In March 2018, UPDC hosted the new owner of the Dairy Queen site at 143 N. Snelling Avenue, who introduced plans to demolish the previous building and construct a larger single-story building for commercial use.

You can read a summary of their presentation and answers to resident questions here.

The previous owner of the Dairy Queen passed away and because the franchise did not open within the required timeframe, the site lost its franchise rights.

The site plan for the Red Savoy Pizza and Dunkin Donuts at 143 N. Snelling has been approved by the City of Saint Paul. The site plan is available here.

The demo and shell building permits have been issued and the site is completed.

The American Bank building ceased operating at 1578 University Avenue West in 2014, and the business subsequently moved, but the bank's freestanding sign remains. CLUED discussed the issue, but no issue was made.

On February 19, 2018 the Committee hosted city staff from the Department of Planning and Economic Development to discuss the Marshall Avenue zoning study, which took place in 2018 from Hamline Avenue to the river. The previous zoning along Marshall Avenue in that area was inconsistent, and the uses were widely varied. Closer to Snelling and in commercial areas, there are potential development opportunities that could bring higher density to the area.

The Union Park Board supported the historic study in 2017, along with a one-year interim ordinance (moratorium) for the six-blocks from Wheeler to Wilder. City Council approved the study and the moratorium, which went into effect in October 2017.

On Monday, April 23 City Planner Kady Dadlez presented her preliminary recommendations on zoning changes along Marshall Avenue from Hamline Avenue to the Mississippi River. This meeting initiated a months-long community engagement process on the recommended changes, including multiple reviews by the city's Neighborhood Planning Committee, a public hearing and recommendations by the Planning Commission, and a second public hearing in conjunction with adoption of zoning changes by City Council.

Union Park District Council held a community forum on the West Marshall Avenue Zoning Study (from the Mississippi River to Hamline Avenue) on Tuesday, June 5 at University of St. Thomas. There was a presentation by City Planner Kady Dadlez and an opportunity for smaller group discussions on specific sections of Marshall Avenue. Zoning 101 (from the May 5 Forum at St. Thomas) is availabe here.

A summary of community feedback UPDC recieved on the West Marshall Avenue Zoning Study (gathered at the forum, walking tours and via email) is available here.

On October 15, CLUED considered the amendment to the West Marshall Avenue Zoning Study proposed by Councilmember Mitra Jalali and the UPDC position can be found here.

Big Top Liquors owner Nancy Rosenberg relocated the store temporarily to the Perkins building just north of Big Top's current location. The store needed to move to make way for the extension of Shields Avenue from Snelling into the Allianz field site.

Because the Perkins location is within a half-mile of existing liquor stores, current city ordinance would not allow Big Top to operate there.

City staff proposed an ordinance change that allowed liquor stores to move within an development area under the same ownership, even within the half-mile limitation. The Committee on Land Use and Economic Development endorsed a resolution supporting both of these efforts, which you can read here.

Property owners at 576 Clifford Street in the Desnoyer Park neighborhood sought support for variances required for a home addition. They wanted to prepare their home to accommodate them as they age, and planned to add an accessible first-floor bathroom, bedroom, and attached garage with solar panels on the roof.

The Committee voted to support a small variance in the maximum allowable lot coverage, and a rear-yard setback variance to allow for 9.6 feet between the structure and alley instead of the required 25 feet.

Architect John Harriss presented on updated plans for a residential project on Snelling Avenue just south of Anchor Bank near I-94. The development team initially presented before the Committee in February 2017, and has since demolished the existing structures. The plan includes about 70 market-rate apartments with underground and first floor parking (about 70 spaces) and no retail. The total height would be six stories at Snelling, but would be set back significantly from the residences behind on Carroll.

The Committee voted to support a variance request for balconies along the Snelling side of the building; the variance was necessary because the balconies encroach on the required ten-foot setback between the sidewalk and the building.

On May 21, the committee voted to support two additional variances to allow for construction of a 45’ building and stair tower on the south wall facing Carroll Avenue, abutting a portion of Carroll Avenue that is an RT1 residential district, for a variance of 20’. The Committee agrees that these variances are “in harmony with the general purposes and intent of the zoning code.”

As of 2020 this project has yet to break ground.

UPDC hosted city staff for a brief discussion of the city's current zoning study related to the potential expansion of ADUs in St. Paul. An ADU is a second dwelling unit, either within or attached to a single-family home, or in a detached accessory building on the same lot.

Previously, the city only allowed ADUs within a half-mile of the University Avenue corridor, and numerous neighborhoods have requested the expansion of the city code to allow for ADUs in their areas, or citywide. Read more about the city's current ADU policy, and the parameters of ADU construction, on the city's website.

The Committee voted to support the expansion of ADUs in Union Park, and citywide. It also supported allowing ADUs on parcels smaller than 5000 square feet, as long as they are not detached structures, which you can read here.

The Committee hosted the city's Heritage Preservation Supervisor in 2018 to introduce an Historic Resources Survey for a predefined plat in the Merriam Park neighborhood. [The plat can be explored through this interactive map.]

The city committed to engaging in this study, because of the related Marshall Avenue development moratorium. It took place from summer 2018 through summer 2019 and result in a report and recommendations.

If you have questions about this survey, please email christine.boulware@ci.stpaul.mn.us.

Transition Homes Corporation sought a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) and two variances to operate a Supportive Housing Facility at 1947 Roblyn Avenue.

The renovated building was previously a women’s sober house for 11 residents (10 program participants and 1 resident manager).  The CUP would change the facility designation, allowing it to obtain funds from the Department of Human Services to serve women who are chemically dependent (CD) or have a co-occurring mental illness and chemical dependency (MI/CD). The occupancy number dit not change, and a resident manager will continue to live on-site.

In the relevant zoning (RT1), there is a minimum distance requirement of 1320 feet between Supportive Housing facilities. This property is 700 feet from Transition’s men’s Group Residential Housing facility at 1956 Feronia Avenue (across the Prior Avenue bridge on the north side of I-94). Because the minimum distance requirement is not met, the applicant is sought a variance. A separate variance is also required to exceed the six-bed limit.

The Committee voted to recommend approval of this project, including the CUP and variances.

The property owner at 2083 Marshall Avenue filed an appeal because he recently lost his ability to rent his single-family house to students. The property had been a "registered student rental" under the City's code, but that registration was revoked when the house was found to be illegally over-occupied. (The code requires that no more than four unrelated adults live in a single-family rental home, and there were nine students found living in the house.)

The property owner presented before the Union Park Land Use Committee in November 2017, and the Committee also heard from City staff involved in the matter who recounted a number of prior complaints brought against the property. The Committee unanimously recommended that the Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) deny the appeal and uphold the revocation of the registered student housing status. The BZA upheld the revocation, and the property owner appealed that determination to City Council.

The City of St. Paul has exempted the major league soccer stadium from the city's noise ordinance. Councilmember Stark indicated that the ordinance exemption would only apply to noise generated from fans and the stadium's speaker system during soccer games, and would not cover fireworks or other events (which would have to comply with the ordinance or apply for a separate variance).

Additionally, the noise ordinance primarily curtails the noise level after 10 p.m., which is after regular games would be over. The Union Park District Council had recommended instituting an exemption on a trial basis, not in perpetuity, and recommended a ceiling on the allowable noise of 65 dba (which is the current allowable daytime level). If you have input to share on this ordinance exemption, please email our Councilmembers Dai Thao at ward1@ci.stpaul.mn.us.

The architects for Allianz Field applied for variances to the total square footage allowed for signage on the site. The zoning code allows for 1776.5 square feet of signage on the site, and there are 3,187 square feet of signage proposed, so the team is seeking a variance of 1,1410.5 feet. The signage includes the primary signs on the stadium, a large sculpture with the letters "UNITED," signage for the entrance gates and amenities, and wayfinding signage.

You can review the full permanent signage package by accessing this file in Dropbox.

A second variance request was also submitted to legalize the temporary signs (banners) on the exterior fencing around the construction site, which were installed without prior approval, and to add more banners around the site. A maximum of 250 square feet of such signage is allowed, the applicant has already installed 4,167 square feet of temporary signage and proposed to install an additional 763 square feet, for a variance of 4,680 square feet.

On December 18, 2017 the Committee reviewed a revised site plan for an apartment building proposed at 1973/1977 Marshall Avenue.

The developer proposed to demolish two existing homes and construct a five-story building. The plan includeed 10 four-bedroom units and 6 three-bedroom units for a total of sixteen apartments with 61 residents.

The developer had reported that the apartments would be furnished and rented at about "$850 a bed," or $3,400 for a four-bedroom apartment. The plans included a below-grade parking garage accessible off of Moore, and covered parking on the ground level accessible through garage doors off a driveway on the east side of the property.

The Union Park Land Use Committee held a special meeting on October 30 to review and discuss the plans as originally submitted. Because the District Council has the opportunity to weigh in on the city's internal site plan review process, we sent a letter to the City outlining the primary concerns expressed at that meeting.

At the December 18  2017 meeting, a Committee member made a motion focused on environmental and historical review of the 1973/77 properties, which did not pass. After that meeting, on December 28, city staff released its Zoning Committee staff report, which recommended approval of the site plan without addressing the concerns set forth in the council's November 6 letter.

The acting Chair of the Land Use Committee presented a motion to the board at its regular meeting on January 3 2018, soliciting a recommendation on the site plan. The resulting resolution, recommending denial of the plan, was submitted to the Zoning Committee and presented at the public hearing held on January 4. The Zoning Committee recommended approval of the site plan. The Planning Commission approved the site plan on January 12, without further public testimony. A group of neighbors appealed the site plan to City Council, and on February 7, the City Council denied the appeal and upheld the approval of the site plan.

A property sale was pending for the two adjacent homes at 1905 and 1911 Iglehart Avenue. The buyer applied to split the two parcels into three separate lots, with the intention of demolishing the existing homes and constructing three duplexes on the site.

The buyer was the same developer who is proposing the Marshall & Moore apartment project described above. He discussed his plans for the Iglehart project at the December 18 Committee meeting. Numerous neighbors spoke against the project, primarily concerned about the historic value of the homes currently on the site.

While the Committee discussed a motion recommending denial of the lot split, the developer indicated that he plans to withdraw his application and pull out of the property sale.  The Committee nonetheless passed the motion, recommending denial of the lot split and historic evaluation of the homes. On January 12, the city denied the lot split and the properties went back on the market.

The property owner at 1889 Selby Avenue intended to demolish the existing one-car garage and construct a new 832 square foot two-stall garage behind the home to accommodate vehicle parking as well as a home workshop on the second floor. The structure's design was five feet taller than is allowed by the zoning code, which allows for accessory structures to have a maximum height of 15 feet measured from the midpoint of the roof. The owner was therefore seeking a height variance of five feet, to allow for the garage to be constructed as designed. The owner submitted numerous letters and signatures in support of the project, and the Committee unanimously recommended approval of the variance. The Board of Zoning Appeals approved a modified version of the property owner's original proposal.

Because of concerns about right-of-way obstructions created by queueing vehicles at the Starbucks drive-through, the City requested that Starbucks submit a Revised Site Plan. The accompanying consultant report concludes that available drive-through vehicle queue storage on-site is unable to accommodate demand. The site could accommodate somewhere between 8-10 vehicles in queue, before they spill out onto Marshall Avenue.

The interim plan increased the amount of queueing on the site from 10 to 14 vehicles by providing “double stacking” in a second “bypass” thru lane. It also angles the parking on the east side of the site, encouraging more one-way site circulation. City staff have flagged this as an issue, stating that “this would not work if drivers did not leave space for exiting vehicles to pass through the line of queued vehicles.”

The long-term plan (right) also extends the drive-through queue lane further south into existing parking, to provide space for two more vehicles to stack, for a maximum total number of stacking vehicles of 12. The report concludes that accommodating 12 total vehicles on the site with single lane stacking will succeed in “removing impacts to the public roadway system.”

After reviewing the submitted materials and input from city staff, both this Committee and Union Park's Transportation Committee passed resolutions recommending that the City reject the Revised Site Plan and withdraw the conditional use permit that allows the operation of the drive-through. The City has since requested that Starbucks submit a second revised site plan in an attempt to better address the problems presented by the drive-through at this location.

The City has initiated a program to provide zero-interest loans to owners of small-scale rental properties located in specifically-identified lower-income areas of the city (including some in Union Park -- see the map below). There is $750,000 available in this program, the goal of which is to preserve Saint Paul’s stock of occupied affordable rental housing by providing property owners with funds to increase the livability and curb appeal of their properties. We hosted city staff to tell us more about this program and to work together to identify qualified potential applicants. You can read more about this new program here. Note that since our Committe meeting, the city has expanded this program citywide.

The property owner of the five-unit multi-family unit at 1849 Portland Avenue proposed converting a 1000 square foot storage space into a four-bedroom unit. The owner needed a lot size variance as per the requirement of having 1500 square feet of lot per unit. As part of the plan, the property owner would have added two additional parking spots for the building off the alley.

Because of the timing of the Board of Zoning Appeals hearing, our Committee had to review this issue somewhat prematurely. At the time, the Committee was unaware of resident complaints, and recommended approval of the variance in the interest of providing more quality housing in the community.

However, since receiving notification of the variance application, numerous residents submitted letters in opposition to the variance request, and the city's staff report recommended denial of the variance. Accordingly, the Board of Zoning Appeals denied the variance, which disallowed the additional unit.

The owner of 1813 Dayton Avenue proposed expanding the upper unit of an existing duplex by adding a dormer to the attic space on the west side to create a two-floor, four-bedroom dwelling unit. The side-yard setback required for the duplex is 9 feet, but the existing structure doesn't meet today's standards. By expanding the duplex vertically, the applicant is required to meet the side-yard setback for the dormer addition, requiring a side yard setback variance of 3.9 feet from the west property line.

Some neighbors were concerned about the enlarged upper unit potentially inviting over-occupancy (beyond the four unrelated adults allowed to live in the unit). The Board of Zoning Appeals vote was mixed, and there were not enough members voting in favor to grant the variance. Although the Board was willing to reconsider the issue with the full membership, the owner withdrew the variance request.

The Starbucks drive-through on the southeast corner of Snelling and Marshall is now open. There have been issues with vehicles backing up onto Marshall, and sometimes onto Snelling. These queueing vehicles are obstructing the sidewalk, bike lane, and traffic lanes. Vehicles have also been taking illegal left turns out of the lot onto Marshall, and have generally had a difficult time navigating near the entrance/exit on Marshall.

Union Park staff met with representatives from Starbucks and the city in June to discuss options to improve the situation. 

Some proposed solutions included better protection for the bike lane including bollards, green paint, and/or a concrete curb or divider. Additional potential improvements included creating a second lane for queueing, extending the queueing lane within the site, adding additional street parking on Marshall, and better designing Marshall to prohibit left-hand turns out.

The committee recommended that the above solutions be pursued to insure that Starbucks avoids right-of-way obstructions per its obligation in its Conditional Use Permit and approved Site Plan. The committee sent a resolution to the City supporting the closure of the Starbucks drive through unless and until the obstructions of the adjacent right-of-way are removed.

In response, the City has promised to install bollards to protect the bike lane, and has indicated that it would require Starbucks to provide traffic control on site from 7 am - 9 am to insure that the traffic lane, bike lane, and sidewalk are not obstructed. The City also requested from Starbucks a revised site plan presenting a long-term solution.

The property owner of 1984 Marshall Avenue, at the corner of Marshall and Moore, was proposing to replace the current single family home on the lot with a 10-unit apartment building. The house on the parcel was a student rental. The parcel was zoned RM2, which would allow for an apartment buildling, but the property owner applied for a variance to the lot size requirement to accommodate the apartment building and parking structure. The owner had some creative proposals to accommodate parking on the site as well, which may require city approval.

The property owner attended the June 19 meeting to discuss his plans and answer questions. The committee expressed some concern over the project. The owner committed to further working with the committee and neighborhood on the process moving forward.

A representative from the “Sustain Ward 3” group gave a brief presentation related to the Ford Site development plan. “Sustain Ward 3” is a Ward 3 based group that describes itself as “a pro-active group supporting environmental, fiscal, and social sustainability in the City's plan for the site.”

The representative stated that it is their goal to work with the city to get the best possible outcome for the site, in terms of benefits to the community. He expressed an interest in getting support and input from neighborhoods outside of Highland Park because the project will affect those neighborhoods as well. When asked what type of support the group is looking for the representative stated that they are seeking help in getting the word out on the project and input or help for future events. You can learn more about the group at their website.

You can find out more about the proposed development at the Ford Site on the city’s website for the project.

The landowner of the vacant lot at the northeast corner of St. Anthony Avenue and Fry Street  proposed the construction of two new duplexes. In the southern duplex (phase one of the project), which faces St. Anthony, each unit would have 5 bedrooms, 4 baths, and a 2-car tuck under garage. One of these would be owner occupied by the current landowner. In the northern duplex (phase two), which faces Fry, each unit would have 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, and a 2-car tuck under garage. (See site plan to the left.)

The project would require zoning variances for the front, rear, and side yard setbacks. The property owner explained that pushing the buildings closer to the sidewalk would allow for a more protected children's play area and more efficient use of the space overall.

At the May meeting, the committee discussed the project and heard a presentation from the landowner. The committee then voted unanimously to recommend approval of the variances, allowing for construction of two duplexes near the property lines of the parcel as proposed in the site plan.

The Board of Zoning Appeals voted unanimously to grant the variances.

The owner of the storage facility at 1400 Selby Avenue proposed the demolition of two existing structures on the property to be replaced by a new larger Five Star Storage building. The project is valued at $4.7 million. The committee reviewed the site plan and delegated staff to take part in the site plan review meeting taking place at the city on June 6.

At the May meeting, the committee reviewed the short-term rental regulation proposal by the City. The proposal seeks to adopt rules and regulations surrounding short-term rentals, such as Airbnb and VRBO, defined as “a dwelling unit, bedroom, or couch rented for a period of less than 30 consecutive days, with or without the owner present.”

While the City believes there is a need to regulate short-term rental uses, these uses currently operate throughout the City with relatively few complaints or calls to police. The City plans to regulate short-term rentals through licensing, fire certificate of occupancy inspection, and zoning.

With licensing, the city will require both the hosting platform and the individual to have a valid license to rent short term. The license for individuals is expected to cost around $100 per year to cover administrative costs. Rentals operating without the required license will be requested to be removed from the hosting platform, and the person offering the rental may receive a citation.

The fire certificate of occupancy inspection will require that non-owner occupied dwellings undergo a fire inspection and obtain a certificate before they are rented.

Finally, the zoning update will seek to limit the maximum number of guests allowed in a short-term rental, ranging from a maximum of 4 guest when the host is off-site, down to 1 guest when the dwelling is already housing three adults.

After a presentation from a city official from the Department of Safety and Inspections, the committee discussed the proposal and voted to recommend the ordinance changes and the process moving forward.

The property owner of 451 Fariview Avenue N is proposing to convert ground-floor commerical space into two one-bedroom units. The building is currently an 18-unit residential apartment building with 1,350 square feet of vacant commercial space located on the ground floor of the northwest part of the building.

The property is located in a RM2 multiple family residential zoning district which requires a minimum of square feet of land per dwelling unit. The lot size is smaller than required, so the owner was seeking a variance.

At the April meeting, the Committee made a recommendation in support of the variance on the condition that the property owner encourage new tenants to use non-motorized/public transportation and make improvements to the exterior of the property, including landscaping, shielding the trash and recycling containers, and lighting improvements. The variance was approved by the board of zoning appeals, which adopted our recommendations on bike parking and property improvements as part of the variance.

On March 20, 2017 the Committee reviewed draft building design documents for a development at 304-308 Snelling and the adjacent vacant residential property facing Carroll Avenue. (See image.)

The developer was proposing demolition of the two existing structures on the property, and plans a new building with about 60 market-rate apartments with underground and first floor parking (60-70 spaces) and no retail. The total height would be six stories at Snelling, but would be set back significantly from the residences behind on Carroll.

Since the parcel is slated to be rezoned T3 (as part of the South Snelling Zoning Study), the project likely would not need any variances or conditional use permits. At the February committee meeting, many members encouraged the architect to consider incorporating retail space into the project.

City planners attended our November meeting to discuss the South Snelling Zoning Study, which proposes changed zoning along Snelling Avenue from I-94 to Ford Parkway, and for 1/4 mile along major streets crossing Snelling.

Among other things, the study proposes changing most of the zoning along Snelling from I-94 to Selby to T3 zoning (which is the same as the Vintage/Whole Foods project) allowing for more mixed uses at greater density. It also proposes changing the zoning for the three blocks of Selby west of Snelling to T2 zoning, allowing for more commercial and mixed uses.

The City Council's final public hearing on rezoning will take place on September 6. Questions regarding the zoning changes or public hearing can be addressed to Tony Johnson at 651-266-6620 or tony.johnson@ci.stpaul.mn.us.

The UPDC Board passed resolutions supporting the City's process of rezoning these areas.

Minnesota Alternatives has leased the office space in the building at 1650 Carroll Avenue for an outpatient clinic for adults who experience alcohol and/or substance abuse issues. They intend to host clients for both individual and group counseling during day and evening hours. The building owner has assured them that they will have at least 10-12 off-street parking spots for their use.

Minnesota Alternatives reached out to neighbors to address issues, and presented at our October Committee meeting. After hearing resident concerns and the owners' responses, the Committee voted to submit a letter of support for the clinic as part of its licensing and approval process.

Representatives from the University of St. Thomas presented its new Campus Master Plan at our October meeting.

St. Thomas has identified 14 potential projects, including two new academic buildings, more housing and more parking, in the 10-year, $300 million master plan. The potential campus projects include a third science and engineering building, a new Summit Avenue building for the arts, up to 437 additional beds in four new buildings and up to 631 additional parking spaces.

To comment on the master plan email campusmasterplan@stthomas.edu. You also can contact Doug Hennes, vice president for government relations and special projects at 962-6402, or Amy Gage, neighborhood liaison at 962-6123.

St. Paws Dog Daycare and Boarding at 1920 University Avenue was recently evaluated. The City was making a determination as to whether the use of the property as a pet boarding facility is consistent with the T3 zoning in the area. The Department of Safety and Inspections had some concern about the impact of the business on Iris Park, which is one location used for pet relief. After gathering community input, the Committee made a recommendation supporting the business without conditions.

The city's Planning Commission recently made a determination consistent with our Committee's recommendation. It concludled that the dog day care and boarding facility is similar to other uses within T3 zoning, allowing the continued operation of St. Paws as long as it maintains an indoor pet relief area (which it has) and promtly disposes of any waste occurring outside of the building during dog walking.

A new business has opened at 181 Snelling Avenue, just north of Selby (in the location of the former Cupcake). Called The Naughty Greek, it is a greek-inspired restaurant. The restaurant owner applied for a beer and wine license, and the Committee recently made a recommendation to approve the license.

The business owner also requested permission from the city to fill in a tree trench in the boulevard to accomodate a sidewalk patio. The city approved this request.

The owners of the Happy Gnome in the Cathedral Hill neighborhood have leased the former J & R Cleaners & Laundry space at 1668 Selby (at the corner of Selby and Pierce, pictured to the left), across from Taste of Thailand. They opened an establishment called Augustine’s Bar and Bakery -- a coffee shop and full service restaurant and bar focused on craft beer and scratch cuisine. They hope to create a cozy, casual neighborhood vibe, and to be a place where you can enjoy your morning coffee and fresh pastry, and then come back after work to enjoy a pint and a meal.  They also feature a weekend brunch.

They have applied for a full liquor license, and a license to serve alcohol outdoors on the sidewalk. The Committee submitted a letter of support for both licenses.

Trustees of the residence at 36 North Mississippi River Boulevard have applied to split the lot to create a second parcel, likely to construct a second single family home there. In the image to the left, the current parcel is highlighted. The vacant portion of the parcel is on the east side, and is currently lawn space.

The Committee discussed this issue and decided not to make an official recommendation at this time. If you have any concern about this lot split, please contact us.

An affordable housing project called Lexington Station is being proposed on Lexington Avenue between I-94 and University Avenue, just to the east of the Wilder Foundation's parking facility.

The project is a collaboration between Michaels Organization, a large affordable housing developer, and CPM Companies, the local development partner. This is a significant project, with a projected 246 living units in two separate buildings, which would be constructed on a now-vacant Wilder-owned parcel. The properties would be separated by green space and pedestrian and bicycling paths.

The Committee has heard a presentation by some of the project partners, including Erin Anderson from Cuningham Group Architecture. They will likely be back before the Committee in the coming months to request input and recommendations on the site plan for this project.

A property owner has purchased the former used auto dealership at the northwest corner of Snelling and Dayton Avenues. He intends to improve the lot with fencing and landscaping to provide parking spaces for the adjacent businesses at the northwest corner of Snelling and Selby Avenues. The site plan for the property (see image) has received a recommendation from the Committee, and approval by the City.

The 128 Cafe has been granted a variance to expand the parking lot (currently behind the building) to create four additional parking spots on the east side of its building.  The photo (left) shows the site where the parking lot will be constructed (to the right of the building at 2057 Laurel/128 Cleveland). The required set-back from the adjacent property line is 9 feet, and the parking lot would provide only 7 feet of set-back space, requiring the 2-foot variance. The committee had sent a letter of support for the small variance that would allow four additional parking spaces, but did not support a larger variance that would accommodate six additional spaces. Additionally, the 128 Cafe is applying for a full liquor license for its restaurant at 128 Cleveland Avenue. It has received the required waiver from the University of Saint Thomas to obtain a license nearby a chapel, and received a letter of support from the Committee.

Earlier this year, representatives of RS EDEN presented a proposal to purchase a vacant property and build a new housing development at 1509 Marshall Avenue. The current buildling is pictured. The project would have built 60-70 small units of low-wage workforce housing with modest rents with access to transit in proximity to current and future jobs.

We recently learned that another owner purchased this property, ending RS EDEN's development pursuit. Watch here for updates as to what will become of 1509 Marshall.

The Union Park District Council has been hoping to work with our community to transform the vacant property at the northwest corner of Snelling and I-94 into an inviting green space.  The stretch of land between St. Anthony Avenue and Bremer Bank is owned by MnDOT. We would like see this plot transformed into a welcoming common space there with trees, plantings, seating, solar-powered lighting, public art, and an interactive pathway designed to encourage residents to walk through and enjoy the space.

Why improve this space?  This common area would create an attractive gateway for people entering the neighborhood, increasing the commercial potential of the area between I-94 and University Avenue. This site is located directly across Snelling from the vacant “Bus Barn” property – the future site of a Major League Soccer stadium. Improvements to this parcel will support the redevelopment of the 34.5-acre Midway Shopping Center site into a vibrant, transit-oriented, higher-density urban village.

Additionally, this improvement will enhance the walkability of our community. The Green Line light rail station at Snelling and University Avenues is within a half-mile of the residential area to the south, but few people make the trek along Snelling to light rail, because heavy traffic, air pollution, overgrown invasive plants, and litter make the walk unsafe and unappealing. For this reason, creating pleasant public green space along Snelling was identified as a priority solution in a recent community walkability project with residents, business owners, the District Councils Collaborative, City staff, and MnDOT engineers.

Summer 2015: We partnered with the Friendly Streets Initiative and its Better Bridges for Stronger Communities project to conduct a survey and engage people on the space. Residents viewed a gallery of images, and told us their priorities for improving the parcel.  You can review the survey results here. We also initiated a watershed survey by the Capitol Region Watershed District, who could design (and fund part of) a rain garden on a portion of the parcel.

Fall 2015: In collaboration with the Friendly Streets Initiative and the Saint Paul Riverfront Corporation, we participated in a workshop with community members, MnDOT and city staff, and other partners to create a detailed vision for the space.  We took a walking tour of the area, analyzed the sapce, shared some food together, and came up with a design concept to make the space welcoming for our community.

Winter 2015: We took the community-guided design that is created during the fall workshop and provide it to MnDOT and Capitol Region Watershed District designers. Additionally, we shared the Snelling Commons vision with the architect working on the Midway Shopping Center redevelopment Master Plan.

Spring 2016: We hoped to organize a committee of community members to assist and advise on the implementation of the project, and planned to reach out to potential partners to help with the funding of the project.

Unfortunately, MnDOT has indicated that it would like to transfer its ownership of the site to another entity, and it is not interested in investing in improvements to the site at this time. MnDOT's participation in this project is crucial, as the property owner and as a funder of the plants and organic materials to be installed there. So, the project is on hold while we wait to see how the parcel ownership plays out. We continue to advocate for improvements to the site!