How can the Lake Street Council help you?

The primary purpose of the Lake Street Council is to engage, serve and represent Lake Street corridor businesses and our residential communities. We provide educational opportunities and promote the public good.

• Entrepreneurial start-ups
• Business and other community planning
• Regulatory issues
• Funding and budgetary issues
• Loans
• Licensing issues
• Technical assistance
• Zoning information
• Inspections
• Entrepreneur and employee training
• Compliance and legal questions
• Networking
• Business and neighborhood contacts

This is a brief menu of items that we may be able to assist with at the LSC office. We will introduce you to elected officials and their staff, connect you and help you understand the many departments and agencies within the City of Minneapolis and Hennepin County.

Each of these categories may have subsections that pertain to each item, all of which apply to the businesses and residential communities within the Lake Street corridor. The Lake Street Council can help you sort through these details to effectively assist you and improve the economic vitality of our communities.

Business Licensing:

We commonly encounter questions and issues regarding business licensing. This City of Minneapolis webpage is the place to start for navigating licensing issues.

Licenses & Consumer Services Powerpoint

"Adopt-an-Ash" Receptacle Program:

Minneapolis is looking for businesses to adopt ash receptacles. Ash receptacles are placed at appropriate locations throughout the city for pedestrian use to reduce cigarette litter in high traffic areas. Participating businesses will adopt a receptacle for at least two years. They will empty the receptacle regularly and work with the City to maintain it.

Read all the details here (PDF)

Minneapolis Loan Programs:

• Capital Acquisition Loan Program for business owners who want to purchase their building. Opportunity for long-term fixed rate financing below market rates available if property is in New Markets Tax Credit area. City finances up to 40% of the project, with a limit of $300,000.
   
• 2% Loan Program for small businesses to purchase equipment and/or make building improvements. CPED provides half of the loan, up to $40,000, at 2% interest.
   
• 2% Commercial Corridor/Commercial Node Program for small businesses to purchase equipment and/or make building improvements on commercial properties located in designated commercial corridors and commercial Nodes. CPED provides half of the loan, up to $75,000, at 2% interest.
   
• Emerging Entrepreneur Capital Acquisition Loans to help new businesses (two years or newer) purchase and rehabilitate small commercial, multi-use or industrial properties in the City. Production or research equipment may also qualify. The City may lend up to $400,000, or 40 percent of the appraised value.
   
• "Starting a Business" guide, which covers details of starting a new business and a directory of organizations and agencies that can provide loans and grants to businesses.

Graffiti Information:

Download and complete a Community Impact Statement for the City of Minneapolis about how graffiti affects you.

See this document (PDF) for strategies on removing different types of graffiti on different types of surfaces. Also see the City's graffiti section of their website: http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/graffiti/

Lake Street Council supports a cohesive plan to combat graffiti that includes physical clean-up, improved legislation, police and judicial enforcement, a public information campaign and school-based related education.

Complete Streets:

The local advocates toolkit for supporting safe and accessible roads for everyone

Links:

The following is a list of business and community development organizations operating in the Lake Street corridor that also may be able to assist you:

CPED's Business Finance Programs
Minneapolis Empowerment Zone
Latino Economic Development Center (LEDC)
Metropolitan Consortium of Community Developers (MCCD)
Neighborhood Development Center (NDC)
Redesign
African Development Center (ADC)
Goodwill Easter Seals
NDC's Business Resource Centers
United Way's Beehive

Some of your Lake Street Corridor Neighbors:

Seward Civic and Commerce Association            Whittier Alliance & Business Association
38th Street Associations                          Lyndale Neighborhood & Business Association Longfellow Community Council                                Phillips Neighborhoods' Associations Corcoran Neighborhood Organization         Powderhorn Park Neighborhood Association