocaƟon assistance ordinance like one in Portland, that mandates landlord assistance for any rent in- crease greater than 10%. New and exisƟng ordinances should consider enforcement capacity, as this was a shortcoming iden- ƟĮed in Portland; Staff from the Portland Housing Bureau noted that they believed that more renters would receive assistance if there was capacity to proacƟvely monitor qualifying events and make sure that payment occurs (University of Washington, 2022). TIMELINE The Ɵmeline for mandated relocaƟon assistance depends on the structure of the ordinance, as well as its intended outcomes. The Met Council’s relocaƟon assistance that specifi- cally addresses displacement due to the council’s acquisiƟon of property will be an important component of the pre-develop- ment and construcƟon phases of BLRT. The City of Minneapolis’ ordinance can be effecƟve at any Ɵme, and may have longer term impacts as it is not restricted to the acquisiƟon of proper- ty. Governments along the alignment should consider adopƟng more comprehensive relocaƟon assistance ordinances like in Portland, to disincenƟvize acƟons like large rent increas- es, no-cause evicƟons, lease term changes, and noƟces of non-renewal, as these may become more frequent with rede- velopment and property value increases. Tenant Opportunity to Purchase DESCRIPTION OF POLICY A Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (TOPA) gives renters a chance to purchase their building in the event that the landlord puts it up for sale, or designates another enƟty to act on their behalf to acquire a property. A common example is when a de- veloper seeks to purchase a rental property and TOPA allows current tenants to purchase their housing units. HOW DOES IT SUPPORT ACHIEVING THE DESIRED OUTCOME? TOPA has been successful at reducing displacement, keeping buildings affordable for current renters, creaƟng financial ben- efits for displaced tenants, & influencing developer decision making (Gallaher, 2016). The goal of TOPA is to avoid displacing renters when their building is sold — and to give renters the opportunity to build wealth by becoming homeowners. Advo- cates say TOPA could also help do something about the region’s racial dispariƟes in real estate ownership (Gustavo, 2021). Even if the TOPA process doesn’t end with tenants purchasing the housing complex, advocates argue, the right of first refusal re- quirement could also give renters some leverage when their building is put on sale (Gustavo, 2021). AddiƟonally, TOPA can be relaƟvely inexpensive for ciƟes, as it is a passive mechanism that promotes affordable housing at the point of ownership change. EXAMPLE D.C.’s TOPA policy, which is the oldest and most comprehensive 33 RECOMMENDATIONS | BLUE LINE EXT ENSION ANT /ͳISPLAC EMENT PROJECT REPORT Would require new staff to monitor and enforce compliance. City not right entity to mandate this - should be state or county. in the country, helped preserve 1,391 affordable housing units from 2002–13 (Reed, 2013). Developers tended to offer a buy- out in exchange for the tenant signing away their TOPA right to purchase, ranging from $1,000 to $65,000 (Gallaher, 2016). Between 2015 and 2018, tenants in DC organized to preserve close to 1,400 units (PelleƟere et al, 2018). This has significant- ly contributed to Washington, DC’s impressive total of 4,400 units of limited equity cooperaƟve housing units across 99 co- operaƟve buildings ((PelleƟere et al, 2018). WHERE DOES IT EXIST ALONG ALIGNMENT? No jurisdicƟons along the alignment have a TOPA in place. Re- cent efforts to implement a TOPA policy in Minneapolis have not succeeded yet due to both the complexity of the issue and substanƟal opposiƟon from industry groups, but there conƟnue to be advocacy efforts regarding TOPA. Courts have repeatedly upheld TOPA policies as consƟtuƟonal because the tenants or the enƟty acƟng on their behalf is paying market val- ue for the property in quesƟon. PreempƟon issues are unlikely to be a significant factor for Minnesota communiƟes and the pushback against TOPA in Minneapolis has been built around interpretaƟon of the consƟtuƟonal issues including the con- tracts clause and takings. HOW DO EXISTING POLICIES NEED TO CHANGE? A good TOPA policy needs an adequate Ɵme frame for tenants to be noƟĮed of the property going up for sale, express inter- est in buying, find a funding source, and submit an offer. To be most impacƞul, it needs to apply to as many housing types as possible (including single family homes.) TOPA is most success- ful when there is a robust program of educaƟon for tenants to understand the right. AddiƟonally, the policies need to be de- signed with enforceable rights with concrete consequences for the violaƟon of those rights. TIMELINE A TOPA policy would have its greatest potenƟal impact before developers have a chance to begin buying up properƟes near new infrastructure like Blue Line staƟons. TOPA is most help - ful over long-term horizons, as it carries benefits mainly when property owners place buildings on the market. ImplemenƟng a TOPA policy well before the construcƟon of new infrastruc- ture could give more tenants the chance to exercise their right to purchase. Limiting investor purchasing/corporate own-ership DESCRIPTION OF POLICY As has been documented in the academic literature, over the last thirty years there has been an increased presence of Lim- ited Liability CorporaƟons (LLCs) in housing markets (Dowdall et al, 2022). At the same Ɵme, there have been private equity firms, hedge funds, and other large, “insƟtuƟonal investors” like BlackRock entering the rental market during the last decade. Many of these insƟtuƟonal investors use LLCs as the owner- ship structure associated with their rental properƟes, but that doesn’t mean all LLCs are insƟtuƟonal investors (D owdall et al, 2022). Corporate landlords and insƟtuƟonal investors pose dif- fering, but overlapping, risks to the housing market. Corporate landlords are universally difficult to track down, as the true beneficiaries of LLCs are oŌen shielded behind non-public in- corporaƟon documents (D owdall, 2022). InsƟtuƟonal investors oŌen have business pracƟces that differ sharply from mom- and-pop landlords of the past, some of which substanƟally harm tenants. Tenants may e xperience a lack of basic upkeep, and oŌen ex- perience large rent hikes, a lack of necessary repairs, difficulty navigaƟng property management, high security deposits, lock- outs and other abusive lease pracƟces. A 2016 study found that corporate landlords, especially large insƟtuƟonal investors, were far likelier than other owners to evict their tenants (Ray- mond et al, 2016). Other research in Atlanta suggests that such landlords are also more likely to use threats of evicƟon—and serial court filings that deepen tenants’ financial woes—as a rouƟne business pracƟce (Immergluck et al, 2019). HOW DOES IT SUPPORT ACHIEVING THE DESIRED OUTCOME? Investor purchases create challenges for current homebuyers, future homebuyers, homeowners, and tenants, and require targeted policy responses from the federal, state and local governments (Dowdall et al, 2022). CiƟes & states can enact policies to deter investor-owned homes, such as rental regis- tries, increased transfer taxes for corporate homebuyers, and increased tenant protecƟons to protect against increased evic- Ɵons, abusive lease pracƟces, deferred maintenance, & large rent hikes. EXAMPLE In CincinnaƟ, where investors purchased approximately 16% of all homes sold in the fourth quarter of 2021, the city, through its quasi-governmental Greater CincinnaƟ Redevelop- ment Authority—known as “The Port”—issued $14.5 million of environmental, social and government bonds to buy 194 sin- gle-family rental homes in a bidding war with 12 insƟtuƟonal investors last December (O ’Malley, 2022). WHERE DOES IT EXIST ALONG ALIGNMENT? There are currently no policies in place in Minnesota that tar- get insƟtuƟonal investment and corporate ownership in rental markets, but some ciƟes along the alignment have implement- ed efforts that aim to improve tenant stability and access to homeownership, which are both threatened by the rise of in- 34BLUE LINE EXT ENSI ON ANTIͳISP LACEM ENT PROJECT REP ORT | RECOMMENDATIONS Would require new staff to monitor and enforce compliance. Unsure if city has legal authority. vestor purchases. HOW DO EXISTING POLICIES NEED TO CHANGE? With substanƟally rising rents in 2021 following two years of housing market disrupƟon during the pandemic, ciƟes should take steps to ensure that renters have needed protecƟons. To the extent that they are empowered to do so by their state governments, local governments should also pass broad ten- ant protecƟons, such as just cause evicƟon and a right to counsel for evicƟon. Local governments can also create rental registries, keeping track of what units are for rent, the type of owners who own those rentals, and providing contact informa- Ɵon for tenants in those registered rentals; ciƟes should take care to make those registries publicly accessible (Dowdall et al, 2022). CiƟes can also undertake proac Ɵve code enforcement and acƟve and appropriate inspecƟons to ensure that all rental proper Ɵes are in good repair for the tenants who live there. AddiƟonally, local governments and their partners can help homebuyers be more compeƟƟve through down payment assistance programs and obtaining porƞolios of single family homes from investors for re-sale to owner-occupants; In or- der to force the possibility that local governments, non-profits, and tenants can purchase rental proper Ɵes, states and local governments should work to pass City, Community, and Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Acts (Dowdall et al, 2022). States and local governments should create targeted acquisiƟon funds to buy rental housing from medium-sized private investors, or to compete with them on the market. All governments along the alignment have opportuniƟes to both improve tenant protecƟons, and implement policies that target investor purchasing and the impact of corporate own- ership. These include efforts such as a Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act, increasing the inspecƟon cycle for rental prop- erƟes, improving analysis of ownership, implemenƟng rental registries, and creaƟng targeted funds to buy properƟes from investors or to compete with them on the market. TIMELINE Investor purchases are concentrated in neighborhoods with low sale prices, with predominantly non-white populaƟons. In housing booms, rampant speculaƟon may have a destabilizing role that significantly amplifies price volaƟlity, especially sur- rounding a large infrastructure project like BLRT. SpeculaƟon may already be happening along the proposed alignment, es- pecially in areas like North Minneapolis that already have higher rates of corporate ownership, and it is important that ciƟes act with a sense of urgency around implemenƟng increased tenant protecƟons and mechanisms to limit investor purchasing. Land disposition Policy DESCRIPTION OF POLICY City, county and state agencies oŌen own property that they no longer need or is no longer serving its best and highest use. KŌen surplus city property is sold to the highest bidder, permanently removing public land from public ownership and shrinking available spaces for affordable housing (City of SeaƩle, 2018). Land disposiƟon policies are the policies that governments create regarding how they sell or convey government-owned land. Public enƟƟes can prioriƟze commu - nity value over monetary value in their policies and can create condiƟons and requirements for potenƟal purchasers of pub- licly-owned land. HOW DOES IT SUPPORT ACHIEVING THE DESIRED OUTCOME? Land disposiƟon policies that prioriƟze uses that are beneficial to a community can have a large impact on what is built, who owns and controls the land, and who the development benefits (Cohen, 2018). Land alone can add 15% to the cost of develop- ing permanently affordable housing. By reducing or eliminaƟng this cost, more homes can be built either on-site or throughout the city (City of SeaƩle, 2018). There are a lot of compeƟng needs for space in the city — housing, early learning, groceries, open space, etc, and land disposiƟon policies can allow ciƟes to maximize development on publicly-owned land by mixing uses (City of SeaƩle, 2018). The primary cost is the loss of addiƟonal sale proceeds when a community prioriƟzes community beneficial uses over sale to the highest monetary offer. However, there are offsets in the form of less public subsidy needed for business or housing development, and the non monetary benefit of anƟͲdisplace- ment land uses and community control of land use decisions. EXAMPLE Some statutes in CA, FL, and WA have policies that require ju- risdicƟons to inventory publicly owned land that can be used for affordable housing. In Chicago, there is a policy that priori- Ɵzes affordable home development on city-owned vacant lots (Cohen, 2018). In Jacksonville, FL a porƟon of the available de- velopable publicly owned land must be donated to non-profit development organizaƟons (Cohen, 2018). In St. Paul the city created a community focused RFP for 652 Sherbourne that is now being converted into 30% AMI ownership. WHERE DOES IT EXIST ALONG ALIGNMENT? Every government enƟty has a land disposiƟon policy of some sort, but current policies do not create preferences or require- ments related to beneficial uses or anƟͲdisplacement acƟvity. 35 RECOMMENDATIONS | BLUE L INE EXTENSION A NTIͳISPLACEMENT PROJECT REPORT City/EDA does not own any development sites in the station area. HOW DO EXISTING POLICIES NEED TO CHANGE? Ownership and control of proper Ɵes is an important priority for both housing and business displacement. Current policies should be improved to reflect community needs and prioriƟes, such as affordable housing and small business development. Current land disposiƟon policies are difficult to navigate for smaller organizaƟons and small businesses. In order to en- sure that a policy is effecƟve, jurisdicƟons should consult with communiƟes to make sure that people have an opportunity to uƟlize these policies. There is a sense of urgency that needs to be reflected in land disposiƟon policies, which would be more effecƟve if they were created or changed to respond to specific needs in the corridor. AddiƟonally, current policies are not equipped or intended to strengthen communiƟes and should be more intenƟonal and explicit in their desired outcomes, such as incenƟvizing com- munity insƟtuƟons, business organizaƟons and community members to own and connect to other commercial nodes. Lastly, land disposiƟon policies will be more accessible if they are paired with funding to support development. TIMELINE Policies will have the greatest impact if they are implement- ed quickly since the most feasible opportunity for community beneficial land use is when the owner of the property is a public enƟty. Once a property is no longer publicly owned, jurisdic- Ɵons have limited control over the use of the property and no control over the price of the property. Right to Return DESCRIPTION OF POLICY Right to return provides priority to people who are displaced, either due to a specific incidence or due to historic displace- ment, the first opportunity to access housing or commercial proper Ɵes. Right of Return policies come in many different forms. One model for right to return requires developers to allow tenants to return to comparable units on the new prop- erty, for the same rent, as well as cover the difference in the rent they pay elsewhere during the Ɵme of construc Ɵon. Other right to return policies provide avenues for individuals to have priority for new affordable developments in an area, either ad- dressing direct displacement or historic displacement. HOW DOES IT SUPPORT ACHIEVING THE DESIRED OUTCOME? Right to Return policies allow low income families living in ar- eas that are experiencing gentrificaƟon and redevelopment to find permanently affordable places to live. Right to Return policies can also allow displaced people with historic Ɵes to a neighborhood preference for affordable housing opportuniƟes. EXAMPLE In efforts to combat years of gentrificaƟon and displacement, Habitat for Humanity Portland/Metro East partnered with the City of Portland to enact the North/Northeast Preference Policy (Habitat for Humanity, 2019). A first of its kind in the na- Ɵon, this iniƟaƟve prioriƟzes residents with generaƟonal Ɵes to these areas and gives them the right to return to a neighbor- hood they once called home. The iniƟaƟve helps address the City’s legacy of displacement and marginalizaƟon of largely Af- rican American neighborhoods due to urban renewal, redlining, and racist lending policies (Habitat for Humanity, 2019). In AusƟn, families affected by gentrificaƟon in certain neigh- borhoods can now get a point in their favor when applying for low-income housing through a new city program (McGlinchy, 2019). Roughly 70 units will be available to low-income people with Ɵes to rapidly changing neighborhoods who are at risk of being displaced or have been – not only by rising rent and prop- erty taxes, but also by natural disasters and eminent domain (McGlinchy, 2019). WHERE DOES IT EXIST ALONG ALIGNMENT? No jurisdic Ɵons along the alignment currently have a right to return policy in place. HOW DO EXISTING POLICIES NEED TO CHANGE? Right to Return ordinances need to have clear criteria about who is eligible and make policy choices about what harms the policy is trying to address. For privately developed proper- Ɵes, a right to return would likely only be triggered by public funding sources. Right to return ordinances will be more ef- fec Ɵve if paired with other tenant stabilizaƟon strategies such as mandatory relocaƟon assistance. Depending on the struc- ture of the policy, it is also important to look at the balance between people who are experiencing direct versus historic displacement. There have been challenges to some of the Right to Return policies that limit affordable opportuniƟes to only people with historic Ɵes to a neighborhood. TIMELINE From a planning standpoint, the policy should be craŌed be- fore the development along the line occurs because it allows people to plan for both the type of development needed and for funding enƟƟes to include requirements for right to return in their regulatory agreements. Rent Stabilization DESCRIPTION OF POLICY The details and implementaƟon of rent regulaƟons vary based on jurisdic Ɵonal goals. Broadly, these goals include protecƟng 36BLUE L INE EXTENSIO N A NTIͳISP LACEMENT PROJECT REPO RT | RECOMMENDATIONS Could be negotiated as part of TIF deal if residential displacement will occur due to development. AKA "rent control". Would require new staff to monitor and enforce compliance. tenants from excessive rent increases, alleviaƟng the afford- able housing crisis, preserving exisƟng affordable housing, providing housing habitability and security of tenure for rent- ers, maintaining economic and racial diversity, and prevenƟng real estate speculaƟon (Been et al., 2019). Rent stabilizaƟon comes in many varieƟes in the United States. Local governments have fashioned programs to fit local con- cerns and to respond to local poliƟcal factors. The variaƟons in rent stabilizaƟon approaches occur across five different di- mensions: the rent cap and its operaƟon, excepƟons to the cap, exempƟons of building or unit type that are allowed, provisions for decontrol, and program monitoring and implementaƟon (Goetz et al, 2021). HOW DOES IT SUPPORT ACHIEVING THE DESIRED OUTCOME? Many studies of exisƟng rent stabilizaƟon programs have pro- duced a variety of findings related to affordability and housing costs, impacts on new construcƟon, housing stability, con- versions, teardowns, and other impacts on the rental stock, maintenance and capital improvements, and distribuƟon of benefits from rent control (Goetz et al, 2021). Outcomes in in- dividual ciƟes depend on the unique features of not only the rent regulaƟons themselves but also the characterisƟcs of the local housing market (Goetz et al, 2021). There is widespread agreement in the empirical literature that rent regulaƟon increases housing stability for tenants who live in regulated units (Goetz et al, 2021). The empirical research indicates that rent regulaƟons have been effecƟve at achieving two of their primary goals: maintaining below-market rent lev- els and moderaƟng price appreciaƟon. Generally, places with stronger rent control programs have had more success prevent- ing large price appreciaƟon than weaker programs (G oetz et al, 2021). LiƩle empirical evidence shows that rent control policies negaƟvely impact new construc Ɵon, as construcƟon rates are highly dependent on localized economic cycles and credit mar- kets (G oetz et al, 2021). AddiƟonally, most jurisdic Ɵons with rent stabilizaƟon specifically exclude new construcƟon from controls, either in perpetuity or for a set period of Ɵme (G oetz et al, 2021). EXAMPLE Rent control in Portland, Oregon, is governed by a state law. The state of Oregon has preempted local governments from enacƟng rent control. The state’s largest city, Portland, has suf- fered from high housing prices for years and in 2017, the city had one of the largest median rent increases in the country (Goetz et al, 2021). There was an unsuccessful effort in 2017 to liŌ the local ban on rent control. Advocates came back the nex t year and switched their strategy to enacƟng a state law that would regulate rents, while keeping the local ban in place. Sen- ate Bill 608, enacted in 2019, was the result (Goetz et al, 2021). 37 RECOMMENDATIONS | BLUE L INE EXTENSION A NTIͳISPLACEMENT PROJECT REPO RT The law contains two parts: a rent-increase cap and a Ɵghten- ing of the rules for evicƟons (Goetz et al, 2021). Both the cap and the evicƟon protecƟons apply only to mulƟ-unit buildings. The law exempts units in buildings constructed in the previous 15 years, a rolling exempƟon that adds new units to the con- trolled stock each year (G oetz et al, 2021). WHERE DOES IT EXIST ALONG ALIGNMENT? No jurisdicƟons along the alignment have rent stabilizaƟon ordinances, though Minneapolis voters approved a charter amendment allowing the city to create a rent stabilizaƟon pol- icy. HOW DO EXISTING POLICIES NEED TO CHANGE? Both poliƟcal and policy consideraƟons impact the details of rent stabilizaƟon programs. Some design components reflect direct trade-offs (G oetz et al, 2021). For example, legal mech- anisms that enable landlords to return rents to market levels upon vacancy may alleviate opposiƟon from the real estate industry, but limit the program’s efficacy in providing stabili- ty and affordability and, without robust just cause protecƟons, render the policy meaningless (Goetz et al, 2021). ExempƟons can also create incenƟves that are contradictory to the spirit of the regulaƟons. JurisdicƟons that allow for stabilized units to be easily converted to condominiums risk incenƟvizing prop- erty owners to withdraw their units from the rental market (Goetz et al, 2021). The value of the policy depends on who it applies to. Policies with broader applicaƟon are less likely to result in people hold- ing on to rent controlled units which is why more recent efforts have focused on rent stabilizaƟon (limiƟng the amount of in- creases for everyone) versus control on rents in specific units. TIMELINE Minnesota has a law that preempts rent control unless there is a ballot measure. The ability to do a ballot measure has to be allowed by the city charter and each community along BLRT has a different charter with different requirements for a bal- lot measure. Rent control has been upheld by courts including most recently in the 2nd Circuit, but all rent control policies are likely to face some form of challenge. Due to this law, the process should begin as soon as possible if the goal is to have a policy in place in the early stages of development. Commercial and Residential Land Trusts City is not a barrier to creation of DESCRIPTION OF POLICY land trusts but would not be able to contribute financially. City would provide technical assistance. Residents and small businesses need physical spaces to call their own, but tradiƟonal homeownership is prohibiƟvely ex- pensive for many families, and commercial rents can rise too fast for small businesses to stay afloat. Community land trusts (CLTs) are a way to secure physical space for long-term commu- nity prioriƟes like affordable housing and the preservaƟon of locally-owned small businesses. CLTs are something of a middle ground between paying rent and paying the market rate for real estate. CLTs are not just a form of affordable housing policy: they are a method to “em- power disadvantaged people to take control of land” (Williams, 2018). CLTs represent an alternaƟve way of thinking about real estate, where there is a degree of collecƟve property own- ership. Community land trusts have a “tripar Ɵte governance structure,” where community members, local government and CLTs residents collaborate on decision-making (Moore et al, 2012). In general, the CLT ownership structure represents a compro- mise between three prioriƟes: (a) providing affordable housing in the short term, (b) ensuring that housing will remain af- fordable in the long term, and (c) providing a mechanism for homeowners to gain wealth over Ɵme. KŌen the CLT will re- tain ownership of the land via a 99-year ground lease, while selling the physical structure of the house (Williams, 2018). Compared to tradiƟonal homeownership, CLTs o ffer poten- Ɵal buyers cheaper purchase prices with the tradeoff of lower wealth-building opportuniƟes. For communiƟes, CLTs provide unique safeguards to promote affordable housing for genera- Ɵons to come. Some CLTs provide space for locally owned small businesses (Williams, 2018). This can promote stability in the local econ- omy when rental property costs are rising. KŌen, commercial land trusts will prioriƟze property management and the de- velopment of commercial space via acƟviƟes like building rehabilitaƟon (Williams, 2018). HOW DOES IT SUPPORT ACHIEVING THE DESIRED OUTCOME? CLTS keep the value of land separate from the value of the building, meaning that value increases that result from im- provements like a light rail line don't lead to increased costs for homeowners. Homeowners leasing CLT land under their home enjoy the security, control, tax advantages and ability to build equity just like any homeowner. If they sell their home, the re- sale formula ensures that the home remains affordable for the nex t family. CLTs provide homeowners with a long -lasƟng sup- port structure, which may ease the transiƟon from renƟng into homeownership. Land trusts keep residenƟal and commercial proper Ɵes affordable in perpetuity. CLTs are not just a form of affordable housing policy: they are a method to empower dis- advantaged people to take control of land. EXAMPLE As of 2020, there were six CLTs in the metro area. The Rondo Community Land Trust collaborated with a partner group to open up commercial land trust space near the Green Line light rail. The City of Saint Paul awarded $200,000 in grant funding via the Neighborhood Sales Tax RevitalizaƟon program. WHERE DOES IT EXIST ALONG ALIGNMENT? Hennepin County provides funding to residenƟal land trust nonprofits, supporƟng the purchase, construcƟon, and/or re- habilitaƟon of affordable homes. The County's Community Investment IniƟaƟve has directed $500,000 for a commercial land trust near the BLRT project. Through the Housing and Redevelopment Authority, Hennepin County may direct tax- forfeit parcels and surplus property toward affordable housing. Minneapolis partners with the City of Lakes Community Land Trust. Brooklyn Park is having discussions around possible com- munity ownership to avoid displacement of 28 small businesses at 7710 Brooklyn Boulevard. HOW DO EXISTING POLICIES NEED TO CHANGE? Minnesota community land trusts must incorporate afford- able housing as one of their goals, limiƟng the viability of land trusts focused on small business or agriculture. CiƟes may pass resoluƟons to act as community land trusts, so long as they follow all of the other state requirements for CLTs. LocaliƟes may have legal restricƟons on how publicly-owned land may be sold off, limiƟng the prospects of directly transferring land to land trusts. ExisƟng CLTs may have organiza Ɵonal capacity constraints that limit their ability to expand. It could be valuable for ciƟes to consult with some of the CLTs in the Twin CiƟes region to in- quire about possible BLRT-related partnerships. If ciƟes choose to establish CLTs, they may face the challenge of ensuring that reducing displacement remains a policy priority in the long term. To miƟgate the high costs of land and construcƟon, lo- cal governments should convey exisƟng publicly-owned land to land trusts either at a discount or free of charge. One opƟon to promote CLTs would be to change city land disposiƟon policies. Hennepin County should use tax-forfeited and surplus proper- Ɵes land trusts, and should support commercial land trusts via transit oriented development. The County should also increase funding for land trusts via property taxes. Jurisdic Ɵons that do not have experience with land trusts will need experienced partners and technical support to pursue them in the future. TIMELINE CLTs can preserve housing a ffordability across generaƟons, but they have high startup costs. To be effecƟve in preserving af- fordability in areas that are expected to grow, such as areas near new light rail lines, CLTs have the best chance of success if they are established early on, before land values have gone up by much. 38BLUE L INE EXTENSIO N A NTIͳISP LACEMENT PROJECT REPO RT | RECOMMENDATIONS Financial resources for organizing/the right to organize DESCRIPTION OF POLICY For residenƟal tenants, collecƟve acƟon is oŌen the most ef- fec Ɵve, or only, way to solve legiƟmate grievances against the landlord. The Tenants Right to Organize Act protects the right of tenants to form and operate an organizaƟon to advocate on their own behalf. Tenants who organize with a union may face backlash from landlords, parƟcularly as renters begin to show a real threat to landlord power. Some jurisdicƟons have passed legislaƟon which recognizes that renters have the right to organize. HOW DOES IT SUPPORT ACHIEVING THE DESIRED OUTCOME? In order to advocate for beƩer living condiƟons and bet- ter treatment from landlords and property managers, and to address landlord-tenant complaints of all kinds, residenƟal ten- ants must have explicit rights to freely meet, freely complain, and post and disseminate tenant organizaƟon literature with- out fear of retaliaƟon. EXAMPLE California, New York and the District of Columbia explicitly protect tenants’ rights to organize. Nearly thirty other states have adopted a short provision from the Uniform ResidenƟal Landlord and Tenant Act (URLTA) or a comparable provision, which simply bars landlords from retaliaƟng against tenants for parƟcipaƟng in a tenant union, which is, by itself, nearly unen- forceable (Public Leadership InsƟtute). In Minnesota there is currently a right to organize in certain types of subsidized buildings as well as in manufactured home communiƟes. While these are powerful rights, there is an over- all lack of educaƟon and enforcement of these rights, leading to the potenƟal for retaliaƟon. WHERE DOES IT EXIST ALONG ALIGNMENT? No jurisdicƟons along the alignment explicitly protect tenants’ right to organize. HOW DO EXISTING POLICIES NEED TO CHANGE? If jurisdicƟons were to explicitly protect tenants’ right to or- ganize, the primary consideraƟon is the law's specificity to be enforceable. Clearly defining the criteria for tenant asso- ciaƟons, common spaces, and what protected acƟviƟes look like is the best way to inoculate against the inevitable chal- lenges from landlords. JurisdicƟons need to consider what enforcement looks like and what tenants have the right to do as outlined by an ordinance. If a regional anƟͲdisplacement fund is established, financial resources should be set aside to support organizing efforts around displacement. CiƟes should have a clear point of contact for renters such as an ombudsper- son who is responsible for enforcement of the right to organize. TIMELINE This policy would have ongoing benefits, but the sooner it is enacted the sooner current renters can become organized free from retaliaƟon and develop community strategies to address displacement risk before it occurs. Zero to low interest loans DESCRIPTION OF POLICY States, ciƟes and local development agencies create funds for low-interest loans for longͲƟme residents. ApplicaƟon require- ments can target geography, income levels, length of Ɵme living in the neighborhood, etc. Some loans become forgivable if the homeowner conƟnues living in the home for a certain amount of Ɵme, which disincenƟvizes the flipping of proper Ɵes. HOW DOES IT SUPPORT ACHIEVING THE DESIRED OUTCOME? Unmet maintenance needs increase the risk of foreclosure, bankruptcy, and decreased surrounding property values (Rohe et al, 2010). There are benefits to funding rehabilitaƟon along- side other housing investments, and publicly-financed loans for “modest ” building rehabilitaƟon may be a sufficient incenƟve for private buyers to keep rent affordable (Rohe et al, 2010). EXAMPLE Hennepin County offers zero-interest rehab loans that are for- givable for residents who conƟnue to own and live in the same housing unit. The maximum loan is $30,000 and there are income limits, and loans can be used for a variety of improve- ments to “address health, safety and maintenance concerns." WHERE DOES IT EXIST ALONG ALIGNMENT? Minneapolis, Hennepin County, Brooklyn Park, and Crystal of- fer zero to low interest loans and grants. Nonprofits like Habitat also assist with home rehab. Minneapolis offers a range of as- sistance ranging from $5,000 to six figures, in partnership with the state government and nonprofits. Hennepin County ad- ministers home rehab programs, via both federal funds and property taxes. Currently the program reaches 50-60 homes per year. Brooklyn Park offers zero-to -low interest loan funding for improvements to rental property, and has proacƟve code violaƟon loans for businesses to handle issues in commercial buildings. 39 RECOMMENDATIONS | BLUE L INE EXTENSION A NTIͳISPLACEMENT PROJECT REPO RT Would require new staff to monitor and enforce compliance. City not right entity to mandate this - should be state or county. City has rehab grants for low income households. Other agencies also have programs. Targeted programs should be funded by the county or Met Council if they are in response to project impacts. HOW DO EXISTING POLICIES NEED TO CHANGE? While funding can be a limited factor, the property tax funding is expected to grow. JurisdicƟons that do not have exisƟng pro- grams, such as Robbinsdale and Crystal, would need funding and technical assistance from Hennepin County or the Met- ropolitan Council to administer a program. A 2018 report by the Housing JusƟce Center emphasized that there are poten- Ɵal benefits to funding rehabilitaƟon alongside other housing investments. For example, Hennepin County could pair rental rehabilitaƟon with other county prioriƟes such as energy effi- ciency and 4d housing incenƟves. Local governments could help residents obtain exisƟng federal and state funding. For the majority of state residents (below $175,400 in income for the Twin CiƟes Metro), Minnesota Housing coordinates low-interest home improvement loans (via the Fix Up Home Improvement Loan Program) (Minnesota Housing Finance Agency, 2023). For low-income people (below 30% of AMI), Minnesota Housing coordinates forgivable home rehab loans provided by private lenders (via the Rehab Loan Program and the Emergency and Accessibility Loan Program) (Minnesota Housing Finance A gency, 2023). CiƟes could target work to connect residents with these Minnesota Housing pro- grams. During implementaƟon, an important consideraƟon for local governments would be how they plan to coordinate across a variety of partner governments and organizaƟons. The Ford FoundaƟon study concluded that “coordinaƟng weatherizaƟon and rehab assistance at the local level is very difficult ” (Rohe et al, 2010). It is a challenge to build relaƟonships across enƟƟes and to facilitate access to the variety of loan programs that ex- ist, with varying eligibility requirements and operaƟonal rules in areas like inspecƟons. Waivers to conflicƟng requirements are a key strategy to help homeowners navigate the complex system of rehab loans. TIMELINE Rehab loans address a long-term community need that can be expected to remain substanƟal over Ɵme. A subsidized loan program would presumably require some kind of consistent funding source. Small Business Grants/Small Business Sup-port DESCRIPTION OF POLICY Financial resources can be used to support small businesses through the various challenges of construcƟng the Blue Line Ex- tension as well as the displacement pressures that come along with rising rents, loss of space, and other issues. Small business grants and technical assistance help ensure that business- es in place are able to stay, while supporƟng new businesses throughout the corridor. Examples of small business support include signage for businesses, markeƟng, technical assistance, and maintaining access to businesses along the alignment. HOW DOES IT SUPPORT ACHIEVING THE DESIRED OUTCOME? Funding and way finding can help businesses survive loss of rev- enue or loss of space during construcƟon. Various mechanisms can also help create long-term stability of small businesses in the community including the ability to relocate back into the corridor in a more permanent space than before. EXAMPLE In a comparable rail project in SeaƩle, local transportaƟon planners set aside $50 million for the Rainier Valley Commu- nity Development Fund (Shella, 2009). Within that allocaƟon, $12 million was dedicated to grants for business interrupƟon grants (Shella, 2009). Such grants reimbursed business owners for loss of revenue during the construcƟon period. Loss is cal- culated by subtracƟng the revenue during construcƟon period to revenue during a comparable period of Ɵme. WHERE DOES IT EXIST ALONG ALIGNMENT? The Robbinsdale Economic Development Authority (REDA) had a building façade improvement grant available. The city is also partnering with Hennepin County in the Elevate Hennepin business support program which provides resources to small businesses. The City of Crystal also has a facade improvement grant available. The City of Brooklyn Park has a microbusiness loan program designed to provide resources to budding businesses. Eligible businesses can receive loans from $1,000 to $10,000 with a 2% interest rate and maximum term is 5 years with no prepay- ment penalty. This program can help businesses fund criƟcal projects and build business credit and payment history which is criƟcal when seeking larger investments in the future. The City of Minneapolis Great Streets offers grant and loan op- portuniƟes for business district revitalizaƟon. Businesses along the West Broadway, Minneapolis porƟon of the corridor are already idenƟĮed as at least eligible areas, and in most cases priority areas, for the Great Streets program. Hennepin County currently does not offer small business grants but uƟlized CARES Act authoriƟes to provide over 6,500 pandemic relief grants to small businesses in 2020-2021. The Metropolitan Council plays a supporƟng role in small business grant disbursement. HOW DO EXISTING POLICIES NEED TO CHANGE? Policies should, to the extent possible, specifically target small, 40BLUE L INE EXTENSIO N A NTIͳISP LACEMENT PROJECT REPO RT | RECOMMENDATIONS City has facade grants. Targeted programs should be funded by the county or Met Council if they are in response to project impacts. "mom and pop" businesses that are renƟng their spaces along the corridor. These businesses will be the most vulnerable to not surviving the challenges that come with implemenƟng the project as well as are likely most vulnerable to rent increases. ExisƟng programs, such as Great Streets in Minneapolis, should perform targeted outreach to small businesses throughout the corridor to communicate about funding opportuniƟes. In new and exisƟng programs, there should be priority designaƟon for businesses impacted by the project and dedicated funds for these businesses. New and exisƟng grant programs should also provide funding to support maintained access of businesses throughout construc Ɵon. Small business way finding efforts can be incorporated into broader efforts to improve infrastructure around the project, such as access planning and pedestrian improvements. TIMELINE Different grants will be relevant to the different stages of the project. For example, relocaƟon assistance should occur both before construcƟon and aŌer construcƟon (when coupled with a right to return policy). Way finding and assistance would be most appropriate during construcƟon, for example. Workforce programs DESCRIPTION OF POLICY The Blue Line Extension will require a massive workforce to complete the project. Civil Rights Law and the standard DBE programs are not sufficient in addressing the expectaƟons from the Blue Line corridor communiƟes for their par ƟcipaƟon in building the project. Therefore, there is an opportunity to go above and beyond tradiƟonal requirements for BIPOC and women owned worker and business par ƟcipaƟon in complet- ing the Blue Line. HOW DOES IT SUPPORT ACHIEVING THE DESIRED OUTCOME? Minority-owned construcƟon firms, which are more likely to be small, describe difficulƟes receiving bank loans, breaking into long-established networks and compeƟng on price with larger white-owned firms that can do the work for cheaper because of economies of scale (Rao, 2020). AddiƟonally, most minority- owned firms are not unionized even as many major projects require companies to use union labor; Minority-owned firms that want to hire mostly people of color have a harder Ɵme do- ing so through unions that are sƟll predominantly white (Rao, 2020). Though the private marketplace is harder to track, a 2017 study found that just 2.8% of state procurement dollars in the construcƟon field went to minority-owned businesses — and just .02% to Black-owned firms — a far lower rate than the study’s projecƟon based on availability (State of Minnesota, 2017). The Blue Line Extension will funnel billions of dollars into the Blue Line corridor communiƟes and a significant porƟon of those funds will go to hiring a workforce. This is an opportunity to ac Ɵvate Blue Line corridor community workforce par Ɵcipa- Ɵon in construcƟon, but also other professional fields. Given that today BIPOC contractors par Ɵcipate in these trades at lower rates, this project could catalyze those same populaƟons to have greater sustained par ƟcipaƟon in these trades beyond the Blue Line Extension project. EXAMPLE The Met Council and Hennepin County operate a DBE program and will maintain DBE goals on the project. Metro Transit and the Met Council have made a sustained effort to go above and beyond federal requirements to train and maintain a work- force of the future. We can use these successes to tailor this approach to more trades and professions to build the Blue Line Extension. WHERE DOES IT EXIST ALONG ALIGNMENT? Various enƟƟes are seeking to train workforce, develop busi- nesses, and business capacity along the Blue Line Extension corridor community including organizing in community. The Met Council has a DBE Program that aims to increase the par- ƟcipaƟon of women- and minority-owned businesses in the award of federally assisted contracts. The Council provides a list of current contracƟng opportuniƟes, resources on how to receive DBE cerƟĮcaƟon, and a directory of DBE-cer ƟĮed firms. Hennepin County aims to contract with diverse vendors through exclusive small business opportuniƟes, roster pro- grams with first consideraƟon given to small businesses, scaling contract opportuniƟes, and vendor outreach. The County pro- motes a diverse vendor workforce by requiring vendors to have affirmaƟve ac Ɵon plans, seƫng construcƟon workforce goals, requiring the use of apprenƟces on contracts, and providing job training to residents on probaƟon. The City of Minneap- olis has a Small and UnderuƟlized Business Program (SUBP) which sets goals on any contract over $175,000. These goals are to ensure Minority-owned Business Enterprises (MBEs) and Women-owned Business Enterprises (WBEs) are included in the work. HOW DO EXISTING POLICIES NEED TO CHANGE? Successful programs should clearly define cer ƟĮcaƟon pro- cesses for DBE programs and make sure that the cerƟĮcaƟon requirements are not burdensome for very small business- es. Program parameters should include focus on the local workforce rather than allowing contractors to meet goals by bringing in out of state labor. There is a need to figure out a way to unite the various enƟƟes that are working towards this project generally to be acƟvated for the Blue Line Extension 41 RECOMMENDATIONS | BLUE L INE EXTENSION A NTIͳISPLACEMENT PROJECT REPO RT Would require new staff to monitor and enforce compliance. City not the applicable entity in any case. A local example is the NOAH impact fund. The Greater Min- nesota Housing Fund established a NOAH Impact Fund, which “target[s] rental properƟes at risk of conversion to higher rents,” seeking to “preserve affordability for the long term.” Investors include Hennepin County and the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency (Minnesota Housing), as well as investment capital from lending insƟtuƟons. A second example is the Minnesota Housing administered Low Income Rental ClassificaƟon program, which allows land- lords to pay less in taxes for properƟes that provide affordable housing. Because the tax incenƟves need to be triggered by the requirements of government funding, programs such as Saint Paul’s 4d housing program were created, providing small amounts of public resources in exchange for meeƟng afford- ability requirements and in turn giving landlords a tax incenƟve to preserve affordable housing through the LIRC program. WHERE DOES IT EXIST ALONG ALIGNMENT? Hennepin County’s Housing and Redevelopment Authority invests in the NOAH Impact Fund, via the Greater Minnesota Housing Fund. This has helped with the acquisiƟon of 459 prop- erƟes in Hennepin County. The City of Minneapolis has used NOAH funds to preserve 96 units across 6 faciliƟes. Robbins- dale does not directly receive Community Development Block Grant funding. To support specific projects, Robbinsdale has applied for NOAH funds from Hennepin County. To support affordable housing, the Robbinsdale Economic Development Authority has provided at least one rehabilitaƟon loan. The Brooklyn Park Economic Development Authority (EDA) estab- lished a NOAH PreservaƟon Program to provide funding to developers and rental property owners for the acquisiƟon and/ or rehabilitaƟon of Brooklyn Park NOAH rental properƟes. HOW DO EXISTING POLICIES NEED TO CHANGE? Hennepin County should use the NOAH Impact Fund in con- nec Ɵon with BLRT, and more property tax revenue could help with expanding the availability of these funds. Increased fund- ing and technical assistance from the County would support smaller jurisdicƟons, such as Crystal and Robbinsdale, in NOAH preservaƟon efforts as they lack the financial resources to prop up their own programs. AddiƟonally, the affordability require- ments of current NOAH funds are higher than what people in communiƟes along the corridor can afford and are funcƟonally market rate rent limits and there is no current limitaƟon on the ex tent of rent increases that are allowed in properƟes that are part of the NOAH impact funds or the 4d program - while the proper Ɵes must remain at the established income limits (typically 60% AMI), low income households cannot absorb in- creases to maximum program limits. AddiƟonally, NOAH programs have to establish clear expecta- Ɵons about the management and the condiƟon of the property. Current programs tend to deprioriƟze proper Ɵes when they change hands from a for-profit to a non-profit, without suf- ficiently resourcing property rehab. AddiƟonally programs tend to take for granted that non-profit owners will be respon- sible landlords which is not always the case - “nonprofit” is a 42BLUE L INE EXTENSIO N A NTIͳISP LACEMENT PROJECT REPO RT | RECOMMENDATIONS specifically. Workforce programs should focus on DBE par Ɵci- paƟon specifically from the Blue Line corridor community. Minority-owned firms said many don’t parƟcipate in the union in large part because of the higher overhead that is harder on smaller, less established businesses. Governments should work with DBE contractors to help meet any project labor agree- ments, and to work towards unionizaƟon, as this would support them in compeƟng for future bids. TIMELINE Changes to exisƟng programs and the creaƟon of new pro- grams should begin ideally before construcƟon begins, if the goal is to hire a diverse and local workforce. The coordinaƟon between involved enƟƟes and jurisdicƟons will take Ɵme, and it is important to start this effort as early as possible. NOAH Preservation City is not a barrier to creation of NOAH funds but would not be able to contribute financially. City would provide technical assistance. DESCRIPTION OF POLICY Naturally Occurring Affordable Housing units are affordable at market rate without regulaƟon or subsidies, and are at risk of disappearing due to market speculaƟon & upgrades that result in higher rents (Perry et al, 2021); Since 1990, the U.S. housing stock has lost millions of market-rate affordable units, mostly since 2012 (Bennet, 2020). Before the pandemic, the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency esƟmated that the state lost around 2,000 NOAH units per year. PreservaƟon funds can help preserve and build housing supply, which can lead to in- creased affordability. There are two different structures that are typically created to preserve NOAH properƟes. The first aƩempts to preserve affordability of rental housing by creaƟng funds for mission ori- ented purchasers to acquire properƟes that are listed for sale that are at risk of market conversion. The second strategy in- cenƟvizes current owners of NOAH properƟes to keep units affordable. HOW DOES IT SUPPORT ACHIEVING THE DESIRED OUTCOME? PreservaƟon funds can directly benefit people currently living in properƟes that are at risk of market conversion due to non- preservaƟon sales. This is an important part of the market to focus on as most renters live in unsubsidized market housing (Bennet, 2020). EXAMPLE corporate structure not a promise of equitable management pracƟces. TIMELINE NOAH preservaƟon must begin before units are demolished or become unaffordable. In the case of light rail construcƟon, it would be most advantageous to implement NOAH preserva- Ɵon funding immediately since market speculaƟon along the route is already driving up property prices. Inclusionary Zoning DESCRIPTION OF POLICY Inclusionary zoning (IZ) is an affordable housing tool that links the producƟon of affordable housing to the producƟon of mar- ket-rate housing (B een et al, 2007). IZ policies either require or encourage new residenƟal developments to make a certain percentage of the housing units affordable to low- or moderate income residents. In exchange, many IZ programs provide cost offsets to developers, such as density bonuses that allow the developer to build more units than convenƟonal zoning would allow, or fast-track permiƫng that allows developers to build more quickly (B een et al, 2007). There is tremendous diversity in the structure and goals of in- clusionary zoning programs throughout the country: some IZ programs are voluntary while others are mandatory; they are triggered by different sizes and types of market-rate develop- ments; they target the affordable units to different income levels; they have different rules about whether the affordable units must be located within the market-rate development or may be located off-site; and they impose the affordability re- stricƟon for different lengths of Ɵme (B een et al, 2007). HOW DOES IT SUPPORT ACHIEVING THE DESIRED OUTCOME? IZ is heralded as an important evoluƟon in affordable hous- ing policy because it requires less direct public subsidy than tradiƟonal affordable housing programs, and therefore is con- sidered more fiscally sustainable (Been et al, 2007). Increased public investments in historically disinvested neighborhoods generate increased land value, and therefore, increased profit potenƟal profit for developers. Inclusionary zoning is a tool to capture a porƟon of the increased value by requiring devel- opers to include affordable units in developments that would otherwise be enƟrely market-rate. Many IZ policies produce af- fordable units, but IZ is not a panacea for solving a community’s housing challenges (Been et al, 2007). EXAMPLE There are around 1,000 IZ policies across the U.S., includ - ing seven in Minnesota. The Minneapolis IZ policy applies to projects with 20 or more units, and developers can choose be- tween the following on-site compliance opƟons: Provide 8% of units affordable at or below 60% Area Median Income (AMI) for 20 years, with no City financial assistance or Provide 4% of units affordable at or below 30% AMI for 20 years, with no City financial assistance or Seek City Revenue Loss Offset financial assistance from the City, in which case 20% of the units must be affordable at or below 50% AMI for 30 years. AlternaƟve compliance opƟons include paying an in-lieu fee, producing the required units off site, or donaƟng land to the City. WHERE DOES IT EXIST ALONG ALIGNMENT? Hennepin County and Met Council play a supporƟng role in inclusionary zoning; Hennepin County provides technical as- sistance for inclusionary zoning, but is not able to implement it directly. Minneapolis requires that larger new developments follow requirements around affordability or pay into the Af- fordable Housing Trust Fund; Since 2019, 164 affordable units have been created under the policy. Brooklyn Park emphasiz- es inclusionary zoning that is affordable to people at 30% area median income, and uƟlizes subsidies to support inclusionary zoning. HOW DO EXISTING POLICIES NEED TO CHANGE? IZ policies can be designed to fit the needs of the local area, since there are a variety of ways to structure IZ. JurisdicƟons have an opportunity to change exisƟng programs to (1) be more reflecƟve of local AMIs, and (2) target lower-income populaƟons. While IZ programs typically set income caps in the range of 50-80% of a regional area median income, ciƟes should amend policies to beƩer target renters with incomes at or below 30% of a more localized AMI calculaƟon. Examining other common components of IZ policies highlights more opportuniƟes for change. IZ laws may apply evenly across a jurisdicƟon or only to specific neighborhoods, or they may vary in intensity by neighborhood; jurisdicƟons along the align- ment should create a corridor-specific IZ law that reflects the development goals of this project. This could include requir- ing the development of commercial space in developments of a certain size, or seƫng certain prioriƟes for funds received through in-lieu fees. Jurisdic Ɵons like Brooklyn Park oŌen require gap funding to support inclusionary zoning projects, which highlights the need for a regional anƟͲdisplacement fund that is administered by Hennepin County and the Metropolitan Council. 43 RECOMMENDATIONS | BLUE L INE EXT EN SI ON A NTIͳI S PLACEMENT PROJECT REPO RT Crystal's challenge is getting any redevelopment to occur. So far the only development has been affordable. I.Z. would create another barrier to redevelopment in Crystal. TIMELINE The strongest predictor of how many affordable units a juris- dicƟon’s IZ program has produced is the length of Ɵme the program has been in place (B een et al, 2007). This makes sense for a number of reasons: projects that trigger the IZ program are likely to take several years to be completed and gener- ate new IZ units, developers and administrators undoubtedly need some Ɵme to become more familiar with the program and work out any kinks, and the producƟon of affordable units through IZ adds up over Ɵme. Units produced through IZ policies may be affordable when originally produced, but will likely become much less affordable once any affordability restric Ɵons expire. Through community land trusts and other shared equity homeownership strate- gies, communiƟes can ensure that affordable units produced through IZ stay affordable over Ɵme, while sƟll providing resi- dents with an opportunity to build assets. Universal Basic Income/Guaranteed Basic Income DESCRIPTION OF POLICY For the past five decades, the U.S. relied on a patchwork of public assistance programs, such as SNAP, WIC, and Tempo - rary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) (Kujawski, 2021). Each program has their own unique eligibility criteria. Research shows that public assistance programs are inadequate in ad- dressing income inequality and related dispariƟes (Kujawski, 2021). Universal basic income (UBI), or basic income guarantee, is a government program that aims to address economic inequal- ity and provide economic security through monthly direct cash transfers to every member of a community with no means tesƟng (Bidadanure, 2019). It creates a basic income floor for everyone, regardless of income and employment status. UBI allows recipients to spend funds however they choose, unlike other benefit programs. Universal basic income takes on disƟnct forms in different his- torical and geographic contex ts (Stanford Basic Income Lab, 2023). It varies based on the funding proposal, the level of pay- ment, the frequency of payment, and the par Ɵcular policies proposed around it (Stanford Basic Income Lab, 2023). Each of these parameters are fundamental, even if a range of versions sƟll technically count as UBI (a universal, uncondiƟonal, indi- vidual, regular and cash payment) (Stanford Basic Income Lab, 2023). HOW DOES IT SUPPORT ACHIEVING THE DESIRED OUTCOME? A universal, uncondiƟonal cash transfer system can address shortcomings in public assistance and other benefits that guaranteed income programs geared to specific income levels cannot (Kujawski, 2021). Universal systems have the potenƟal to benefit everyone; as personal situaƟons vary, it is impossible to truly know who needs them based on a number or a single point in Ɵme (Kujawski, 2021). UBI pilots show improved outcomes in health and quality of life in several social determinants of health, including beƩer ed- ucaƟonal outcomes, fewer instances of psychological distress, and improved child health outcomes (Kujawski, 2021). EXAMPLE The Stockton Economic Empowerment DemonstraƟon (SEED), a basic income pilot program that provided Stockton residents with $500 per month, found that recipients spent money on groceries, uƟlity bills, and credit card debt. Recipients also re- ported feeling less anxious and spending more Ɵme with family. Food made up the largest spending category (37%), whereas just 1% was spent on alcohol or tobacco (an outcome that op- ponents had worried about). Meanwhile, rather than dropping out of the workforce, parƟcipants found jobs at twice the rate of a control group. The Magnolia Mother’s Trust, is a guaranteed income pilot project in Jackson, Mississippi, that specifically targeted low- income Black mothers. In December 2018, its first cohort of 20 mothers received their first $1,000, and they would receive the same sum every month for a year (they were also given savings accounts for their children) (Guo, 2021). For many, the $12,000 effecƟvely doubled their annual income. The program has since added two more cohorts of 110 women each. In an early analysis of the program, pilot parƟcipants were 40% less likely to incur debt for emergency expenses and 27% more like- ly to visit a doctor. On average, they were able to set aside $150 each month for food and household expenses. WHERE DOES IT EXIST ALONG ALIGNMENT? In June of 2022, the City of Minneapolis began piloƟng a Guar- anteed Basic Income Program for 200 households. For two years, enrolled families will receive $500 per month to help boost income. Eligibility requirements include living in one of nine idenƟĮed ZIP codes, having an annual income at or be- low 50% AMI for Minneapolis, being impacted by the pandemic, and being over the age of 18. HOW DO EXISTING POLICIES NEED TO CHANGE? Including the voices and wisdom of those experiencing low wages and inadequate public assistance is necessary for devel- oping a UBI system that is both effecƟve and embraces equity as a key component (Kujawski, 2021). It is important to estab- lish a UBI system that does not create a benefit cliff for families. A poorly designed program could result in families losing ac- 44BLUE L INE EXTENSIO N A NTIͳISP LACEMENT PROJECT REPO RT | RECOMMENDATIONS This seems like a broader policy idea beyond the scope of BLX anti-displacement. City does not have capacity in any case. cess to valuable exisƟng food and housing supports, more than offseƫng the increase in their income. In order to make the program design effecƟve, the goal needs to be longer term eq- uitable outcomes for families rather than short term savings for government. TIMELINE UBI provides a sustainable path forward to transiƟon families off SNAP benefits (Kujawski, 2021). ImplemenƟng UBI can be slow and would replace the current systems over the course of Ɵme. Many progressive proponents argue for a UBI+ approach, which would not immediately replace any exisƟng security- enhancing government programs but instead supplement the exisƟng welfare infrastructure. Because of the slow imple- mentaƟon Ɵmeline of UBI pilots and programs, government agencies along the alignment should have a sense of urgen- cy around implemenƟng pilot programs or amending exisƟng ones to support residents that are vulnerable to displacement. Right to Counsel DESCRIPTION OF POLICY A right to counsel for tenants facing evicƟon is effecƟve, en- sures the use and enforcement of other intervenƟons such as rent assistance and evicƟon moratoria, and addresses stark- ly uneven power dynamics and longstanding racial dispariƟes (Pollock, 2021). Where a city or state has enacted a right to counsel, qualifying tenants (either all tenants or those meeƟng certain eligibility criteria) are provided or appointed a lawyer for their evicƟon case at government expense, as happens in criminal cases. Available data shows that only 3% of tenants have legal repre- sentaƟon when facing evicƟon proceedings, compared to over 80% of landlords (Pollock, 2021). This is unsurprising because where there is no right to counsel, the available assistance is limited primarily to heavily underfunded legal aid programs. The disempowerment and bewilderment felt by unrepresent- ed tenants navigaƟng a complex legal system helps explain the high percentage of tenants who do not respond to the evic- Ɵon complaint or appear in court, which is around 50% in most places and as high as 79% in some (Pollock, 2021). HOW DOES IT SUPPORT ACHIEVING THE DESIRED OUTCOME? Legal protecƟon in housing court is criƟcal to protecƟng rent- ers from displacement. Renters who have aƩorneys win or seƩle their cases 96% of the Ɵme, while those without legal help win or seƩle just 62% of the Ɵme (Pollock, 2021). But even in situaƟons where tenants cannot remain in their home, law- yers can effecƟvely negoƟate for more Ɵme, a smaller rent judgment and a graceful exit so that the evicƟon will not be on the tenant’s record (Pollock, 2021). One of the greatest impacts of right to counsel is its ability to pause legal acƟon. CiƟes and states have been projected to see significant net sav- ings from the program by reducing the costs associated with evicƟon. In a recent analysis of Cleveland’s right to counsel, the esƟmated net savings to Cleveland and Cuyahoga County were approximately $1.8 to $1.9 million in 2021 (Roumiantseva, 2022). EXAMPLE 13 ciƟes and 3 states have adopted right to counsel ordinances. In Cleveland, a RTC program has helped 93% of clients avoid an evicƟon judgment or an involuntary move. Further, 83% of clients parƟcipaƟng in the program were able to secure rental assistance (Roumiantseva, 2022). WHERE DOES IT EXIST ALONG ALIGNMENT? Minneapolis approved a right to counsel ordinance in 2021, and the goal of the ordinance is to serve renters who have incomes of less than 200% of federal poverty guidelines. Any tenant of a rental dwelling in Minneapolis is covered under the ordinance, including those living in a building operated by the Minneapolis Public Housing Authority. HOW DO EXISTING POLICIES NEED TO CHANGE? Ordinances should involve a variety of stakeholders, apply to all evicƟons and tenants, ensure representaƟon ASAP, apply to terminated housing subsidies and affirmaƟve tenant claims, en- sure tenants are aware of the right, ensure that there is data gathering, fund community organizers to raise awareness, and be regularly evaluated for implementaƟon and impacts. TIMELINE Right to counsel could be a criƟcal effort in protecƟng renters from displacement, and can take a lot of Ɵme and resources to draŌ and implement. CiƟes should start thinking about imple- mentaƟon consideraƟons as soon as possible if they want this to be part of a toolkit that works to protect and stabilize ten- ants before, during, and aŌer construcƟon. Tenant Screening Reform DESCRIPTION OF POLICY When landlords sign up to receive tenant screening reports, they’re buying fast access to a simplified summary of a renter’s history (Waddell, 2021). These reports have enormous sway over a renter’s ability to secure an apartment, as they summa- rize years’ worth of data on an applicant’s evicƟon, criminal, and credit histories and oŌen exclude important details or are riddled with errors (Waddell, 2021). Housing advocates say these tenant screening measures can unfairly penalize people 45 RECOMMENDATIONS | BLUE L INE EXT EN SI ON A NTIͳI S PLACEMENT PROJECT REPO RT HOMELine etc. already receive govt funds to provide legal services to tenants. Targeted programs should be funded by the county or Met Council if they are in response to project impacts. City doesn't regulate tenant application process or screening criteria. Would require new staff to monitor and enforce compliance. that would be good renters, and create large barriers for rent- ers who have been the subject of an evicƟon proceeding and renters with criminal records (Waddell, 2021). Under federal law, tenant screening companies can report seven years of ar- rest and evicƟon records in most cases, and there’s no Ɵme limit on convicƟons. Approximately 1 in 4 American adults has a criminal record, which means that for millions of people, it can be difficult to rent a good, clean, and safe apartment (Waddell, 2021). Even more, people of color are vastly overrepresented in criminal staƟsƟcs, in part because of biased policing. Tenant screen reform or “fair chance” reforms vary in the kinds of rules they impose on tenant screening reports, but gener- ally consist of: • limiƟng the lookback period for criminal history to 3 years for misdemeanors, 7 years for felonies, and 10 years for certain felonies • limiƟng the lookback period for evic Ɵon history to 3 years • banning the use of credit score alone to screen out ten- ants AddiƟonally, the current tenant screening system is underregu- lated and tenant reports can include unverified and anecdotal informaƟon with liƩle recourse to potenƟal tenants (Waddell, 2021). It is difficult for tenets to access their screening reports and, even with requirements that someone be provided with both the screening criteria in advance of applying for tenan- cy and reasons for denial with an opportunity to request their screening report, the process of accessing informaƟon is diffi- cult to navigate and renters are rarely provided with relevant informaƟon prior to their rental applicaƟon. HOW DOES IT SUPPORT ACHIEVING THE DESIRED OUTCOME? Each element of the current tenant screening system has a disproporƟonate negaƟve impact on BIPOC households and people with disabiliƟes. Removing the discriminatory barriers to housing access will allow people to access more opportuni- Ɵes for fair housing choice in communiƟes along the corridor. DiscriminaƟon in tenant screening based on criminal back- ground impacts so many more than people with convicƟons – it impacts whole families (Fair Chance for Housing, 2023). Nearly half of all children in the United States — about 33 mil- lion to 36.5 million — have at least one parent with a criminal record (Fair Chance for Housing, 2023). The collateral conse- quences of having a convicƟon record create barriers, restrict opportuniƟes, and undermine the mobility and success for families across generaƟons (Fair Chance for Housing, 2023). Reducing barriers to housing so that people and families have stable homes can interrupt these intergeneraƟonal cycles of poverty and homelessness. AddiƟonally, the use of credit scores has a profound discrimi- natory impact. In par Ɵcular, the use of credit scores creates a dispropor Ɵonate negaƟve impact based on race, ethnicity, naƟonal origin, and religion. This is due to algorithmic bias, re- ligious barriers to using interest bearing products, and because people who have been prevented from accessing credit due to discriminaƟon are unable to establish a credit history. Along the corridor, this limits opportuniƟes for families to remain in communiƟes or to access fair housing choice. EXAMPLE In recent years, SeaƩle, Oakland, and Berkeley, Calif. passed or- dinances that bar landlords from asking about an applicant’s criminal history at all, and from searching for criminal records during the tenant screening process, with a few excepƟons (Waddell, 2021). Some states are also trying to keep evic- Ɵon filings that don’t end in evicƟons from prevenƟng people from finding housing. Under a California law enacted in 2016, evicƟon filings are hidden from the public—including tenant screening companies—if they don’t lead to a judgment against the tenant within 60 days. WHERE DOES IT EXIST ALONG ALIGNMENT? The city of Minneapols created a policy that limits the way that credit scores, criminal history, income, and rental history can be uƟlized in tenant screening. The policy has been the subject of ongoing liƟgaƟon, but so far has been upheld by the courts. HOW DO EXISTING POLICIES NEED TO CHANGE? There are no current policies in large secƟons of the corridor. The current Minneapolis policy is a solid policy, but there are quesƟons about enforceability and monitoring of the policy in the long term. One recommendaƟon is to create more trans- parency about both the current screening criteria that is used by landlords and beƩer access by tenants to their screening reports. TIMELINE Tenant screening reforms are urgent to create access to hous- ing choice along the emerging corridor. As property values rise and buildings change hands, tenants along the corridor are at risk of experiencing re-screening for tenants by new building owners, creaƟng the risk of imminent displacement. Cultural Placekeeping/Placemaking DESCRIPTION OF POLICY Cultural displacement, or the pracƟce of making communiƟes feel unwelcome and alienated in their own neighborhoods, of- ten precedes and perpetuates physical displacement (Torres Rodriguez, 2020). When residents don’t feel a sense of belong- ing and aƩachment, a city government is less likely to invest in 46BLUE L INE EXTENSIO N A NTIͳISP LACEMENT PROJECT REPO RT | RECOMMENDATIONS City makes culture-appropriate investments in the station area. Other strategies are privately-led and beyond the scope of city govt. that community and more likely to perpetuate exclusive public spaces (Torres Rodriguez, 2020 ). There are a variety of pracƟces and strategies that support cre- aƟve and cultural placekeeping by embedding arts & cultural infrastructure in an already creaƟve community to keep the place from disappearing culturally. These include efforts like incorporaƟng cultural placekeeping strategies into community benefits agreements for new developments, memorandums of understanding produced by community, access to non- displacement capital, and establishing and funding disƟnct cultural corridors. HOW DOES IT SUPPORT ACHIEVING THE DESIRED OUTCOME? Access to anƟ-displacement capital Many local small-business owners cannot obtain financ- ing from tradiƟonal lenders, creaƟng significant obstacles to both the creaƟon of an asset and, down the road, generaƟon- al wealth and power-building. This prevents small businesses from making the investments needed to adapt to changes in the neighborhood and broader economic forces. By aggre- gaƟng capital through a Community Development Financial InsƟtuƟon, capital deployment decisions can be made closer to the ground, at the neighborhood level, instead of by banks and non-local CDFIs. This means that small-business owners have access to flexible, low-cost financing and tailored business sup- port. The CDFI is able to develop real estate loan products that respond to the need for rapid-acquisiƟon financing, which al- lows organizaƟons to be compeƟƟve in purchasing the land and buildings that house the neighborhood’s arƟsts and local- serving nonprofits Memorandums of Understanding By draŌing commercial MOUs, community organizaƟons can help incoming businesses provide local jobs, bilingual menu and signage, low-cost items, and services that meet the needs of different communiƟes (Bishari, 2019). They’re enƟrely volun- teer/neighborhood-driven, and much of what they do comes down to two things: educaƟon, and securing commitments from the new businesses to operate in good faith. MOUs can also help local businesses in the long term, by supporƟng their integraƟon into the community through what art they show- case, who they hire and from where, and the languages of their materials (Bishari, 2019). InĐŽƌƉŽƌĂƟng cultural placekeeping strategies into commu- nity benefits agreements (CBAs) for new developments A CBA is a contract between the developer and community members that is meaningfully negoƟated by both par Ɵes. CBAs contain specific community benefits commitments that will be delivered if the project moves forward. Within these contracts, there are opportuniƟes to include placekeeping strategies such as agreements to commission art projects by local arƟsts, business incubator space, bilingual staff and markeƟng, and ac- Ɵvated public space. Cultural Corridors Cultural corridors aim to foster equitable community devel- opment through the celebraƟon of local arts and culture in a parƟcular geographic area. Through a combinaƟon of public and private dollars, cultural corridors are place-making proj- ects that use cultural heritage as a lever for further economic investment. In a twist on tradiƟonal planning models, cultural corridors demonstrate the interconnected nature of cultural and physical infrastructure. EXAMPLE In 2015, tenants' rights advocates, labor organizers, youth empowerment groups, and other organizaƟons in San Fran- cisco collecƟvely formed United to Save the Mission, which has worked to draŌ MOUs for new businesses (Bishari, 2019). Each first draŌ is customized for the business the volunteers approach, covering everything from hiring local employees, to creaƟng spaces that are visually in line with the Mission’s cul- tural history, to having lower-priced items on the menu. More than a dozen businesses have signed MOUs (Bishari, 2019). WHERE DOES IT EXIST ALONG ALIGNMENT? Minneapolis’ 2040 Plan, a comprehensive document mapping the city’s goals for the next two decades, provided an opportu- nity to cement cultural districts in the city’s future. The city has commiƩed to partnering with residents and business owners in cultural districts, providing resources to these areas, creat- ing strategies to ensure long-term affordability, and promoƟng ethical tourism (Bui, 2020). HOW DO EXISTING POLICIES NEED TO CHANGE? Jurisdic Ɵons along the alignment should provide financial support to communiƟes organizing around cultural displace- ment, and should prioriƟze/incenƟvize new developments that incorporate cultural peacekeeping strategies into their proposals. MOUs have been a successful strategy for cultural placekeeping and new business integraƟon in the mission, but are completely volunteer driven; the creaƟon of a regional an- ƟͲdisplacement fund could support similar efforts throughout the corridor. TIMELINE Cultural displacement oŌen precedes and perpetuates physi- cal displacement, so it is important that resources are devoted to cultural placekeeping as early as possible. AddiƟonally, cul- tural placekeeping requires partnership across sectors, deeply InĐŽƌƉŽƌĂƟng cultural placekeep nity benefits agreements (CBAs) for new developm A CBA is a contract between the developer and community members that is meanin gfully negoƟated by both par Ɵes. CBAs contain specific communit y benefits commitments that will be delivered if the project moves forward. Within these contracts, Cultural displacement oŌ cal displacement, so it is important that res to cultural placekeeping as early as possible. AddiƟonally, cu tural placekeeping requires partnership across sectors, deeply 47 RECOMMENDATIONS | BLUE L INE EXTENSION A NTIͳISPLACEMENT PROJECT REPO RT engages the community, involves ar Ɵsts, designers and culture bearers, and helps to advance local economic, physical, and/ or social change, ulƟmately laying the groundwork for systems change. All of this takes ample amount of Ɵme, further high- lighƟng the need to get started as early as possible. Recommendations Conclusion and Next Steps ADWG recommendaƟons are reflecƟve of the process work- group members collec Ɵvely worked through, the hopes and needs of the larger communiƟes they work and live in, a wide body of research, and insight regarding the pracƟcality of implementaƟon. However, policy recommendaƟons are not ready to be implemented; governments, philanthropies, and other private organizaƟons will sƟll need to refine these recommendaƟons and process them through official policy making structures. While the workgroup discussed possibili- Ɵes for funding, which include a mix ture of local, regional, and federal funds, making any concrete recommendaƟons or de- cisions around resources was outside the scope of this phase of the project. The project imagines that the nex t phase will make these ideas more concrete as they are received by vari- ous stakeholders, who must show high levels of parƟcipaƟon and investment in order to see recommendaƟons implement- ed at their highest value. While the outcomes recommended by the ADWG are as- piraƟonal, they are very much possible. Blue Line Corridor CommuniƟes have been quite vocal that their support of the Blue Line Extension is dependent on a strong implementaƟon of anƟͲdisplacement measures. What needs to be made more clear are the nex t steps for advancing these recommendaƟons towards implementaƟon. The ADWG recommends the following steps to be accom- plished before the end of 2023 in order to ensure a Ɵmely implementaƟon of anƟͲdisplacement policies and strategies: 1.The creaƟon of a regional group to conƟnue the con- versaƟons about corridor-wide implementaƟon of anƟͲdisplacement policies and strategies 2. The creaƟon of local government groups to receive the recommendaƟons of the ADWG and to begin bringing recommended policies through official policy making pro- cesses 3. The creaƟon of a dedicated regional anƟͲdisplacement funding to support policy implementaƟon, organizing ef- forts, and other anƟͲdisplacement strategies 4.Aligning anƟͲdisplacement research and recommendaƟons with Blue Line Extension supplemental environmental im- pact statement miƟgaƟon measures 5.Developing a corridor-wide supported anƟͲdisplacement policy agenda for 2024 state legislaƟve session As discussed in previous secƟons, a number of local govern- ments have communicated that while they may support the implementaƟon of anƟͲdisplacement policies and strategies they feel barriers to implemenƟng them. Barriers stated in- clude lack of staff exper Ɵse, lack of financial capacity to fund policies and strategies, and belief that policies are best served by being implemented at high jurisdicƟonal levels. What’s clear is that a regional approach to this work–both financially and strategically—is necessary in order for anƟͲdisplacement policies and strategies to be possible and achieve the recom- mended outcomes. Structures of accountability to these recommendaƟons are necessary to give community confidence that the Blue Line Ex- tension will come with strong anƟͲdisplacement intervenƟons. One workgroup member used the analogy that the community knows the Blue Line Extension will be built because everything in its structure says it will be built; the Blue Line Extension has a project office that is well funded, has engineers and oth- er relevant staff, and can clearly define its next steps out to the Ɵme the line will be completed. In contrast, anƟͲdisplace- ment efforts do not currently have dedicated staff, dedicated funding, and have a lack of clear next steps towards policy im- plementaƟon. In order to give communiƟes confidence that anƟͲdisplacement intervenƟons will be a guaranteed and central aspect of the Blue Line extension, they need to be ac- companied by dedicated and conƟnuous funding, staff support, technical assistance, and enforced accountability mechanisms. 48BLUE L INE EXTENSIO N A NTIͳISP LACEMENT PROJECT REPO RT | RECOMMENDATIONS Anti-DisplacementPrograms and PoliciesSurvey Results(Fall 2022) City of Minneapolis: Rolein Programs and PoliciesPolicy/program in place,leadership rolePolicy/program in place,supporting rolePolicy/program not in place,possibilityland disposition policyproactive code enforcementtenant screening reformrent stabilizationsmall business grantsvalue capture mechanismsmandatory relocationassistanceinclusionary zoning/housingTIFland use restrictive agreementNOAH preservation fundsright to returnaffordable housing trust fundszero to low interest rehabloansresidential andcommercial landtrustsright to counselresidential and commercialcooperativestenant opportunity topurchaseland acquisition fundjust cause evictioncommunity benefitsagreementchanging "affordable"definitionchanging prioritization ofaffordability anti-displacement property taxfundsregulate growth of investor-owned homeslimit condo conversions City of Brooklyn Park:Role in Programs and PoliciesPolicy/program in place,leadership rolePolicy/program in place,supporting rolePolicy/program not in place,possibilityland dispositionpolicysmall business grantsproactive codeenforcementvalue capturemechanismschange prioritizationof affordabilityinclusionaryzoning/housingTIFland use restrictiveagreementNOAH preservationfundszero to low interestrehab loansresidential andcommercial landtrustscommunity benefitsagreementsresidential and commercialcooperativestenant opportunity topurchaseland acquisition investmentfundright to counseljust cause evictiontenant screening reformchanging definition of"affordable"regulate growth of investor-owned homesright to returnaffordable housing trustfunds Hennepin County:Role inPrograms and PoliciesPolicy/program in place,leadership rolePolicy/program in place,supporting rolePolicy/program not in place,unlikely or not possiblePolicy/program not in place,possibilityland dispositionpolicyland acquisitioninvestment fundsmall business grantschangingprioritization of"affordable" anti-displacementproperty tax fundsNOAH preservationfundsaffordable housingtrust fundszero to low interestrehab loansresidential andcommercial landtrustsresidential andcommercialcooperativesright to counseljust cause evictiontenant screeningreformchanging definitionof "affordable"inclusionaryzoning/housingregulate growth ofinvestor-ownedhomestenant opportunity topurchaseproactive code enforcementrent stabilizationcommunity benefitsagreementsvalue capture mechanismsTIFconstruction excise taxLand use restrictiveagreementlimit condo coversionsright to return orcommunity preferencepolicies City of Robbinsdale: Rolein Programs and PoliciesPolicy/program in place,leadership rolePolicy/program not in place,possibilityPolicy/program not in place,unlikely or not possibleproactive codeenforcementTIFland disposition policycommercial and residentialland trustssmall business grantschange definition of"affordable"change prioritization ofaffordabilityland use restrictiveagreementNOAH preservation fundsregulate growth of investorowned homesright to returnaffordable housing trust fundszero to low interest rehabloanslimit condo conversionsresidential and commercialcooperativestenant opportunity topurchaseland acquisition investmentfundright to counseljust cause evictiontenant screening reformrent stabilizationcommunity benefitsagreementsvalue capture mechanismsanti-displacement propertytax fundsmandatory relocationassistanceinclusionary zoning/housingconstruction excise tax City of Crystal: Role in Programsand PoliciesPolicy/program in place,leadership rolePolicy/program not in place,possibilityPolicy/program not in place,unlikely or not possibleproactive codeenforcementtax incrementfinancingzero to low interestrehab loansland acquisitioninvestment fundsmall business grantsNOAH preservationfundsright to returnaffordable housingtrust fundsland disposition policycommercial and residential land trustscommercial and residential cooperativestenant opportunity to purchaseright to counseljust cause evictiontenant screening reformrent stabilizationcommunity benefits agreementsvalue capture mechanismschange definition of "affordable"change prioritization of affordabilityanti displacement property tax fundsmandatory relocation assistanceinclusionary zoning/housingconstruction excise taxland use restrictive agreementregulate growth of investor ownerhomes limit condo conversions Met Council:Role in Programs and PoliciesPolicy/program in place,leadership rolePolicy/program in place,supporting rolePolicy/program not in place,unlikely or not possiblePolicy/program not in place,possibilityland disposition policyright to counselvalue capture mechanismsmandatory relocationassistanceland acquisition investmentfundtenant screening reformsmall business grantscommunity benefitsagreementschanging definition ofaffordablechanging prioritization ofaffordabilityinclusionary zoning/housingTIFland use restrictiveagreementNOAH preservation fundsaffordable housing trust fundszero to low interest rehabloansrent stabilizationanti-displacementproperty tax fundsconstruction excisetaxcommercial andresidential land trustscommercial andresidentialcooperatives Analysis and Key TrendsMost frequently selected anti-displacement policiesPolicy/program in place,leadership rolePolicy/program not in place,possibilityPolicy/program not in place,unlikely or not possibleland disposition (x4)proactive codeenforcement (x4)TIF (x4)zero to low interestrehab loans (x4)NOAH preservationfunds (x3)small business grants(x3)value capturemechanisms (x3)right to return (x4)residential andcommercialcooperatives (x3)land acquisitioninvestment fund (x3)changing definition ofaffordable (x3)affordable housingtrust funds (x3)regulate growth ofinvestor-ownedhomes (x3)construction excise tax(x4)rent stabilization (x4)tenant opportunity topurchase (x3)community benefitsagreements (x3)anti displacementproperty tax funds (x3)value capturemechanisms (x3)