Then & Now: 1010 Dodd

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Here’s a look at the demolition of 1010 Dodd in 2016 and how it looks today as the realigned Smith/Dodd intersection.

1010 Dodd: 2016

Originally built in 1930, this one-story, two-bay service shop at the corner of Smith Avenue and Dodd Road was most recently known as A&J’s Garage.

Pre-2016 photos of A&J’s Garage.

The City of West St. Paul purchased the property in 2015 for $150,000. It was demolished in February 2016 (here’s video of the demolition).

The city had no specific plan for redevelopment, and any proposals were hampered by the small, triangle-shaped lot and potential for an intersection realignment. The tragic killing of Mendota Heights Police Officer Scott Patrick also happened at the site, with some in the community wanting to see a memorial there.

The site was considered for community gardens in 2019, with a schematic design proposed that Mayor Dave Napier described as “the coolest thing I’ve ever seen.” Given the pending intersection realignment, the proposal didn’t go anywhere.

1010 Dodd: 2026

Today 1010 Dodd is no more, effectively replaced with the newly realigned intersection of Smith Avenue and Dodd Road. That realignment construction happened in 2025, with park construction coming in 2026. The park design includes an expanded Albert Park and a new Scott Patrick memorial.

The portions of the 1010 Dodd property that weren’t lost to the intersection became a stormwater management area that will include plantings, utility boxes, and bird/bee habitat.

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