Time's ticking for the businesses and organizations of Saint Paul hoping to snag a piece of the Neighborhood STAR program pie. With the May 15 deadline for 2024 applications looming, applicants eager to make their mark on Saint Paul's capital project landscape need to submit their proposals by 4 p.m. or risk missing out on a potential grant windfall.
Funded by the City of Saint Paul, the STAR program injects life into neighborhood projects that promise to enhance prosperity, diversity, and vitality, with the caveat that applicants must conduct their operations within Saint Paul limits and focus on capital improvements lasting more than seven years. As reported by the City of Saint Paul's press release, Nancy Lor, a STAR beneficiary and owner of Nancy's Beauty Salon, extolled the program's virtues. "I would like to express my gratitude for the positive impact of the STAR program on both my business and our local community," she told the City of Saint Paul. Their application materials, available in multiple languages, can be accessed through a labyrinth of red tape and bureaucratic clicks on the City's website.
The STAR team has issued a plea, verging on a clarion call, for potential grantees to get their applications in early. With the web portal notoriously buckling under the pressure of last-minute submissions, applicants are encouraged to avoid the digital equivalent of a logjam. History teaches that latecomers to the granting party are invariably left out in the cold, with tardy applications summarily dismissed.
Resources are at hand for those grappling with their applications. The City of Saint Paul's press release revealed an arsenal of applicant aids, from workshop recordings to a comprehensive FAQ sheet. The Saint Paul Public Library opens its doors as a sanctuary for technological guidance, offering community residents not only free computer and internet access but also the warmth of communication in their native tongues. With sample documents sprawling across the spectrum from insurance certificates to conflict of interest forms, the path to application success is littered with helpful signposts.
For those still puzzled or ensnared in confusion over the process, the Neighborhood STAR staff stand at the ready, their digital inboxes primed for queries at [email protected]. As the clock winds down to the upcoming May deadline, the race is on for Saint Paul's businesses and organizations to seize this shot at civic enhancement and neighborhood revitalization, spurred by the STAR program's beneficence.
