Brainerd Could See More Workforce Housing After City Council Approves Permit

On Monday, the Brainerd City Council approved a conditional use permit for a housing project on 805 Laurel Street in downtown Brainerd. The council also authorized the City of Brainerd to act as a legal sponsor for the project for a Minnesota Workforce Housing Development Grant.

The project is requesting $6,802,775 in funding through the grant. The project itself will be at the site of the old Thrifty White building and will consist of 78 housing units, including 12 studio units, 29 one-bedroom units, 9 one-bedroom units with a den, and 28 two-bedroom units.

This project is expected to help with the shortage of workforce housing Brainerd currently faces.

“It’s critical for our local shops, our grocery stores, our hospital, our school district, our county government that are located right here in Brainerd, to have available housing for those workers,” said Eric Charpentier, Brainerd HRA Executive Director. “And this project, I think, will hit that sweet spot for a lot of those individuals.”

If the funds are awarded, construction is anticipated to begin in July 2025 and be completed in August 2026, per the grant application.