City awards $1 million to support recovery of local businesses

Mayor Jacob Frey announced the City of Minneapolis is awarding $1 million in grants to 34 community-based organizations across every ward to help revitalize neighborhood business districts and support small businesses impacted by Operation Metro Surge.

"In Minneapolis - we show up for our small businesses - it's just what we do," said Mayor Frey. "This investment is about bringing energy and opportunity back to the heart of our neighborhoods. We're heading into a summer filled with block parties, community events, and neighbors coming together to support the local spots that make this city home. These awards are one more way we're backing the places that keep Minneapolis, Minneapolis."

Funded through the Great Streets Business District Support Program - with an additional $350,000 from the Small Business Resiliency Fund - this program supports businesses with marketing campaigns, public events, and direct outreach to businesses.

Throughout 2026, grant recipients will activate storefronts, promote neighborhood businesses, and host community events. The goal is to bring more people into commercial areas, boost visibility, and help the local economy build more social capital.

"Good neighbors make good economies," said Erik Hansen, director of Minneapolis' Community Planning and Economic Development (CPED). "These grants represent one way that we celebrate and honor the businesses and organizations that make Minneapolis hum. They weave the fabric of our community, and we look forward to seeing the great ways they use these funds to help tell their stories - in every corner of our city - for years to come."

Operation Metro Surge had a devastating impact on local businesses, causing an estimated $400 million in losses. To support these businesses, the City of Minneapolis has approved a total of $7 million in funding to support business owners, assist their employees, and help keep doors open - this funding is a part of that broader effort.

But everyone has a role to play. Mayor Frey encourages residents and visitors to continue showing love to small businesses and to attend the many events planned this summer and throughout the year.

• Audubon Neighborhood Association - Ward 1 - $20,500

• Northeast Minneapolis Arts Association (NEMAA) - Wards 1 and 3 - $25,000

• Rethos - Wards 1, 4, 5, 6, 8, and 9 - $39,000

• East Bank Neighborhood Partnership - Wards 2 and 3 - $29,000

• Redesign, Inc - Wards 2 and 6 - $38,000

• Seward Civic & Commerce Association - Wards 2 and 6 - $33,500

• Minneapolis Downtown Council - Wards 3 and 7 - $26,000

• Lind-Bohanan Neighborhood Association - Ward 4 - $20,000

• Webber Camden Neighborhood Organization - Ward 4 - $25,000

• Black Business Enterprises Fund - Ward 5 - $13,500

• West Broadway Business and Area Coalition - Ward 5 - $46,000

• IFRI-TRYV - Wards 5, 6, and 9 - $25,000

• West Bank Business Association - Ward 6 - $31,500

• Stevens Square Community Organization - Wards 6 and 7 - $43,570

• New American Development Center - Wards 6 and 10 - $18,000

• Lake Street Council - Wards 6, 8, 9, 10, and 12 - $50,000

• Bryn Mawr Neighborhood Association - Ward 7 - $10,010

• Hennepin Arts - Ward 7 - $20,000

• Hospitality Minnesota - Ward 7 - $20,000

• East Isles Neighborhood Association - Wards 7 and 10 - $35,000

• Lowry Hill Neighborhood Association - Wards 7 and 10 - $40,000

• Minneapolis Foundation - Wards 7 and 10 - $35,000

• Uptown Association - Wards 7 and 10 - $40,000

• Lyndale Neighborhood Association - Ward 8 - $31,900

• Bancroft Neighborhood Association - Wards 8 and 9 - $25,000

• Central Area Neighborhood Development Organization (CANDO) - Wards 8 and 9 - $50,000

• Pillsbury Creative Commons - Wards 8 and 9 - $22,000

• Comunidades Latinas Unidas En Servicio (CLUES) - Ward 9 - $20,000

• Corcoran Neighborhood Organization - Ward 9 - $25,000

• Friends of Global Market - Ward 9 - $38,720

• Longfellow Business Association - Wards 9 and 12 - $26,800

• Whittier Alliance - Ward 10 - $17,000

• Southwest Business Association - Wards 11 and 13 - $30,000
• 50th & France Business Association - Ward 13 - $30,000

Since its launch in 2008, the Great Streets program has helped strengthen Minneapolis' neighborhood business districts by investing in local organizations and business associations. This year's funding focuses on areas most affected by Operation Metro Surge, as well as communities that have historically faced racial, ethnic, and economic disparities.

Learn more about the program.