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Albert Lea Economic Development Agency Executive Director Phillip Johnson addressed the challenges and successes of economic development in the last year at the annual Greater Jobs Inc. meeting last week at Wedgewood Cove Golf Club.           

Johnson said ALEDA and the city of Albert Lea’s largest focus continues to be on housing, which he said is also tied to new businesses coming to town. 

The city recently has had a 1.5% vacancy rate, and he and others continue to work to bring new units to the market.

One project ALEDA is working with a developer on is the former Shell Rock River Watershed District property for over 100 units.

“People are very interested in Albert Lea, but at the end of the day it has to make sense for them to be here,” he said, noting he worked with 13 different groups over the last year and a half on housing, and of those, he is still working with six. 

Other potential housing projects include ones on South Shore Drive, at the Blazing Star Landing and off of Highway 13. ALEDA is also in talks with a group looking to bring in modular housing, he said. 

Aside from housing, child care remains a large priority, he said. 

They have seen a lot of success on in-home child care loans, originally through funding received from Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation, and now through their own grants. 

Right now, Johnson said, the only answer to helping large-scale child care centers is subsidization, which he said he did not think was sustainable at this time. 

Johnson talked about the success of the Freeborn County Community Promise Scholarship, which helps local graduates attend college tuition-free through Riverland Community College. He said the scholarship helps make sure the community is on a level playing field. 

He touched on various projects taking place throughout the community. 

Work is under way with a new oat mill processing company in the south industrial park, and he also talked about the success with Design Ready Controls and the Vortex Cold Storage plant thus far and about further additions likely with Vortex. 

ALEDA continues to work on bringing another grocer to town, and he said the 300 block of South Broadway will also continue to be a priority despite challenges. 

He said ALEDA has applied for a $15 million grant through the Environmental Protection Agency that could bring in nine to 10 new programs that will help businesses in the area. 

There were a few projects that he said could not be talked about publicly yet, but he hoped to be able to share more on those in the near future. 

He also discussed the need for renovations at a few of the city’s hotels, pointing out that there is a good portion of people who go to neighboring communities for a hotel room when they come to town for a tournament.  

Johnson said it is important for people to continue to support local businesses whether they move here or open from an existing community member. 

Albert Lea Mayor Rich Murray said doing so helps spread out the tax base in the community.