The Minnesota Landscape Arboretum recently received a $1.2 million federal grant to expand its visitor parking capacity with 232 new parking spaces at the Farm at the Arb.
The Economic Development Administration, a part of the U.S. Department of Commerce, announced the grant on July 20 as part of the American Rescue Plan to support the tourism industry in Carver County, according to a news release.
The grant comes at a time when the Arboretum is making several changes to enhance the Farm at the Arb. It recently broke ground on a new 4,659-square-foot Education Center at the Farm at the Arb.
The center will provide a home for the University of Minnesota Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Program, which is spread across all 87 Minnesota counties and the Arboretum’s adult education staff and programming, the release stated.
The EDA investment will be matched with $313,506 in locally donated funds and is expected to create or retain an estimated 75 jobs and generate $25 million in private investment, according to the release.
Local entities wrote letters of support for the grant, including the cities of Chanhassen, Chaska and Victoria; Carver County; the local Holiday Inn and the Greater MSP Partnership.
“This funding is a true win-win, creating good-paying jobs and helping locals and visitors alike enjoy all that the Arboretum has to offer, ” said U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar.
In the long term, the Arboretum is working to improve safety at the entry point to the Farm at the Arb by rerouting traffic off 82nd Street onto Arboretum property.
