Then & Now: Robert & Annapolis

Thanks to FoodSmith, Inver Grove Ford, and Southview Animal Hospital for their support.

Here’s a look at the Robert Street and Annapolis Street intersection in 1963 and 2023. Both images are looking south at the entrance to West St. Paul.

Robert & Annapolis: 1963

This stretch of Robert Street used to be the commercial heart and soul of West St. Paul. The West Twins Theater—on the east side of the road with the tall, rotating sign—used to be a major attraction. Retail began shifting south in the later decades and by the early 2000s much of this area was slated for redevelopment.

Back then the ‘welcome to West St. Paul’ sign was a simple street sign (and apparently we were home to Miss Minnesota?), later replaced with a larger West St. Paul sign.

Robert & Annapolis: 2023

There have been a lot of changes in 60 years. Buildings on both sides have been completely demolished and redeveloped. The road itself has had a major redo with the median starting at Annapolis.

The West St. Paul sign has been replaced with the West St. Paul/Dakota County monument sign in front of the Gateway building.

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(Thanks to the City of West St. Paul for the photos. West St. Paul Reader is not endorsed, affiliated with, or sponsored by the City of West St. Paul.)