- By Lee Bloomquist for Mesabi Tribune (published Oct. 4, 2025)
Hibbing is looking for money for Memorial Building Arena renovations and sanitary sewer rehabilitation.
Virginia for city hall improvements and steam plant contamination remediation.
Eveleth for wastewater treatment requirements.
Buhl for community-wide alley improvements.
Cook for school demolition.
Ely for drinking water.
Central Iron Range Sanitary Sewer District for infrastructure near Chisholm.
And a whole bunch of other communities across northeastern Minnesota for everything from water treatment to city-wide infrastructure.
Bipartisan Minnesota House of Representatives and Minnesota Senate Capital Investment committees are in northeastern Minnesota Tuesday through Thursday to learn about projects that area communities hope to be included in a potential 2026 state of Minnesota bonding bill.
Iron Range legislators say the capital investment committee tours will showcase community needs across the Iron Range.
“I’m excited to show off these good projects to the bonding committee and to hopefully get funding for these Iron Range communities,” Sen. Rob Farnsworth, R-Hibbing said. “I’m hoping there will be a bonding bill. There’s communities that need it.”
Passage of a state bonding bill that would include projects on the Iron Range would be big for northeastern Minnesota communities.
With limited tax base and industrial growth, Iron Range communities have a difficult time funding major projects such as improving aging water and sewer infrastructure.
As an example, the city Hibbing is looking for bonding help to replace nearly century-old sanitary sewer line mains, Mayor Pete Hyduke said.
“We have 58 miles of line in need of rehab,” Hyduke said. “We’ve done 24.87 miles, so that leaves us with 33.14 miles remaining. The cost to finish is $13.6 million. We know that infrastructure is in bad shape all over the country. It’s not just a Range issue. It’s a local, state and national issue.”
Replacing the sanitary sewer line is Hibbing’s top priority and reduces inflow and infiltration of water into the city’s water treatment plant, Hyduke said.
The city’s other project is improvements at the 90 year-old Hibbing Memorial Building Arena where new roofs are needed along with heating, ventilation, air conditioning, electrical work, flooring, safety upgrades, and technology improvements, Hyduke said.
The building has been well-maintained, but like any other building, requires repairs as it ages, he said.
“The building was developed as a living memorial to veterans and it’s been the pride of the Iron Range since day one,” Hyduke said. “The building has been kept in good shape, but we need repairs.”
Hibbing is seeking about $8.3 million in bonding money to help with the $15.4 million project, Hyduke said.
Hibbing Public Utilities is seeking $12 million from state bonding toward $24 million in infrastructure work for new drinking water wells, water lines and water treatment, Luke Peterson, Hibbing Public Utilities general manager said.
“It’s all about doing core infrastructure,” Peterson said. “It’s those things that ensure the future of the system. Residents can’t afford it, so the bonding is important.”
The city of Eveleth needs somewhere in the range of $12 million to meet wastewater treatment requirements, Eveleth Mayor Adam Roen said.
From Grand Marais, Silver Bay and Ranier to Keewatin, Coleraine, Floodwood, and LaPrairie, the list of northeastern Minnesota potential bonding projects is lengthy and varied.
Iron Range area legislators say receiving state bonding for projects critical to the health and well-being of northeastern Minnesota residents and communities.
“Working hard to get our share of bonding dollars for these communities is an Iron Range tradition,” Rep. Cal Warwas, R-Clinton Township said. “Our local mayors, commissioners and other board members work to keep costs down on their local budgets and that’s become even more poignant in an era of higher local levies. I welcome the Capital Investment Committee to Northeast Minnesota and look forward to getting our priorities in front of them.”
“Our communities get to showcase our needs and why we need assistance,” Rep. Spencer Igo, R-Wabana Township said. “They’re all critically important and our needs are huge for our aging infrastructure and for economic expansion so our communities can grow for future generations.”
“It’s incredibly important to bring the bonding committee to northern Minnesota so members can see firsthand the projects our communities are asking for,” Sen. Grant Hauschild, DFL-Hermantown said. “Rural communities don’t have the tax base to fund big infrastructure on their own, so without state support those costs fall directly on local property taxpayers. That’s why I’m concerned about efforts by House Republicans to exclude local projects from the bonding bill, because our communities rely on these state dollars to move forward and keep costs fair for residents. That will be a sticking point during our negotiations on next year’s bonding bill, but I’ll be adamant that we include Iron Range communities in the bonding bill.”
Without a state bonding bill in 2024, Hauschild and former state Rep. Dave Lislegard, DFL-Aurora, moved Minerals Article legislation through the 2024 legislature that requires the Minnesota Department of Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation to issue revenue bonds for grants to fund up to 82 projects in northeastern Minnesota.
The action didn’t sit well with some other members of Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board members.
Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation programs and operations are funded by a portion of the Taconite Production Tax paid by Iron Range mining companies.
What happens with state bonding when the 2026 Minnesota Legislature convenes at noon, Tuesday, Feb. 17, isn’t clear.
“Technically, this is a bonding year,” Igo said. “A $600 million to $1 billion bonding bill is possible. But we will have to wait for the February (state budget) forecast before we know more.”
Bonding isn’t typically decided until the final days of a legislative session.
However, if a bonding bill is approved, it might look similar to 2025 bonding when $700 million was approved with a large chunk of it going to statewide infrastructure projects such as water and sewer, Farnsworth said.
Iron Range area legislators will participate in the capital investment committee tours.
Rep. Roger Skraba, R-Ely is a member of the House Capital Investment Committee.
Skraba was unavailable for comment for this story
.