The city of St. Paul was awarded nearly $1 million and Rosemount over $37,000 on Tuesday to clean up sites contaminated with petroleum. Nearly $7 million in Contamination Cleanup grants are going to 11 communities looking to redevelop contaminated sites, the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development announced Tuesday. “DEED recognizes the importance of being able to clean up land that might otherwise be deemed inoperative,” said Matt Varilek, DEED Commissioner, in the news release. “The Contamination Cleanup and Investigation grant program … allows Minnesota cities to further pursue economic growth in locations where that once might have not been possible.” The grants are expected to create 481 new jobs, collectively increase local tax bases by $4.7 million and leverage more than $395 million in private investment, according to DEED. In addition to St. Paul and Rosemount, grants were awarded to projects in Alexandria, Bemidji, Duluth, Ely, Mankato, Medina, St. Cloud, Rochester and Waconia. Since its 1993 inception, the Contamination Cleanup and Investigation grant program has awarded over $212 million, helping assess and clean over 4,200 acres of land. Local cleanup efforts The first St. Paul grant, worth $354,839, will go to the 3.3 acre site at 42 Water St., which is planned to be redeveloped into a 35,000-square-foot recreational facility, creating 43 new jobs and increasing the tax base by $191,838, per the release. The site was historically occupied by a foundry, a railroad freight depot, a petroleum-chemical business and a pharmaceutical manufacturer. Another $619,821 was awarded to the city of St. Paul to address petroleum contamination at the 1.6-acre Western Graphics site at 530 N. Wheeler St. The former printing business site, which has recently been used by Y of the North as a youth program activity area, will be redeveloped into a 25,000-square-foot wellbeing center operated by the YMCA, according to the release. The project is expected to create 19 new jobs and retain 23 jobs. The city of Rosemount was awarded $37,480 in investigation funding for the 60-acre Minnesota Aerospace Complex located within UMore Park. Historically used in the production of smokeless gun powder, and most recently for agricultural purposes, the site is planned to be redeveloped into several buildings to support a private industrial campus, according to DEED. Located directly south of the Meta data center, the project is expected to create 16 jobs and increase the local tax base by $130,747. Related Articles Business | Minnesota lawmaker introduces bill that could restrict new data center construction Business | Wisconsin solar farm plan leaves some residents cold Business | Stillwater community development director resigns after a month on the job Business | ‘We were completely ignored’: Farmington residents sue the city in attempt to stop $5B data center park Business | St. Paul: At Highland Bridge, Ryan Cos. seeks less height, density along Ford Parkway