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This past fall the City Council passed a Ford Zoning and Public
Realm Master Plan. The Ford site had previously been zoned industrial, which is
one of the most permissive zoning types we have in the City. Rezoning the site
to a mixed use development much more closely aligns with the types of
development that are occurring in our neighborhood, and throughout the City.
Additionally, passing this higher type of zoning now protects our neighborhood
from land uses and activities otherwise allowed that are incompatible with what
we want to live next to.
Ford also very recently announced that they have placed the
land on the market and are seeking bids from a master developer. Once they have
selected a master developer, that entity will have to do further environmental
and traffic analysis, and because of the City’s Ford Zoning Plan we passed,
will also now have to present a detailed, master site plan to the City for
approval before it’s able to build on the site. I’m proud of the work we’ve
done in developing the Zoning Plan for the site, and look forward to the work
we have ahead in reviewing any master site plan that’s proposed.
Additionally, the Riverview Corridor Policy Advisory Committee voted for a
modern streetcar route along West 7th as a locally preferred alternative
for creating a new transit connection between downtown St. Paul and the
Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. This connection would cross the
river at Highway 5, but the Committee also voted to ensure that the Riverview
Corridor would study connecting this new transit line with the blue line,
utilizing the Ford site development.
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Pedestrian and Street Improvements
While it’s always frustrating to face construction related
delays, once it’s completed I’m always thankful to be able to walk along a new,
safer sidewalk, or drive down a smooth road. This construction season ended
with many improvements throughout Ward 3. A few highlights include:
* Highland Parkway, between Snelling Avenue and
Hamline Avenue
* Cleveland Avenue, from St. Paul Avenue to Ford
Parkway
* Ford Parkway, from the Mississippi River Bridge
to Howell Avenue
Additionally, Snelling Avenue received parking bays to
prepare for medians being installed next summer, between Highland Parkway and
Randolph Avenue. I’m looking forward to the traffic calming effects the medians
will have, as well as improved pedestrian safety measures it creates for people
trying to cross Snelling Avenue.
Next year there will also be pedestrian safety improvements
along Grand Avenue, from Hamline Avenue to Victoria Avenue, and sidewalks will
be installed in many areas where they are missing by Expo Elementary. The
sidewalks being installed are being paid for by a federal grant the City
received for this project, which also means that neighbors will not be assessed
for this improvement.
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Full Stack Saint Paul
I have done a lot of work on job growth and retention in
Saint Paul throughout my time on the City Council, and am particularly proud of
the work of the Innovation Cabinet – a group created by myself and Mayor Chris
Coleman. As a co-chair of the Innovation Cabinet, I helped lead this group of
business and community leaders in a focused effort to identify ways to expand
job and business growth in the innovation and technology sectors in St. Paul.
As a result of this group’s work, the Cabinet’s action strategy – Full Stack
Saint Paul – was released this summer.
Full Stack Saint Paul is a private/public sector
collaboration, co-led by the City and the St. Paul Area Chamber of Commerce,
that provides a full range of services to help technology and innovation sector
businesses start up and scale up in our City. There are already exciting things
happening in this area, and I’m excited to continue to help with this effort in
2018.
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Happy New Year!
2017 was a busy year for the Ward 3 office, and I wanted to start 2018 by sending out an update with a few highlights from 2017.
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Contact me!
I love hearing from constituents, and want people to know that you are always feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns you may have, as well as to share ideas for great ways to continue to work to make Saint Paul the most livable city in America.
Please share your thoughts with me however is most convenient for you:
ward3@ci.stpaul.mn.us
(651) 266-8630
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