News + Announcements

Partnership Improves Accessibility and Energy Efficiency at Hodgins-Berardo Recreation Center

August 28, 2026 ·

Collaboration between several entities helped the Greenway Joint Recreation Association (GJRA) complete a major entrance doors upgrade at Hodgins-Berardo Recreation Center in Coleraine, located in Itasca County. Built in 1962, the recreation center is a historic community asset serving residents and visitors from across the region. Installed in the 1980s, the entrance doors had become difficult to use, poorly insulated, and inaccessible to some users.

GJRA Facilities Director Ken Gernander led the project. CEDA Region 5 team member Lisa Randall supported his efforts by assisting with grant applications, budget coordination and grant reports for the $46,145 project. The improvements were fully grant funded with support from the Blandin Foundation, the Business Energy Retrofit program funded by Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation (IRRR) and administered by Arrowhead Economic Opportunity Agency, and an IRRR Culture & Tourism Grant.

The new ADA-accessible entrance provides safer, more independent access for people using mobility devices, older adults, and families with young children. Improved insulation and sealing will also reduce heat loss, energy use, and maintenance costs during northern Minnesota winters. While Hodgins-Berardo Recreation Center is well known for hockey and figure skating.

GJRA’s impact extends far beyond ice sports. The association coordinates youth recreation throughout ISD 316, supporting football, baseball, and fast-pitch softball at nearby Jen Guyer Fields, along with camps, practices, tournaments, and other community activities. The facility also includes a community fitness center and rentable meeting space, making it a year-round resource for residents. GJRA works closely with and supports organizations including the Emerald Ice Skating Club, Greenway Amateur Hockey Association, Mount Itasca, Sertich Hockey Camps, and Camp Hiawatha. These partnerships provide recreational and developmental opportunities for young people throughout the Greenway area. As one of Minnesota’s few remaining recreation taxing districts, GJRA serves 11 government entities throughout the Greenway School District.

The completed entrance reflects GJRA’s leadership, Ken Gernander’s work, CEDA’s grant assistance, and the commitment of regional funding partners to preserving an important community facility.

Small Places. Big Possibilities. 40 years of helping communities dream, grow and thrive!

July 30, 2026 ·

For four decades, the heart of rural Minnesota hasn’t just been in its rolling farmland, it has been in the people who believe small towns deserve big futures and the businesses that fill their Main Street’s.

This year, CEDA marks the major milestone of 40 years of helping small communities do BIG things. We recently held a celebratory event in South Central Minnesota, showcasing how we have helped the communities in the area to dream, grow and thrive.

The event, held on Thursday, July 23, 2026 at The Steeple Event Center in New Richland, MN., brought together CEDA staff members, community and business leaders, government officials and regional stakeholders coming together to celebrate the past 40 years, yet also to look ahead to the future of the issues rural America and South Central Minnesota will continue to face in the years ahead such as housing availability, workforce development, energy transitions, and small business succession. To all that attended, a huge thank you in helping us continue with our mission of helping small communities do BIG things.

CEDA team members work directly with city officials, economic development authorities (EDA’s) and regional organizations to help turn ambitious ideas into reality. From helping to secure grant funding, fueling Main Street businesses to open their doors, expand their operations and navigate economic shifts, address housing shortages in rural communities, address aging infrastructure and create vibrant community spaces. “Rural communities don’t lack ambition; they lack capacity. CEDA’s job for 40 years has been to bridge the gap, giving small towns the exact same professional tools and grant strategies that major metropolitan areas enjoy”, CEDA South Central Minnesota Regional Manager Dave Schmidt.

CEDA doesn’t just drop off a report and leave, CEDA integrates directly into the fabric of the towns it serves. Staff attend local city council meetings, sit down with business owners, walk project sites with engineers and build long-term relationships with residents and city leadership. By getting engrained into the inner workings of the community, CEDA staff is able to ensure that when opportunities arise the community is aware and knowledgeable to go after and often achieve that goal.

Returning to Our Roots: Introducing CEDA’s Grant Retainer Program

July 30, 2026 ·

In 1986 Minnesotans communicated via landlines and fax machines, the internet was years away, and Top Gun was the most popular movie in theaters. In the age of shoulder pads and leg warmers, CEDA was founded as a small grant-writing organization dedicated to helping rural communities access funding opportunities.

Forty years later, while much has changed, that mission remains the same.

To date, CEDA has helped communities across the Midwest secure more than $100 million in funding to support infrastructure, housing, economic development, recreation, public safety, and countless other community projects.

As CEDA celebrates its 40th anniversary, we’re returning to our roots with a Grant Retainer Program. A flexible service giving communities access to CEDA’s grant writing expertise without the cost of an additional full-time staff member.

The goal isn’t simply to write more grants—it’s to ensure the community is ready when the right funding opportunity becomes available.

The City of Cannon Falls is one of the newest communities to add this service, and has worked with the grants department using a flexible hourly mode. Rather than pursuing grants only when the opportunity arises, the Grant Retainer Program allows the City and the CEDA team a proactive approach to funding. Together, we develop a grant work plan that identifies priority projects, maps out anticipated funding opportunities, and helps budgets for the costs associated with pursuing those grants.

When a funding opportunity opens, especially one with a short application window, the groundwork has already been laid. This significantly reduces the time needed to develop and approve a grant proposal, allowing the community to respond quickly with a more competitive application. In just a short time, the City of Cannon Falls has been able to apply for new equipment for the fire department and EMS services, housing projects, and downtown revitalization projects while prioritizing key projects for the remainder of 2026 and into 2027.

Communities that partner with CEDA gain more than a grant writer, they gain the support of a team backed by the collective experience of more than 55 community and economic development professionals serving rural communities across Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin. From identifying funding opportunities to writing competitive applications and administering awarded grants, CEDA provides the expertise and capacity needed to help communities move projects forward.

Interested in learning more? Contact grants@cedausa.com to discuss your community’s priorities and reserve time on our 2027 calendar.

Empowering Rural Entrepreneurs: Highlights from the 2026 CEDA Rural Business Innovation Lab (RBIL) Annual Event

July 30, 2026 ·

Community and Economic Development Associates (CEDA) hosted the 2026 Rural Business Innovation Lab (RBIL) Annual Event on Wednesday, July 23, 2026 at the Community Center in Sartell, MN.

This event brought together small business owners and entrepreneurs and regional founders for a high-impact day dedicated to rural growth, resource connections, and entrepreneurial development.

This event is designed to provide direct technical assistance, capital guidance, and practical tools to businesses within the cohort. This year’s event featured inspiring insights, one-on-one advising, and a supportive environment for entrepreneurs to polish their business pitches.

The event kicked off with guest speaker Shelby Stahl of Beloved Social, who delivered a session on leveraging digital marketing and social media storytelling to grow rural brands. Shelby highlighted actionable strategies for small business owners to build authentic online communities, reach new customers, and convert social media engagement into sustainable revenue; through demonstrating that rural businesses can have a wide-ranging digital footprint.

Entrepreneurs were also able to participate in one-on-one discussions through a Resource Roundtable. These discussions offered attendees direct, individualized access to subject matter experts and regional partner organizations. Attendees were able to discuss Succession Planning, ask questions regarding Human Resources, talk with an IT expert, inquire about grant writing and grant opportunities, visit with a loan’s expert on small business lending opportunities, connect with regional investors, and regional initiative foundations.

To wrap up the day, local entrepreneurs took center stage at the Entrepreneur Pitch Event. This event was designed as a constructive, high-value practice space, where entrepreneurs presented their business concepts and growth plans. Participants received real-time, actionable feedback on their business models, value propositions, and presentation delivery. Through this exercise they gained confidence and were able to polish their delivery as they approach investors, lenders, and future business partners.

CEDA for 40 years now has remained committed to helping small communities and entrepreneurs do BIG things through our Rural Business Innovation Lab. Through events like this we are able to offer technical assistance, planning and entrepreneurial support.

A Step Forward for Local Housing: 38 New Units Coming to Zumbrota

July 30, 2026 ·

The brand new Keller-Baartman Bridge View Apartments are in full swing construction in Zumbrota!

This past Spring, an old bank building was demolished in order to make way for this new housing development on previously owned EDA property that was sold to a local business owner.

In an interesting twist, during the initial ground-breaking process, a time capsule from 1961 was discovered! What wonders from the early 60s were found: a 1960 phone directory, a newspaper, design documents from the bank being built, a book entitled Zumbrota: The First One-Hundred Years, and even a 1925 silver dollar. The contents of this time capsule will be on display at the Zumbrota Historical Society.

This apartment complex is an exciting project for the community. After a housing study several years ago and acknowledgement from civic and community leaders, confirmation for a growing demand for quality home options led to efforts to bring more housing have been underway. This significant undertaking was made possible through a strategic partnership and vital financial support, including a $2.9 million workforce housing grant. The grant, meticulously prepared and secured by CEDA, underscores the community’s commitment to sustainable economic growth and accessibility for its employees.

The expected construction completion for the 38-unit Bridgeview Apartments is February of 2027. This complex will off er a unique urban living experience while supporting the community and long-term vitality of Zumbrota as a whole, its businesses, and its downtown district.