Legislative Update - Investing in St. Cloud

Dear Granite City Neighbors, 

I hope you’re all having a great fall. Personally, with the Storm freshman football team concluding our season in victory, I’m having a fantastic one. We defeated Moorhead 32-26, and I couldn’t be more proud of my guys for their hard work and growth this season.

Coaching aside, even during the legislative interim, my work doesn’t stop. Recently, my focus has been on advocating for local infrastructure projects. As a member of the House Capital Investment Committee, I helped craft the largest investment in local jobs and infrastructure in state history - a bipartisan bill delivering over $2.6 billion to communities across the state, including St. Cloud. 

Part of those funds went to the Great River Children’s Museum, which is already putting the investment to good use! As a dad, I know that kids learn and grow through playing and exploring. That’s why I fought hard to secure $7 million in state funding to make a children’s museum in St. Cloud a reality.

Construction on the museum began earlier this fall

It was a blast leading a tour of St. Cloud with Mayor Kleis

The most significant infrastructure proposal I’m putting forward with Mayor Kleis and other local officials is an overall $100 million investment in revitalizing the downtown, aimed at addressing shortcomings in the housing supply, parking, greenspace, walkability, and riverfront access. Another project proposal is the $12.9 million for CentraCare’s medical school campus, which, in partnership with the University of Minnesota, would construct this new facility.

Now is the time to revitalize downtown St. Cloud for generations to come. By investing in a new medical school, and our downtown, we will increase access to healthcare, enhance public safety, improve walkability, create more access to the Mississippi River, generate more housing, and bolster economic development.

By working with the University of Minnesota and CentraCare, we can bring a world-class medical school to our community

We managed to complete unfinished work at the legislature this year when it came to investing in St. Cloud. We’ve shown how far state investment can go here, and I’m looking forward to building on that success next year. 

Town Hall on Lowering the Cost of Housing

Minnesota is facing a housing crisis. Young families are struggling to afford their starter home. Seniors are struggling to keep up with the rising costs of property taxes. Too many people are living on the streets and in encampments. We’ve done an incredible amount of work at the legislature to address the issues we face in this area - including passing a historic $1 billion Housing Budget - but there’s more work to be done. 

To give a recap on our efforts and discuss the road ahead, I’ve invited our Housing Committee Chair, Rep. Mike Howard, to join us in St. Cloud for a Town Hall on Lowering the Cost of Housing. We’ll be gathering on Tuesday, December 5, starting at 6:30pm at the Great River Regional Library. 

I want to take your feedback and ensure that everyone in our community has a safe and affordable place to call home. 

Stay In Touch and Happy Thanksgiving! 

As always, please stay in touch and let me know if you have any questions or feedback about the things mentioned in this email or anything else, and let me know if I can be of service to you in any way. 

I hope you and your family have a fun and fulfilling Thanksgiving!

Sincerely,

Rep. Dan Wolgamott

Speaker Pro Tempore

District 14B