Lake Street Lift
Boosting Lake Street businesses, arts, and places
Overview
Lake Street Lift celebrates Lake Street as a vibrant, diverse, and loved community by boosting our businesses, arts, and places. It will assist local businesses, nonprofits, entrepreneurs, creatives, and more – all working together to keep Lake Street where everyone belongs - residents, customers, and visitors.
Lake Street Lift will fuel corridor-wide initiatives to attract visitors - such as commissioning murals, hosting community events, and activating vacant spaces. The remainder of these funds will assist eligible businesses, nonprofits, entrepreneurs, and local developers.
Background
In 2023, the State of Minnesota appropriated $8 million to the City of Minneapolis to support the economic health and vitality of the Lake Street Corridor. The Graves Foundation was selected to administer this funding on October 31, 2024.
Working with partners like the Lake Street Council, The Graves Foundation will administer Lake Street Lift from November 1st, 2024, through June 30th, 2025, along a legislatively designated geography, East Lake Street from Nicollet Ave to 30th Ave S.
This funding will create a more vibrant, safe, and growing Lake Street, celebrating the diverse communities that call this place home.
FAQ
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These funds will be available for use from November 2024 until June 30, 2025. All activities and direct support must be completed by June 30, 2025. Individual programs within this initiative will have different start and end dates.
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As required by the state legislation, all activities and businesses receiving support must be located on Lake Street between Nicollet Avenue S. and 30th Avenue S. All businesses within buildings located within this geographic area are eligible. Marketing efforts through this funding will attract visitors to the entire Lake Street corridor.
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No, grants to businesses and nonprofits are not an eligible use of this funding per the State of Minnesota. Funds can be spent directly on several other items. Please see below for specific information.
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These funds will be used primarily for the following activities:
Direct funding for safety initiatives, potentially including expanding existing street outreach and creating a graffiti removal program.
Multiple advertising campaigns that will tell the story of Lake Street to attract customers and visitors.
Lake Street-wide initiatives to attract visitors. This includes sponsoring community events, commissioning murals by local muralists, and transforming empty lots through features like new lighting, art, and landscaping.
Support eligible businesses and nonprofits with expanded business technical advising programs and consulting services for commercial real estate projects.
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Each program within this funding has a different process for participation. Please see below for additional details. The Lake Street Council will be the primary contact organization for managing professional assistance to businesses and nonprofits.
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No. All activities and direct support must be completed by June 30, 2025.
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The State of Minnesota legislature appropriated these funds to “businesses located on Lake Street in Minneapolis, between 30th Avenue South and Nicollet Avenue.” While only businesses located in this geographic area are eligible for direct professional assistance, marketing efforts through this funding will attract visitors to the entire Lake Street corridor.
HOW TO GET SUPPORT
For general questions about Lake Street Lift programs please email info@visitlakestreet.com
Business Advising
This program will provide general business advice to small businesses and nonprofits located on Lake Street between Nicollet Avenue S. and 30th Avenue S. Working with a vetted network of business advisors who understand Lake Street, these no-cost business advising services will offer in-depth advice to help you build long-term growth or solve your everyday problems. Business advising can include:
Legal (non-representational)
Insurance
Accounting/Bookkeeping
Taxes
POS Systems
How to participate: Please fill out this intake form. After completing the form, you will hear from the Lake Street Council about the next steps within 5 days.
Have Questions? Contact: ZoeAna Martinez, zmartinez@lakestreetcouncil.org
Marketing and Branding Advising
This program will provide marketing and branding advice to small businesses and nonprofits located on Lake Street between Nicollet Avenue S. and 30th Avenue S. Working with a network of vetted marketing specialists, businesses and nonprofits can receive up to $10,000 in no-cost support to help increase their customer acquisition and retention.
Support will be provided in the following areas:
Online presence
Website creation or redesign
Google My Business
Review platforms
Social media
Branding
Marketing
Advertising
Public relations
Merchandising improvements
How to participate: Please fill out this intake form. After completing the form, you will hear from the Lake Street Council about the next steps within 5 days.
Have Questions? Contact: Yusra Mohamud, yusra@lakestreetcouncil.org
Real Estate Consulting
This program will leverage a network of experts in real estate and related fields to provide assistance and consulting services to local developers, entrepreneurs, and business and property owners who need support moving their real estate and development projects forward. Projects must be located on Lake Street between Nicollet Avenue S. and 30th Avenue S. Consulting services can include:
Project management (non-construction)
Owners’ representation (non-construction)
Analysis of site and existing conditions, plans
Program concept planning
Due diligence
Brokerage services
Financial feasibility
Fundraising and grant writing
Architectural design services (limited)
Legal services (non-representation)
Market studies
Traffic and parking studies
Civil and structural engineering (limited)
Interpreting and translation services
This program will be administered by the Lake Street Council with support from Platform CRE.
How to participate: Please fill out this intake form. After completing the form, you will hear from the Lake Street Council or Platform CRE about the next steps within 10 days.
Have questions? Contact: Russ Adams: russ@lakestreetcouncil.org
Graffiti Mitigation
Safety and Security along Lake Street is a top priority for supporting the ongoing success of the corridor. The Lake Street Lift program will work to complement existing safety and security efforts, including direct support for graffiti removal and the explanation of violence prevention programming.
Arts, Events & Places
Community activation, beautification, and safety.
Lake Street Lift’s goal is to make Lake Street the arts and events epicenter of Minneapolis this year. With our partners, the Lake Street Council and The Great Northern, we want to draw Minneapolis back to Lake Street through arts and culture, supporting local artists and leveraging the wider arts community to create unforgettable experiences and events.
Lake Street Lift’s goal is to directly support the hyper-local economy, businesses, and artists on Lake Street, and to remind Minneapolis that Lake Street is the most vibrant corridor in the City. We will target five main areas:
Activation and beautification of underutilized spaces
Installations of new murals and public art
Hosting, sponsorship, and promoting community events and festivals
Marketing campaigns to promote the corridor to visitors
Addressing community safety through graffiti mitigation, lighting, and outreach teams.
Each of these programs and activities will have different opportunities to participate for businesses, non-profits, property owners, local creatives, and artists.
Festival Cohort: The festival cohort is a partnership with The Great Northern to create a 6-month comprehensive initiative aimed at strengthening festival creators with skills, resources, and support to successfully manage and execute a high-quality festival. It will address the key components of festival production, including staff, programming, production, marketing, and outreach. Funding can range from $75,000-$100,000 and will require participation in the cohort. If you are interested in participating, please indicate through the Big Ideas! form.
Have questions? Contact: Charise Canales: charise@lakestreetcouncil.org
Arts & Places Big ideas!
We’re looking for big ideas to energize Lake Street! To get there we want to partner with you—local creatives and the wider arts community—to create unforgettable experiences and events. These experiences can be everything from cultural festivals or art installations to food tours or digital projections. Funding will be between $10-$75,000. We are looking to fund 10-15 projects with an average support of $25,000.
apply here
Mural Bonanza
Utilizing the local creative economy of artists, designers, and more, the Graves Foundation, in partnership with the Lake Street Council is planning a Mural Bonanza! Between April and June 2024, murals and other beautification efforts will be popping up left and right along Lake Street. If you are a business or artist interested in participating, please let us know here.
interested?
Business & Community Event Sponsorship
This program provides funding for community activation and events along the Lake Street corridor to continue to support healing, beautification efforts, and economic rehabilitation that are deeply needed to address the dynamic needs of our community. These events can be inside or outside but are intended for expected audiences of less than 1000 individuals. Sponsorship range from $2500 - $10,000.