Economic Development Authority

Please view the contact information for the current City Council EDA members.

The City of Long Lake, through its Economic Development Authority (EDA), may own a limited number of parcels available for development or redevelopment.  If a parcel you’re interested in is city-owned, please contact the City Administrator / EDA Executive Director to discuss your interest and project idea. 

Ready to present your project concept to the EDA for consideration of purchasing and developing a city-owned property?  Please complete the Application for Economic Development Authority Review form.  There is no fee necessary to do so, and the EDA looks forward to hearing from you.

The City of Long Lake has adopted the "Long Lake Village Design Guidelines" which govern design for both new construction and redevelopment/reconstruction within the City's commercial and multi-family housing zoning districts.  If you are considering a project for a city-owned parcel or are exploring a project that may involve a request for EDA funding assistance, please review the Long Lake Village Design Guidelines as you are preparing your concept for Economic Development Authority review.  

Whether your project involves city-owned property, is seeking EDA funding assistance, or is privately owned and funded, at the time your project would move forward to the Planning and Zoning / Land Use Application process, your Land Use Application will need to be accompanied by a completed Village Design Worksheet and required design submittals as stated.

NOTE:  If your development/redevelopment project is intended for privately owned property and involves no request for EDA funding assistance, View the Planning and Zoning information.  Contact City Hall at 952-473-6961 x1 with any questions.

The City of Long Lake has established a policy setting forth criterial regarding the use of municipal subsidies, such as Tax Increment Financing (TIF) and Tax Abatement, for private development projects within the City. 

• Tax Increment Financing Policy

Tax Increment Financing (TIF) and Tax Abatement are important tools in retaining and attracting business.  The City is able to utilize these tools in a very conservative manner to accomplish the City's ecomomic goals and objectives.  The fundamental principle which makes TIF viable is that it is designed to encourage development that would not otherwise occur without public assistance.  Use of these incentives is determined on a case-by-case basis considering the City's TIF / Tax Abatement policies, specific project criteria, and demand on City services.

• Tax Increment Financing - TIF refers to the difference between a property's original property taxes at the time of certification and the property taxes due after the property has been improved (tax increment) that are then captured and used to help finance the project.  The difference in assessed valuation and tax revenues is used to pay development costs.  For economic development purposes, two types of TIF districts are available - economic development TIF districts for new developments, and redevelopment TIF districts to help with the costs of substantially renovating or replacing substandard buildings.
   
• Tax Abatement - The City rebates its portion of property taxes back to the property owner who then uses it to help offset development or redevelopment costs.  Tax abatement is simpler and less restrictive than TIF and is quite useful for smaller projects.  However, the availability of Tax Abatement is limited.  In any given year, for all economic development projects taking place, the City can abate an amount equaling no more than 10% of its current net tax capacity. 

To discuss whether your proposed project may be eligible for assistance, please contact Scott Weske (City Administrator / EDA Executive Director) at 952-473-6961 x2 or sweske [at] longlakemn.gov (by email) directly.