The following article by Janet Moore was published in the July 8, 2015 edition of the Star Tribune.

Hennepin County to Add $8M for Rail Line

It’s the first public body to give Southwest project extra boost.

The Hennepin County Board on Tuesday became the first public body to kick in additional funds — in this case, $8 million — to support the cash starved Southwest light-rail line.

The infusion was needed after costs soared on the controversial transit project, which will link downtown Minneapolis to Eden Prairie.

Hennepin County’s stepped-up share will come from two sources — $5 million from its Environmental Response Fund, money used to clean up contaminated development sites, and from its Community Works redevelopment program.

The action comes after the Southwest project’s price tag soared by $341 million to $2 billion, due in part to the discovery of contaminated soil along the 16-mile line.

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