The Low~Down!

Get the low-down on recent developments happening in Chisago County

Business of the month:

Rod's Country Corner

Owners Mark & Diane (and family) work hard to bring what Almelund needs as a community. Mark calls Almelund the busiest small town in Minnesota, and Rod's in at the center of it all! With a rich history, Rod's County Corner is full of unexpected delights. They were recently mentioned in the MN Star Tribune article: The 5 best desserts our food writers ate in the Twin Cities area this week for their cookies. However they offer so much more: great snack bar with hand dipped ice cream in 8 flavors, making homemade pizza, fresh sub and wrap sandwiches to order and they also make Rod's World Famous Swedish Sausage year around!

To learn more about this truly unique store, visit their website.

Thank you to everyone who participated in the housing survey a few weeks ago. The information collected was incredibly valuable, and ten lucky winners from the drawing received $50 gift cards from various local businesses.


After analyzing the survey data and gathering local stakeholders, Matt Mullins from Maxfield Research prepared and presented the findings at a Chisago County Collaboration Initiative meeting, which served as an additional platform to gather feedback. Matt is now working on the final report with recommendations for implementation and it will be approved for distribution across the county and to our partners.


Survey and preliminary presentation are located on our website under the "Events" tab.

Welcome aboard...


The HRA-EDA bid farewell to our student intern this August as she left the state to embark on her college journey. While her shoes are certainly big to fill, we've been fortunate to welcome a new student intern who started working in the office at the beginning of October. Meet Drake:


Drake is eager to help his community within Chisago County position. He is a senior at North Branch Area High School and has been a resident of North Branch his entire life. Drake is involved with school clubs such as the National Honor Society and Student Council.


Fun Facts About Drake: 

  • He is captain of the NBAHS Tennis Team and takes part in Knowledge Bowl  
  • Proud uncle to five nieces 
  • Enjoys skating in the winter and everything else about the Summer 


Stop in and meet Drake or to learn more about what we do here at the HRA-EDA



Networking & Presenting: Endless Opportunities


On October 30th, the HRA-EDA staff connected with Commercial Real Estate Agents, Brokers, and Developers at the MNCAR Expo in Minneapolis. This outstanding event, attended by over 600 professionals, is sponsored each year by the HRA-EDA and the City of Wyoming, who are placed adjacent to each other for optimal coverage of Chisago County. This year, the City of North Branch joined us at the HRA-EDA booth. We hope to have both cities present next year for even greater exposure. It's always wonderful to see collaboration between our local governments.


The MN RE Journal’s Industrial Summit took place on November 6th, where Nancy Hoffman, the Executive Director of HRA-EDA, presented on the first panel. She discussed unique elements within local government designed to stimulate economic development. Beyond our numerous business parks, the HRA-EDA offers financial programs to aid in the construction of new facilities. Among these programs is the HRA-EDA's internal Forgivable Loan Program, which has proven to be an excellent tool when engaging with commercial real estate agents, developers, and brokers.


Events like these are crucial for the HRA-EDA, as one of the department's main goals is to market the county for commercial development. Attending these events gives our staff the chance to connect with key individuals responsible for identifying locations for business relocation or expansion. As a result, Chisago County is now on their radar as a potential site for their clients.

City of Taylors Falls


Taylors Falls is a charming, historic village nestled in the hills along the beautiful St. Croix River, about an hour northeast of the Twin Cities. Residents take pride in their small-town spirit and big-hearted community. The city owns a downtown commercial site ready for development, attracting visitors from around the world who come to enjoy its scenic beauty, historic charm, and numerous recreational opportunities. During the peak summer season, the town can see up to 5,000 visitors at any given time, with over a million tourists passing through annually.



Visit the City of Taylors Falls website to learn more.


Small Business Saturday is Coming!


Small Business Saturday is a day devoted to shopping local and supporting our small business community (Saturday, November 30th). If you haven’t already started on your promotional plans for this day to help drive traffic, there is still time! Here is a quick link to the Small Business Administration to help prepare for the busy season. 

Have a happy and safe Thanksgiving holiday from all of us at the Chisago County HRA-EDA

Issue: November 15, 2024