Northfield Downtown Development Corporation

Knowledge-workers, the “creative class”, innovative entrepreneurs…whatever you call them, they’ve been attracted to downtown Northfield for many decades.  Dozens of businesses have been started in, or relocated to, the downtown, making substantive contributions to the Northfield economy.

They play a big role in the national economy too; these jobs, categorized by the Standard Occupational Classification System, add up to approximately a third of the U. S. workforce.  Scientists, engineers, educators, computer programmers, artists, designers, medical professionals, healthcare workers, lawyers, and financiers…what brings them to Downtown Northfield, MN? (more…)

Members of the NDDC Board recently visited with PRMIA, the Professional Risk Manager’s International Association.  PRMIA is a member-based organization with almost 80,000 members in 201 countries around the world.

Jodi Lundell, the company’s Chief Operating Officer told us that PRMIA recently celebrated its 10th anniversary; from its very beginning, the company has been based in Northfield.  PRMIA currently has 16 employees plus additional contractors.

PRMIA provides member services, professional certification, and training to risk management professionals globally, including access to over 750 online professional development courses and webinars.  PRMIA partners with more  than 25 leading universities around the world to offer specialist and advance classroom courses in risk management.   Their  partners in the United States include universities such as Columbia Business School, The Kellogg School of Management, George Washington University, and Duke University. (more…)

In April of 1986, the Northfield City Council voted to create a Municipal Redevelopment District in downtown Northfield within which improvement projects could be funded with tax increment financing (TIF). The TIF district became known as Municipal District #4 and included a couple dozen parcels located in the C-1 and C-2 zoning districts, Downtown Core and Downtown Fringe.  The money would be generated by the amount that future property taxes increased over 1986 levels and the district would have a 27-year life, sunsetting in 2013.

The City Council wanted the funds to be used for improving streets, repairing the river wall by the Ames Mill dam, and building a public parking lot as well as other downtown improvements to be planned later.  The limited supply of parking downtown and its threat to economic vitality had been documented since the 1978 University of Minnesota Northfield River Corridor Plan and was subsequently corroborated by the 2001 Walker Parking Study. (more…)

The NDDC has been conceptually and programatically connected with both Northfield colleges, Carleton and St. Olaf, since the organization’s birth in 2000.  These two large local employers are perhaps our most frequent collaborators.

One of the NDDC’s founders, Bardwell Smith, is Professor Emeritus of Religion and Asian Studies at Carleton College.  The organization has always had at least one board member from each of the colleges.  In addition, the NDDC has conducted annual outreach campaigns during major college events such as New Student Week, Family Weekend, Commencement Weekend, Reunion Weekend, and Homecoming Weekend.  Each year, the college presidents have been the NDDC’s guests at a Downtown Forum.  Finally, the organization has led or participated in many community projects that were powered by Carleton and/or St. Olaf College students. (more…)

The NDDC welcomes the Weitz Center for Creativity to Downtown Northfield.

Technically only a half block away from the C-1 Zone (part of the definition of the downtown as per the City Zoning Code), what was once “the old middle school” is only a block away from the Carnegie Library and only two blocks away from the “heart” of Northfield…Bridge Square.  The NDDC is going to reach out across that short distance and say “Welcome, we’re glad you’re here.”.

The NDDC believes that the Weitz will be a great addition to Downtown Northfield.   In fact, the NDDC is so excited about the opening, we thought somebody should throw a party.  Fortunately, somebody is…

Carleton College cordially invites everyone to a special community open house celebrating the completion of the new Weitz Center for Creativity on Saturday, September 17, from 3 to 6 p.m. The celebration will feature tours of the building and its many unique spaces, as well as light refreshments and musical entertainment. (more…)