Thanks to Dakota County for their support.
A developer proposed a new affordable apartment in West St. Paul. The project depends on tax credits coming through. A public open house is next week.
- What: A 75-unit, 4-story apartment building.
- Where: 212 Thompson Avenue East, currently a single-family home built in 1931 and the former site of the Gladstone School. It’s a 2.21 acre site adjacent to the four-story Westlyn apartment and the proposed 150 Thompson redevelopment. It’s sandwiched between a chiropractic clinic, townhouses, and a single-family home. There is another complex of three-story apartment buildings across the street.
- Rate: Affordable housing at 60% area median income (AMI).
- Parking: 67 underground parking stalls and 72 surface parking stalls.
- Amenities: Project amenities include a community room, fitness area, conference room, laundry facilities, walking paths, and outdoor play area.
- Who: Minneapolis developer Reuter Walton is behind the project. They’ve been involved in other apartment projects around the metro, including Dixies on Grand, a downtown conversion project, a Maplewood project that faced initial pushback but was eventually approved, and a trio of affordable housing projects in Minneapolis, Little Canada, and Columbia Heights.
This is a good example of how we keep the community informed. Support neighborhood news.
What’s Next?
- Rezoning: The property will require rezoning from single family to mixed-use, however that matches up with the land use designation in the Comprehensive Plan. The project does meet all significant zoning requirements.
- Tax credits: The project is contingent on receiving affordable housing tax credits from either the Dakota County Community Development Agency (CDA) or another agency. The City of West St. Paul has not offered any subsidies.
- Open house: There is an open house to share more details of the project on Tuesday, November 21 at 5 p.m. at Dakota Lodge at Thompson Park. Reuter Walton sent a letter to neighboring properties last week.
Nov. 16, 2023 Update: Clarifications & Details
We asked West St. Paul City Manager Nate Burkett to clarify a few things about this project. A big question is what kind of control the city has, and the answer is not a lot. The Comprehensive Plan (Comp Plan) guides city development and if a project fits the plan and follows the rules, a city can’t deny it without facing a potential lawsuit (that it would likely lose).
- Zoning: “That property should have been rezoned post-Comp Plan. There are lots of properties like that where the Comp Plan guiding is somewhat different than the current zoning,” said Burkett. “If it fits within the Comp Plan guiding, we have an obligation to rezone it, and if they can fit their project in—given the zoning requirements—there’s absolutely nothing that the city can do to stop it.”
- Subsidies and variances: The project is not currently asking for any variances and likely won’t need them, nor is the city offering any subsidies. These are typical tools a city has to control development.
- Tax credit: As stated above, the project will likely live or die on the availability of tax credits. That’s a question for the Dakota County CDA and outside of the control of the city.
This is the difference between a private redevelopment project like this one and a project where the city is more involved, like 150 Thompson. That case is a private-public partnership where the city owns the property and has more control over the outcome.
Nov. 21, 2023 Update: Open House
- Turnout: About 20 people showed up for an open house about the proposed apartment at 212 Thompson.
- Response: The developer gave a short presentation and then answered questions. Most were from upset neighbors.
- Rents: The proposed rents will be $100 to $500 less than nearby market rate apartments: $1,340 for a one bedroom, $1,660 for a two bedroom, and $1,925 for a three bedroom.
- Tax credit: The project is depending on tax credits to come from either Dakota County or the state. The state application process is in January and they would need to close by July, while the county process doesn’t start until July. The developer said they think they have a 30-40% chance of getting the tax credits, so this is far from a done deal.
Aug. 14, 2024 Update: City Recommends Denial
This project moves forward to Planning Commission, though the City of West St. Paul recommends denial.
Nov. 15, 2024 Update: City Recommends Approval
After some changes, the city is now recommending approval, albeit grudgingly.
Member support makes our neighborhood news freely available and not locked behind a paywall. Join now to keep your community informed.
One Response
I think West St Paul has enough apartments without further development of more . The area is not large enough for another apartment a stones throw from the other apartment. West St. Paul has more apartsments then single family homes, apartment renters are mobile and often move they do not contribute to the stability of the city. I know this first hand because i once owned a property management company and the turn over was great.