The Minnesota American Indian Chamber of Commerce is celebrating its 30th anniversary! A special banquet is being held Dec. 1 at Mystic Lake Casino. MMCDC’s affiliate, the White Earth Investment Initiative, is one of many event sponsors.
Register and support the work of this important group.
NeighborWorks America is devoting its monthly newsletter to community development in Native American communities. The newsletter features a story on the expansion of the White Earth Tribal and Community College, which utilized financing from MMCDC as well as its affiliates, Community Development Bank and White Earth Investment Initiative.
Read the newsletter here.
Customers reviews were positive for MMCDC’s Home Loan Division in the most recent quarter:
It was a very easy process, and we are happy with the service we received Friendly and prompt Everything went smoothly and closed on time from the date that was estimated Everyone we worked with was wonderful, responsive, and had a great sense of humor Quick, thorough, and informative Was a quick response on questions, was able to close fairly quickly Everyone was very helpful For all the high talk on how much paperwork involved with buying a home, went way smoother than expected We couldn’t be more pleased-efficient, friendly, professionally meticulous Request for 2nd Mortgage for Home Improvement loan went well Quick, very smooth financing. Can’t wait to get our house fixed up Very smooth process – everyone I worked with was helpful and efficient Without your service, myself and many others I know wouldn’t be able to buy a houseFor more information on home loan options, go to our Mortgage Lending page.
An open house marking the 100th anniversary of The Graystone Hotel will be held 2-4 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 21, at 119 Graystone Plaza, Detroit Lakes, MN.
2 p.m. Tours 3 p.m. Speakers Music by Heart O’Lakes Harmony Quartet Car Display by Antique Auto Group Becker County Historical Society ExhibitA complete story with photos can be found in the Detroit Lakes Newspapers online.
Be a part of history! Office for rent in historic location near premiere downtown intersection, offering Highway 10 frontage in Detroit Lakes, MN. Contact Laura McKnight for details.
MMCDC is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender.
A dream became reality in 2017, when the International Market Plaza opened in Fargo, ND.
With encouragement from MMCDC, the staff and board of directors at the Immigrant Development Center (IDC) of Fargo-Moorhead worked for years toward the opening of a market similar to those in their home countries. In their collective mind’s eye, they saw a grouping of restaurants and retail stores around an enclosed courtyard, where community members could gather to visit, eat and shop.
That vision is not far from the reality taking shape at 1345 Main Ave., Fargo. IDC purchased and remodeled 6,500 square feet of the existing building, and has found 10 new tenants. The result is a
rich ethnic mix of goods and services, including retail shops, two restaurants and a coffee shop coming later, along with the existing Tae Kwon Do studio. Services include hair cutting, henna tattoos, and sewing.
MMCDC provided affordable, flexible loans totaling $420,000 toward the $1.1 million project. A federal grant to IDC also contributed to financing for the building. Key to receipt of the grant was the potential to repurpose up to 25,600 square feet of underutilized commercial space, and add 57 new jobs and 16 new businesses in a low-income neighborhood, with a 33 percent poverty rate and a median family income of just 55.7 percent of the average area median family income.
MMCDC members and guests enjoyed a presentation on the historic renovation of the Graystone Hotel and entertainment by the Heart O’ Lakes Harmony group at the annual meeting Thursday, June 15, at the Detroit Lakes Community and Cultural Center.
The Hotel opened in 1917 in Detroit Lakes, MN, and was purchased by MMCDC in 1998. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places and subsequently renovated. MMCDC’s offices are now located in the Hotel and in the former Teague Building, longtime home to Blanding’s Department Store. A public event commemorating the Graystone’s 100th anniversary is planned for the Fall.
Janet GreenPresident Kevin Shipley and Chairman Ron Lindberg presided at the meeting. Among the items of business was recognition of longtime board members Kathy Henry, Larry LePier, Terry Stallman
and Ron Lindberg. Janet Green is the incoming board chairwoman.
Every day, the dedicated members and partners of MMCDC work with residents to improve neighborhoods and the lives of people in the communities we serve. This work, along with that of many similar organizations, is celebrated during national NeighborWorks Week, June 3-10, 2017.
Last year, along with our partners, MMCDC rebuilt a restaurant that had been lost in a fire, helped 96 first-time homebuyers acquire a home, renovated 30 affordable rental units for seniors and the disabled, preserved affordability of an additional eight units, financed 14 nonprofit and for-profit businesses, supported training for volunteers who contributed hundreds of hours to their communities, and much more.
As a chartered member of NeighborWorks®, MMCDC must meet a high standard of fiscal integrity and service performance to assist residents in developing leadership, improving their neighborhoods, and securing decent, affordable housing.
We are one of more than 240 NeighborWorks® organizations working in nearly 4,000 urban, suburban and rural communities nationwide. Our link to this powerful and unique nationwide network of community development organizations adds great value to what we do in disadvantaged communities in Minnesota and the Midwest.
Through NeighborWorks®, we have access to financial resources, tools, training opportunities, and the experience of hundreds of colleagues from around the country who can help us make our community a better place to live. Rather than just build housing, we help residents revitalize an entire neighborhood … or develop skilled grassroots citizen leaders … or improve the capacity of local organizations … or optimize the often hidden powers of local institutions. In short, we build community.
Buying a home isn’t easy, but an in-person class featuring a trained educator, high-quality curriculum, and housing professionals from the community sure helps! Attend one of two free homebuyer education classes offered by our affiliate, White Earth Investment Initiative. Register online by clicking the link below.
Monday and Tuesday, May 29-30, Frazee High School, 305 Lake St. N., 5:30-9:30 p.m.
Tuesday and Wednesday, June 26-27, Detroit Lakes Community Education, 204 Willow St. E., 5:30-9:30 p.m.