Saint Paul Downtown Alliance

Saint Paulidays?are aglow with these three iconic events!?? ? ??The festive season kicked off last weekend with the annual tree lighting ceremony. Enjoy the magical lights in Rice Park all season long!??? ? ???Explore the?European Christmas Market over four weekends (Nov. 29-Dec.?22)?for traditional treats, gifts, mulled wine and beer!???? ???GLOW Holiday Festival?at?CHS Field?offers a walk-through experience of twinkling lights and fun festivities starting today, Nov. 21 through Jan. 5.?

The results of a study we commissioned as part of our Downtown Investment Strategy points to the possibilities of downtown by identifying 10 buildings that are strong candidates for a successful office space-to-residential conversion. If achieved, this conversion would result in nearly 4,000 new residential units — injecting added vibrancy to our city.? ? Converting under-utilized office space into housing is one of the main priorities of our Downtown Investment Strategy — and this study demonstrates how downtown is poised for one of the greatest transformations in the city’s history. ? Read the news about our study in the Pioneer Press:?https://lnkd.in/gsQRMS9Z

Join us tomorrow for the launch of our new monthly Lowertown Social Hour series from 4-6 p.m. at Bullvino’s Churrascaria! ?? Proudly hosted by us and our amazing supporters, this series is all about showing love to Lowertown and downtown businesses while offering a relaxed, fun space to connect with others who share a passion for downtown Saint Paul. Don’t miss this chance to support local businesses, meet other community members and celebrate what our vibrant downtown has to offer. Read more about downtown activity in our weekly newsletter:?https://conta.cc/3CgD23o

Hope everyone had a #HappyHalloween! This week was exciting as we kicked off our downtown resident meeting series with Councilmember Rebecca Noecker. If you missed it, our next event is 9 a.m., Monday, November 4 at Lost Fox.? ? These meetings are a great opportunity to share community updates and hear about next steps regarding the Downtown Improvement District expansion and other changes in downtown.? ? Speaking about changes in downtown, owner of Hepcat Coffee Terry John Zila was interviewed by The Minnesota Star Tribune recently to talk about his growing business and what it is like being a business owner in an evolving Downtown Saint Paul:?https://lnkd.in/gJ4yhjSY

Downtown residents, business owners and community leaders are invited and encouraged to share and explore initiatives to strengthen Lowertown, St. Paul tomorrow (Tues. 10/15) at Lost Fox.? ? Then, later this month we’ll be teaming up with Councilmember Rebecca Noecker and the CapitolRiver Council for a series of community meetings where we'll be diving into updates on various downtown projects, including the much-anticipated Downtown Investment Strategy, commercial real estate endeavors and more.? ?? See the full list of these upcoming events in our newsletter — and while you’re at it, be sure to sign up to our email list at the link below!???????#DowntownStPaul? https://conta.cc/480Wa1i

We’re thrilled the City Council has approved the formation of a new Saint Paul Downtown Improvement District covering all of downtown — now including Lowertown —?allowing us to continue our “Safe and Clean” initiatives and grow our ability to address public safety through new programs and strategies. The new Downtown Improvement District aims to deliver short-term improvements that will benefit all of Saint Paul’s downtown.? ? Read all about this development in our Around (down)town newsletter: https://conta.cc/3z34TDe

Last week, we joined in celebrating the life of Saint Paul's longest-serving mayor, George Latimer. Like many people in Saint Paul, we are inspired by Mayor Latimer’s legacy and especially proud of his commitment to downtown Saint Paul, which included securing a $10 million grant from the McKnight Foundation in 1978 to revitalize Lowertown. Mayor Latimer’s body of work is a reminder that bold action is what takes us forward — and we’re honored to build on his accomplishments by partnering with a great set of leaders from the public and private sector to write the next chapter in Saint Paul’s story.?

While the State Fair is top-of-mind for many this week, we can’t help calling out a few new retail success stories at the Union Depot that are adding to the scene in Downtown Saint Paul. The 1881 by Lake Elmo Inn is a new restaurant in the Depot (may we recommend the Pub Steak sandwich?), and Story Line Books will bring a focus on fiction and children’s books as the new neighbor of Lowertown Bike Shop and Coffee Station and Choo Choo Bob’s Train Store. Congrats to these new businesses — and welcome to Downtown Saint Paul!?https://lnkd.in/gzhWDhBx

A super sweet summer Saturday in Saint Paul caps an eventful week in the city: Mayor Melvin W. Carter III exemplified his commitment to downtown by announcing investments in public safety, meanwhile the Union Depot announced its retail space being fully leased. We hope to see you downtown on Saturday to enjoy the Minnesota Summer Craft Beer Festival, Hozier live in concert, plus the final show of the summer for the Ordway Inside Out series in Rice Park.? ? Read all the details in our Around (down)town newsletter:?https://conta.cc/4dLfX6r

We're glad to work in partnership with Mayor Carter and his team!