Strategy in Action

The Twin Cities Central Corridor business technical assistance program helped mitigate disruption during new light rail construction, completed in 2014. The corridor includes many businesses and residents, where two percent of business owners are African American or Black immigrants, 18 percent are Asian, and a third are foreign-born. The majority of small businesses are in the service sector and have less than 10 employees. The program included a $4 million Ready for Rail Business Support Fund that provided forgivable loans administered by local nonprofits, the Neighborhood Development Center in St. Paul and the Metropolitan Consortium of Community Developers in Minneapolis. The outreach and technical assistance program were spearheaded by the Business Resources Collaborative (BRC). BRC collected qualitative data from businesses, conducted door-to-door outreach, and supported businesses with one-on-one technical assistance, including accounting, tax filing, and marketing support.