Ramsey County board approves redeployment of project funds to speed redevelopment of county parcels

Ramsey County commissioners approved a package of administrative items Sept. 1 and debated a pulled fund-transfer that will let staff move money into a redevelopment implementation account to accelerate work on county-owned parcels.

Josh Olson of the county's Community Economic Development team told the board the action "doesn't result in any impact to the budget. It's just a sliding over into a project account that provides some flexibility." Olson said the county has identified more than 600 acres of potentially redevelopable property and that the newly pooled funds will help pay for targeted environmental work, surveys and planning so several smaller sites can be advanced simultaneously.

Commissioners pressed staff about a $75,000 account tied to Boys' Totem Town, which was created under a 2021 board action as a set-aside for property operations and future development needs. Olson said that account had largely been used for operations until now and that combining it with other project funds will allow the county to tackle multiple properties, including a 1-acre parcel near Payne and Maryland and a 2-acre site near Frost and English.

Board members asked for a clear property-disposition framework and a short workshop so the full inventory and prioritization criteria can be presented to the board. County staff said they expect to return with more detail and to use the pulled funds for surveys, environmental steps and community engagement where appropriate.

The board approved the administrative package after the discussion. Next steps identified by staff include a property-disposition framework and a mini-workshop to share priorities and timelines.