Below are the eligibility requirements for the program:

• Must be an existing commercial, multifamily (five or more units), industrial or nonprofit property located within the City of St. Louis Park.
• Applicant must be the property owner.
• Eligible depaving project elements include:
  • Rain gardens
  • Native plants
  • Pollinator plants/habitat
  • Permeable pavers
  • Trees
  • Other innovative practices, reviewed on a case-by-case by staff
• Only work begun after approval by the cost share committee will be eligible.

Note: Furniture, ornamental features, walls and green space to gravel conversions are not eligible.

Your property may be eligible for a higher cost share based on location. Properties located in census tracts 223.02, 1225, 230, and 229.01 are eligible for the Environmental Justice priority area cost share. Visit the United States Census Bureau's website to find your census tract.

* Topsoil includes STA Certified compost (view list of STA Certified Compost participant facilities in Minnesota) and pollinator-friendly grasses and/or small plants.

** Asphalt or concrete removal; existing pavement must be replaced with additional green space to qualify.

To apply, complete the online cost share program preapproval application.

Make sure to include a completed W-9 form, color photographs of existing conditions and a written and graphic description of the landscape plan.

Staff will review applications once they are submitted and contact the applicant if any additional information is needed.

If the project is preapproved, the applicant will have 12 months to complete the project.

Once the project is complete, the following documentation is required:

• Subsurface soil investigation requirements
  • Subsoils below existing pavements may not provide suitable conditions for tree growth, vegetation establishment and infiltration capabilities. For this reason, a subsurface soil investigation must be completed, per latest edition of the Standard Specifications of the American Society of Testing Materials and all laws from the city, State of Minnesota, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and Minnesota Health Department. Each project will be evaluated to determine the extent of testing that will be required.
• Proof of STA certified compost (view a list of STA certified compost participant facilities in Minnesota)
• Proof of final inspection by the St. Louis Park Building and Energy Department for work requiring a city permit (submit a copy of the permit signed off by the responsible city inspector)
• Final invoice(s) from the contractor(s) clearly indicating the total project cost
• Completed material management plan detailing how the waste materials (asphalt, brick, concrete, etc.) from the project were reused or recycled
• Before and after pictures showing the improvement project from the same vantage point

Cost share payment will be issued to the applicant within 60 days of receipt of this documentation. Please note that 5% of the cost share payment will be held by the city until vegetation is successfully established. 

• The City of St. Louis Park reserves the right to revoke the funding if the property owner or contractor violates program rules and procedures.
• Funds are allocated based on what’s approved in the application. In the event the project size increases or decreases, the applicant is responsible for working with their contractor(s) to submit an updated application to the city. Any additional cost share funds must be approved by the city's program administrator.
• Any contractor(s) who performs work at the property must meet City of St. Louis Park licensing, permitting and zoning code requirements.
• Check with your tax preparer to find out if there are tax implications for receiving cost share funds.
• The City of St. Louis Park can't recommend specific contractors.
• The City of St. Louis Park can't guarantee or warranty any trees or plantings.
• All tree care and tree trimming companies doing business in Minnesota are required to register with the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. To verify the contractor’s registration on the state tree care registry, visit the Minnesota Department of Agriculture’s (MDA) website or call MDA at 651.201.6611.
• The applicant is responsible for ensuring that product purchases, equipment purchase, installation or other work proposed have been completed satisfactorily before paying the contractor(s).
• Staff will verify that property boundaries are within the Environmental Justice priority area for applicants seeking that cost share level.
• If the grant applicant is performing any work, the grant applicant understands that upon completion (1) all work must meet City of St. Louis Park zoning code, permit requirements and licensing requirements and (2) grant funds can only be used to compensate for materials, not for the purchase or rental of tools and equipment or the labor of the grant applicant, a relative or someone with a financial interest in the business or property receiving the grant funds.