Bemidji mayor, Stauber discuss rail corridor, housing and infrastructure needs

A rail corridor that could unlock more than $65 million in new development is still waiting on the sewer lines, cleanup and housing dollars that will decide whether Bemidji’s biggest redevelopment moves forward or stalls. Mayor Jorge Prince met with U.S. Rep. Pete Stauber to push those needs to the federal level as the city tries to turn a long-underused, contaminated site into a mixed-use district.

Greater Bemidji has called the rail corridor redevelopment the largest community development effort in Bemidji history. Leaders say the corridor has been burdened by more than 100 years of industrial use, leaving environmental contaminants in place and virtually no public infrastructure ready for building. That means the city cannot simply invite construction crews in and start framing homes or commercial space. Cleanup, utility work and other base-layer improvements have to come first.

The city has already taken several steps to show the project is moving. In October 2025, Bemidji leaders announced progress that included cleanup and demolition work, along with private development interest and a YMCA component. By December 2025, demolition had begun on three blighted structures in the corridor. In March 2026, the Bemidji City Council approved a sewer replacement tied to the project, swapping a 21-inch sanitary sewer line for a 24-inch line across Minnesota Avenue NW. That upgrade was described as necessary before construction of the planned YMCA or Marriott hotel can begin.

The housing shortage around that redevelopment pressure is just as sharp. Local reporting has said Beltrami County needs about 1,000 more affordable housing units, along with more workforce and market-rate housing. Bemidji has also sought a Greater Minnesota Housing Infrastructure Grant for 39 mixed-income units, with the city contributing roughly $448,000 and the Beltrami County Housing and Redevelopment Authority pledging $100,000. For residents, that could mean more attainable places to live near jobs and services; without it, the shortage continues to push growth outward or leave projects waiting on financing.

The meeting also came as Bemidji continues to recover from the June 21, 2025 derecho, when the Bemidji Regional Airport recorded 106 mph winds, the strongest measured in Minnesota since 2012. Bemidji and Beltrami County both declared states of emergency after the storm, and Prince later received the Tommy Longo Disaster Leadership Award for his response leadership. Stauber, now in his fourth term representing Minnesota’s 8th District, has said he secured $15 million in Community Project Funding for transportation and infrastructure projects across the district, making him a key figure as Bemidji looks for state and federal dollars to keep the rail corridor and housing plans from slowing down.