Sen. Torrey Westrom (R-Alexandria) announced that Appleton will receive $1.2 million from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) to improve stormwater facilities and rehabilitate 42 multi-family housing units. The funding comes from DEED’s Small Cities Development Program (SCDP), which supports cities, townships, and counties with critical investments in housing, public infrastructure, and commercial property rehabilitation.

“Congratulations to the community of Appleton on securing this funding,” said Westrom. “Local leaders put in tremendous effort to make this happen. This support will be a big boost to their local economy and the entire Appleton community.”

The SCDP grants are administered by DEED and funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. In 2025, the program will allocate more than $20.7 million in grants to support economic development in 33 cities and counties across Greater Minnesota, rehabilitating nearly 300 properties. Eligible applicants include cities with populations under 50,000 and townships or counties with populations under 200,000.

“I’m hopeful we can get the Appleton Prison reopened for use by either the state of Minnesota or the federal government sometime soon, too,” Westrom added.

For more information on the SCDP, visit: mn.gov/deed/government/financial-assistance/community-funding/small-cities.jsp