Minnesota Lawyer
Curious to know what kinds of infrastructure projects the Twin Cities are touting for possible funding with proceeds from the $800 billion federal stimulus package?
PIM contacted the mayors’ offices in both cities for their lists of infrastructure projects that are "shovel-ready"–or nearly so. Neither list, we should point out, is a complete record of all the stimulus moneys the cities are seeking under the various titles of the stimulus package.
Some numbers and highlights: Minneapolis’ publicly released list identifies the top 20 projects on the city’s wish list, which carry a combined price tag of nearly $213 million. The six project areas identified as top priorities account for about $122 million. The biggest ticket item in that group is a set of projects associated with the Central Corridor Light Rail Transit program that come in at a combined $85 million.
The St. Paul list contains a total of 37 projects whose estimated cost runs to $170 million. Of these, 20 are parks and recreation proposals that total $74.4 million. St. Paul identifies three high-priority projects: a $10 million plan to build an underground parking facility for a downtown Central Corridor Light Rail hub; $40 million to build phase one of an expanded "Minnesota Event District" near the Xcel Center; and $2 million for the reconstruction of the fabled "Green Stairs" that provide a pedestrian link between the Prospect Park neighborhood and downtown St. Paul.
Check out the lists (PDF links): Minneapolis. St. Paul.
