The City of Pine City has been awarded just over $56,655 from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development for the continued clean-up of the old mill site.
The mill was demolished in 2018, and the city has been working with a developer to turn the location into a 25 unit apartment complex, something that Community Development Coordinator Mike Gainor says is huge for the city.
"This is just the latest step in a years-long process to this site cleaned up and make it into something that will be good for Pine City," Gainor told WCMP. "To have a building that people are proud of, with 25 families right in the heart of Pine City eating at local restaurants heading down to Art in the Park, this exactly the kind of thing we need to have to keep our downtown vital."
The project is anticipated to create two jobs and increase the tax base by $28,900.
The grant does require matching funds from Pine City; however, work already put into the site will be counted toward the match.
