By Jan Gilmer
The Jordan Economic Development Authority (EDA) met on March 3, to discuss initiatives aimed at fostering growth and providing assistance to local businesses.
Franchise Opportunity Analysis
The last Franchise Opportunity Analysis was conducted in February 2022. Given the most recent traffic volume counts and Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT) data, City staff provided updated figures to identify potential franchises that may find Jordan an attractive location—or that the City of Jordan could actively pursue.
According to MnDOT data from 2023, the AADT for the northern stretch of Highway 169 from Jordan was 31,834, while the southern stretch saw 24,588 vehicles per day. The Met Council estimated Jordan’s population at 7,022 in 2023. Recognizing the number of new homes built, the estimated population as of March 2025 would be 7,321. Additionally, the 2023 Jordan Public School District Trade Population (TPOP) was reported at 10,648. These figures, particularly when compared to traffic volumes, could be higher than estimated and may impact franchise location decisions.
City staff provided a list of franchise businesses along with their requirements for trade area population and average daily traffic volume. Based on these requirements, only properties along Highway 169 would qualify for franchise opportunities, while downtown properties would not meet the necessary criteria.
The discussion expanded beyond franchise opportunities to a review of Jordan’s current businesses and their trip volumes, using the Placer.ai software the City invested in earlier in 2024. This software tracks data based on cell phone information from individuals 18 years or older. Reports must be at least three days old to provide current information, but the software also offers historical data for comparison.
When reporting demographics, the software reflects average characteristics rather than individual data. The City can generate reports detailing the number of visits, number of visitors, and length of stay at businesses, along with data visualizations such as visit journeys, visit days, and other trends. Some of this information was shared with local businesses for feedback, but the discussion did not elaborate on the responses received.
EDA Building Code Improvement Grant Program
Changes to the Jordan Economic Development Authority Building Code Improvement Grant Program were reviewed based on discussions from the previous meeting.
The grant program was modified to require that property taxes be current for eligibility. To encourage businesses to participate, the program was expanded to define two tiers:
• Small Grant Program
• Large Special Grant
The Large Special Grant offers a single matching grant of up to $75,000 per year for projects such as fire suppression, ADA improvements, or elevator installation/improvements. This 1:1 matching grant does not apply to rental or single-family housing projects.
Additionally, the application was revised to specify the number of years the business has been active and the number of years it has operated in Jordan, as well as to define loan request requirements.
The grant program currently offers matching grants to businesses and building owners in the C-2 zoning district (Central Business District) to implement or update their properties in compliance with the Central Business District Design Standards.
The EDA approved the revisions and will forward a recommendation to the City Council for approval.