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| [Villagers galore at a West Saint Paul grocery.] |
Headline: Second six-story building eyed for site near stadium; Plan includes market-rate apartments and restaurant
Author: Jane McClure
Short short version: A developer wants to build a mixed-use building by Snelling and University Avenues. The site is currently the Furniture Barn store and a vacant building, both one story. There are low-income and homeless people in the area, and churches nearby. Neighbors are concerned about traffic and parking. One person questioned the need for market rate housing in the area, rather than affordable housing. [AFAIK, there has been no market rate housing built on University anywhere between the far west part of University Avenue and downtown, in the last few decades, maybe even fifty years. This would be the first in a long time.] Quote from the developer: "the apartments will be marketed to people who do not own cars." There will be a "bike lounge." [My whole world is a bike lounge.]
Headline: Citizens debate future direction of St. Paul; Commission sifts through over 1,000 comments on 2040 Comprehensive Plan
Author: Jane McClure
Short short version: Saint Paul is updating its Comprehensive Plan and people sent in comments or commented in person. [I was impressed with the comments!]
Headline: Wellington scales back six-story housing project; MnDOT parcel deemed too costly by developer
Author: Jane McClure
Short short version: A [totally different] proposal to build a six-story building by Snelling and University will not have as many stories or will be slightly smaller than previously thought. MnDOT is asking a lot of money for their parcel of land, or at least the developer thinks so. Quote form the article: "The property is listed on the MnDOT website for a minimum bid of $1.15 million; it was purchased by the state in the early 1960s when I-94 was built and has been vacant ever since." [Um, the public agency which condemned a huge swath of Saint Paul and displaced thousands in the name of "progress" while also destroying a huge part of the city's tax base is now asking for a lot of money after sitting on the land, which provided zero tax revenue for the city, for fifty years. Just sell the land to the developer and get it back on the tax rolls and providing housing for people!] It will have 40 or so fewer apartments than before. [The Villager article includes my point about zero market rate housing being built!] There is very low apartment vacancy rate and demand for new apartments. [PROTIP: If you build more housing, there will be more housing, which will help keep housing affordable.]
Author: Jane McClure
Short short version: A [totally different] proposal to build a six-story building by Snelling and University will not have as many stories or will be slightly smaller than previously thought. MnDOT is asking a lot of money for their parcel of land, or at least the developer thinks so. Quote form the article: "The property is listed on the MnDOT website for a minimum bid of $1.15 million; it was purchased by the state in the early 1960s when I-94 was built and has been vacant ever since." [Um, the public agency which condemned a huge swath of Saint Paul and displaced thousands in the name of "progress" while also destroying a huge part of the city's tax base is now asking for a lot of money after sitting on the land, which provided zero tax revenue for the city, for fifty years. Just sell the land to the developer and get it back on the tax rolls and providing housing for people!] It will have 40 or so fewer apartments than before. [The Villager article includes my point about zero market rate housing being built!] There is very low apartment vacancy rate and demand for new apartments. [PROTIP: If you build more housing, there will be more housing, which will help keep housing affordable.]
Headline: Council delays vote on Concordia U purchase; City officials hesitant to let Midway bldg. become tax-exempt
Author: Jane McClure
Short short version: A university wants to buy a large building off University Avenue using city resources and the city does not want to give them the bonding money for it. The city seems pissed at the Port Authority for making the bond request on behalf of the school. [TBH this whole thing is so complicated and in-the-weeds and inside baseball that only a true finance nerd could care.] There is some question about which parts of the building the school might lease and which parts would pay taxes. [I don't understand why the school would want to have offices on both sides of the freeway.] The building is worth over $5M. The issue of the city's "get nonprofits to pay for stuff by asking really politely" (PILOT) program comes up.Quote from CM Brendmoen: "somehow we have to pay the bills." [TBH it seems a weird hill to die on, as this building is kind of strange and boring and uninteresting. I am sure CMs know something I don't. Like maybe the PILOT thing is not going well, as I predicted it would not..] CM Prince is quoted discussing the issue of campus boundary rules.
Author: Jane McClure
Short short version: A university wants to buy a large building off University Avenue using city resources and the city does not want to give them the bonding money for it. The city seems pissed at the Port Authority for making the bond request on behalf of the school. [TBH this whole thing is so complicated and in-the-weeds and inside baseball that only a true finance nerd could care.] There is some question about which parts of the building the school might lease and which parts would pay taxes. [I don't understand why the school would want to have offices on both sides of the freeway.] The building is worth over $5M. The issue of the city's "get nonprofits to pay for stuff by asking really politely" (PILOT) program comes up.Quote from CM Brendmoen: "somehow we have to pay the bills." [TBH it seems a weird hill to die on, as this building is kind of strange and boring and uninteresting. I am sure CMs know something I don't. Like maybe the PILOT thing is not going well, as I predicted it would not..] CM Prince is quoted discussing the issue of campus boundary rules.
Headline: Public sounds off on Crosby-Hidden Falls Park master plan
Author: Jane McClure
Short short version: The Parks Department wants to make a little-used park along the river more used by improving some things. [The trails there are SUPER BUMPY and need help.] There was a meeting about it. Erosion is an issue. The park floods a lot. Some ideas are restoring the trails, putting XX ski trails in [yes please], connecting things to the park up on the bluff. [Sounds good. Connecting to the river is a big thing Saint Paul could do to improve the city.]
Author: Jane McClure
Short short version: The Parks Department wants to make a little-used park along the river more used by improving some things. [The trails there are SUPER BUMPY and need help.] There was a meeting about it. Erosion is an issue. The park floods a lot. Some ideas are restoring the trails, putting XX ski trails in [yes please], connecting things to the park up on the bluff. [Sounds good. Connecting to the river is a big thing Saint Paul could do to improve the city.]
Headline: Watergate boaters fear park improvements will infringe on marina
Author: Jane McClure
Short short version: People who live in houseboats are worried about having too many people in the woods near the boats. [Watergate Marina is a fascinating place. See also this epic City Pages story about it. Fun Fact: if this story somehow becomes a minor Saint Paul scandal, it could be called "Watergategate."]
Author: Jane McClure
Short short version: People who live in houseboats are worried about having too many people in the woods near the boats. [Watergate Marina is a fascinating place. See also this epic City Pages story about it. Fun Fact: if this story somehow becomes a minor Saint Paul scandal, it could be called "Watergategate."]
Headline: Proposed rezoning for new tea house stirs up controversy on Grand
Author: Jane McClure
Short short version: An vacant former hair salon building on Grand Avenue wants to be rezoned so that they can serve tea and ice cream. The family who owns the nearby ice cream shop don't like the plan. The issue of the sanctity of the existing Grand Avenue "BC" zoning was brought up by advocates for the existing ice cream shop. The City Planner thinks the rezoning makes sense.
[Note: still no sign of the "News Roundup" section, which was full of say 4-6 interesting tidbits of local urban development and land use news. I guess it's been axed, and I suspect the paper is winnowing things due to profit concerns or some such, as is the way of print media these days. See also: Downtown Journal.]
Author: Jane McClure
Short short version: An vacant former hair salon building on Grand Avenue wants to be rezoned so that they can serve tea and ice cream. The family who owns the nearby ice cream shop don't like the plan. The issue of the sanctity of the existing Grand Avenue "BC" zoning was brought up by advocates for the existing ice cream shop. The City Planner thinks the rezoning makes sense.
[Note: still no sign of the "News Roundup" section, which was full of say 4-6 interesting tidbits of local urban development and land use news. I guess it's been axed, and I suspect the paper is winnowing things due to profit concerns or some such, as is the way of print media these days. See also: Downtown Journal.]
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