Jordan, Prior Lake, and Savage Announce Plans for Utilizing $150,000 Each in SMSC Grants

Prior Lake, MN – The cities of Jordan, Prior Lake, and Savage have announced their plans for the $150,000 grant each of them received from the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community (SMSC) last fall. The SMSC gave a total of $900,000 in grants at that time to five neighboring local governments; Scott County and the cities of Belle Plaine and Shakopee also received grants and have not yet announced their final decisions.

Jordan will use its $150,000 grant to build an adult softball and youth baseball campus at Holzer Park. Holzer Park, located near the Jordan Public Works facility on Syndicate Street in the northeast corner of the city, has a ball field. Using the grant, the City will make restroom improvements and build an adjacent Little League field.

Prior Lake will use its $150,000 grant to benefit several parks and trails projects. One portion of the grant, $50,000, will be used to complete the master plan at Pike Lake Park, a 49-acre park and nature preserve which is adjacent to SMSC lands. With $10,000 of the grant earmarked for a trails gap analysis, the hope is to connect trails and improve facilities for local residents. With 2,790 feet of shoreline and mature forest stands containing maple, black cherry, elm, and ash trees, Pike Lake Park provides significant habitat for native plants and wildlife. According to City Manager Frank Boyles, the remaining funds could be used for the amenities identified in the master plan and/or the trails gap analysis (subject to final city council approval).

Savage will use its $150,000 grant for economic development, landscape, and library projects. Specifically, $85,000 will support economic development programs intended to enhance the city’s tax base. Potential projects include the acquisition and/or redevelopment of commercial properties that need rehabilitation. Additionally, $50,000 will be allocated toward three landscaping projects intended to add visual appeal to parks and open spaces, which will demonstrate Savage’s commitment to environmental sustainability while encouraging others to do the same. Lastly, the City will devote $15,000 to renovate space in the Savage Library to provide a home for the Savage Arts Council and the Savage Social Club for active older adults.

About the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community

The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community, a federally recognized Indian Tribe in Minnesota, is the owner and operator of Mystic Lake Casino Hotel, Little Six Casino, Mazopiya, The Meadows at Mystic Lake, and other enterprises on a reservation south of the Twin Cities. The SMSC utilizes its financial resources from gaming and non-gaming enterprises to pay for the internal infrastructure of the Tribe, including but not limited to roads, water and sewer systems, emergency services, and essential services to its members in education, health, and well-being.

A tribal charitable giving program which comes from a cultural and social tradition to assist those in need has given away more than $262.2 million to Indian Tribes, charitable organizations, and schools since 1992. Through the Mdewakanton LIFE Program, the SMSC has donated 776 Automated External Defibrillators to tribes, schools, police and fire departments, and other organizations with 21 lives saved due to their use.

The SMSC has also made more than $523 million in loans, mostly to other tribes for economic and infrastructure development projects.