The Austin City Council is ready to ask for more than $777,000 from the Hormel Foundation to help fund 11 projects next year.

Council members ranked eight projects in terms of importance, including $500,000 for renovations to Riverside Arena, during a work session Monday night.

Three of the 11 projects are from groups that will receive money through the city of Austin, which will act as a financial agent.

Of the eight remaining projects, council members ranked the Riverside Arena repairs as most important.

Other project requests include $37,000 to redesign part of Austin Public Library for more learning opportunities, $20,000 to help convert city street lights to LED bulbs, and $75,000 for the Austin Housing and Redevelopment Authority and Austin Port Authority to encourage business efforts in Austin.

Council members ranked a $25,000 request to get curling equipment for Riverside Arena as least important to them this year.

The foundation usually chooses how much to fund each project but wanted to know the council’s priorities, according to Finance Director Tom Dankert.

2015 Hormel Foundation project requests

—Austin Public Library redesign for learning: $37,000

—Equipment for curling at Riverside Arena: $25,000

—Jay C. Hormel Nature Center education program: $36,972

—HRA/Port Authority Business Encouragement/Enhancement Partnership (BEEP): $75,000

—Austin Area Chamber of Commerce’s 2014-2015 Leadership Austin: $1,500

—Chamber of Commerce’s Freedom Fest: $20,000

—Public Works department LED street light conversion: $20,000

—Riverside Arena renovations: $500,000

—Mower County Senior Center air conditioning replacement: $30,000

—Austin Fire Department swift/flood water rescue boats: $17,000

—Austin Area Commission for the Arts’s 2015 Austin ArtWorks Festival: $15,000