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Plans to redevelop the former Hy-Vee/YMCA land are moving forward with a preliminary agreement for market rate apartments and public amenities.
Why it matters: There’s nothing new in the proposal and financial numbers aren’t public yet, but it is forward progress in a time when interest rates and other factors have stalled development across the city.
What’s proposed: The plan calls for “mixed-use development with market rate multi-family housing and a variety of public amenities along the regional trail, including an activated plaza area, amphitheater, pond hardscape, green space and play area.” The Economic Development Authority (EDA) will consider the preliminary agreement on Monday.
- No details: This preliminary development agreement doesn’t include any financial details or the scope of the development, though previous updates hinted at 450 units.
- Exclusive: In essence, this is an agreement to move forward exclusively with Swervo Development Corporation and Greco Properties
- AutoZone?: The EDA had a closed session at the last meeting to discuss the sale of the former AutoZone property. That property and the vacant lot to the north are not included in this agreement, which means they’re being considered for a separate redevelopment.
- Public input: The agreement specifically requires the developer to participate in “one or more community open house(s) to solicit public input” and “other neighborhood meetings as may reasonably be requested by the EDA,” in addition to the legally required public hearings.
More apartments?: Yes. Housing makes the project financially feasible and allows for other amenities, such as a restaurant and public space. The less housing there is, the more public money is required (as discussed previously).
- Also, there’s that nationwide housing shortage.
Timeline
The redevelopment of this area has been a long time coming. Here’s how we got where we are today:
- Late 2018 – Hy-Vee finalizes purchase agreement with YMCA, sale closes in early 2019.
- October 2019 – YMCA’s original building closes.
- 2020 – YMCA building demolished.
- April 2022 – Hy-Vee abandons redevelopment plans.
- June 2022 – City reviews conceptual plans and makes an offer for Hy-Vee land.
- August 2022 – EDA approves purchase agreement with Hy-Vee (though plan is to transfer purchase to a developer) with detailed conceptual plan.
- September 2022 – Developer presents preliminary proposal.
- December 2022 – When the city couldn’t finalize a developer agreement in time, the city bought the Hy-Vee/YMCA land to control development.
- May 2023 – State gives TIF approval, an issue that was holding up redevelopment.
- June 2023 – Former AutoZone is considered for separate redevelopment.
- June 2023 – Current preliminary agreement considered.
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4 Responses
We do not need any more apartment houses in West Saint Paul. The more apartment houses there are means there are more people in the community who have little or no connections with the community. Which means more crime, violence, and eventually creating an undesirable community to live in.
About half of West St. Paul is—and has been for some time—renters. Are you suggesting half this town is violent criminals who don’t care about the community? Having spent last weekend at a local event organized primarily by renters, I can attest that there are plenty of renters here with deep connections to the community.
Patience Grasshopper Patience.
I’d like to see industry (not of the factory kind), commerce, jobs and employment. Let’s have both housing and jobs generating commerce and revenue for WSP.