ST. PAUL, Minn. – Two bills have been proposed in the Minnesota Senate for $250,000 to help Spring Grove recover from a downtown fire in December. The fire destroyed the Houston County town’s hardware store and displaced 11 tenants upstairs. State Senator Jeremy Miller, R-Winona, introduced the bills. He noted that a housing shortage in Spring Grove, population 1,250, has been exacerbated by the fire. The bills would exempt taxes on construction materials and directly offset reconstruction costs. The bills have been sent to the Senate taxes committee. One of the bills has a House version introduced by Greg Davids, R-Preston.
Earlier: Theory for Spring Grove fire: Layered re-roofing
Earlier: Fire levels Spring Grove hardware, apartments