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A section of Grand Avenue will reopen Tuesday after five months of road construction that interrupted some retailers’ bottom lines.
The city will hold a celebration event from 4 to 6 p.m., marking the reopening of the area — Grand Avenue between Macalester and Wheeler streets.
Jennifer Gordon is the operations manager at the French Meadow Bakery & Café located on Grand and Macalester Street South. She said the summer months with road construction outside the restaurant were “not ideal.”
“We just had a lack of business — customers not wanting to either go through the mess or not being able to figure out how to get through it,” Gordon said. “It’s been challenging.”
One business, Roseline’s Candles, didn’t survive the construction. They closed on Aug. 31.
The café’s busiest time of year is the summer, she said. The silver lining, she said, was seating in French Meadow’s rear patio, away from construction.
“When people made it in,” Gordon said, “They still had a lovely experience in our back patio. But it was just getting people here.”
Gordon says business has picked up in the last couple of weeks. Some businesses braced for the worst and were pleasantly surprised.
Scott Fares is the co-owner of the independent arts supply store Wet Paint. The store, at the corner of Cambridge Street and Grand Avenue, has been around for 50 years, Fares said.
He said he thought the project would be catastrophic on the business, but the art supplies on offer and the store’s location helped out.
“When they’re coming to the art supply store, have already set their navigation to come to us and they just had to navigate that last block or two,” Fares said, “they’re not likely to turn around and go to another art supply store.”
Fares also said the north and south streets were kept open.
“We’re right on the corner, so our customers just have to navigate that last block,” he said. “We’ve got a little parking in the back, which helps with where to park when they come to see us.”
Fares also says the city was communicative with him during the project.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 29, 2025
CONTACT
Jennifer “JLor” Lor
JLor@ci.stpaul.mn.us
(651) 417-9454
SAINT PAUL—The Water Environment Federation (WEF) has awarded one of its three 2025 Project Excellence Awards to the green stormwater infrastructure system at Highland Bridge, recognizing it as a national model for sustainable urban redevelopment. This is the first time a project in Minnesota has received this prestigious honor.
The award celebrates forward-thinking infrastructure that addresses climate change, improves water quality, and supports redevelopment in growing urban areas.
Highland Bridge’s green stormwater infrastructure system combines visible surface features—like rain gardens, ponds, planted areas, and a daylighted stream—with underground storage and filtration to manage stormwater. Each year, the system treats about 64 million gallons of rainwater, keeping an estimated 20 tons of sediment and 147 pounds of phosphorus out of the Mississippi River.
“This award is a credit to all the people who showed up, shared ideas, and worked toward a shared goal,” said Mayor Carter. “Together, we created something that reflects the best of our city—strong, inclusive, and built for the future.”
The project is the result of a close partnership between Barr Engineering Co., the City of Saint Paul, Parks and Recreation, Public Works, the Capitol Region Watershed District, Ryan Companies US, Inc., and Confluence, who worked together to transform the 122-acre site of the former Ford assembly plant into a hub of green infrastructure—including mixed-housing, space for businesses, and new parks.
“Redeveloping this site didn’t just replace old structures, it redefined what this space could be,” said Melanie McMahon, Interim Director of Planning and Economic Development, who served as Executive Project Lead for Redevelopment in the Mayor’s Office. “When we started, the land carried decades of industrial history, contamination, and untapped potential. Now, through intentional design and collaboration, it’s a place for clean water, parks, and thriving communities. This project shows how purpose-driven transformation can reshape a city.”
The system not only improves water quality, but also restores natural water flows, enhances public spaces, and boosts neighborhood resilience.
The stormwater system draws from the goals of Saint Paul’s Climate Action and Resilience Plan and the Capitol Region Watershed District’s environmental and recreational recommendations:
- Landscaping includes more than 1,000 new trees, native and naturalistic plantings that evolve with the seasons, and a water-efficient irrigation approach estimated to use 50% less water than conventional systems.
- Filtered stormwater flows into a central water feature, through a recreated creek, under Mississippi River Boulevard via a 90-foot tunnel, and into Hidden Falls Regional Park.
- Pedestrian and bike paths line the creek, and a plaza overlooking Hidden Falls turns infrastructure into a public amenity.
- Trails connect to surrounding systems, increasing walkability and recreation access.
This recognition is a key benchmark in the city’s ongoing efforts to lead with climate-responsive, equitable, and adaptive infrastructure that meets today’s challenges and tomorrow’s needs.
“We are excited to be part of the team involved in this award-winning, once-in-a-generation project,” said Bob Fossum, Deputy Administrator at Capitol Region Watershed District. “The improvements to water quality, habitat, and connectivity to Hidden Falls Regional Park and the Mississippi River are incredible and will be enjoyed for generations to come.”
Nathan Campeau, Vice President and Senior Water Resources Engineer, Barr Engineering Co. said, “Highland Bridge’s district stormwater system achieves the community’s vision for restoring our natural resources and celebrating water: ultimately building a beautiful public realm, creating and connecting natural spaces, providing the heart of a new neighborhood, and cleaning polluted stormwater to protect our water resources.”
“The stormwater infrastructure is just one of the sustainability elements that make Highland Bridge stand out in the region,” said Maureen Michalski, Regional Senior Vice President of Development, Ryan Companies. “Along with being the first development in the state to earn a LEED Campus Certification, which takes a holistic view of sustainability, the project showcases how thoughtful planning can turn common approaches into innovative solutions.”
Project partners traveled to Chicago to attend the WEFTEC 2025 conference, where they accepted the award recognizing the entire project team’s collaborative achievements.
ABOUT HIGHLAND BRIDGE
Located along the Mississippi River in Saint Paul’s Highland Park neighborhood, Highland Bridge is a vibrant new development featuring housing, parks, commercial space, and sustainability-first infrastructure. The green stormwater system is a foundational element of its environmental vision.
ABOUT THE WATER ENVIRONMENT FEDERATION (WEF)
WEF is a nonprofit technical and educational organization serving over 30,000 water quality professionals globally. Its mission is to inspire the water community to advance human and environmental health. The WEF Awards & Recognition program honors individuals, utilities, projects, and associations that achieve high standards in environmental impact, innovation, design, operations, public outreach, and sustainability.
Our Response to the Digital Security Incident
Since July 25, the City of Saint Paul has been responding to a digital security incident. We’ve partnered with state and federal agencies - including the FBI, Minnesota Department of Public Safety, Minnesota IT Services, Minnesota National Guard, and other cybersecurity experts. Together, our teams have worked tirelessly to:
- Protect core City services, including emergency response and public safety.
- Take significant and proactive steps to defend our City and limit the impact of this incident.
- Securely recover and restore City systems.
Digital security is a global issue. This is one of a growing number of recent ransomware attacks, including on other major U.S. cities. We’re not unique in being targeted by criminal threat actors. Because we acted swiftly and decisively, we were able to limit the impact, safeguard critical services, and position our systems for a safe and secure recovery operation.
What’s Next
We are prioritizing restoration of critical applications and continue to safely and securely bring our systems back online. Full restoration is expected soon.
More information can be found on the City’s Digital Security Incident Info Hub
The Saint Paul Port Authority has agreed to acquire the south parcel of Fairview Health Services’ former hospital campus in downtown St. Paul for $1 — the first step in what the authority hopes will be a major redevelopment of the underused site.
The 5.55-acre site is part of the former St. Joseph’s Hospital campus at 45 W. 10th St. Four long-vacant buildings on the site will be demolished to make way for new development, according to the Port Authority.
The first newly-built fire station in St. Paul in 15 years officially opened Tuesday, replacing a building that dated to 1930.
The $12 million station in Dayton’s Bluff has room for more emergency vehicles and firefighters than the old station, which will mean they can have a bigger impact on the East Side, said Assistant Fire Chief Jeramiah Melquist. It was also constructed with firefighter health and wellness in mind.
“This is more than just a building,” said Fire Chief Butch Inks. “It’s … a promise that help is never far away. … When lives are on the line, seconds matter.”
Trees do many things for people who live in cities. They provide cool shade on hot summer days. They absorb carbon dioxide and other air pollutants. They soak up stormwater. And they raise property values. Yet in cities across the United States, a troubling trend holds true: On average, communities of color have one-third less tree canopy than majority-white areas, according to the nonprofit American Forests. In Saint Paul, Minn., there’s an additional challenge: An invasive insect called the Emerald Ash Borer is gradually eating many of the city’s trees from the inside out.
Tens of thousands of ash trees lining city streets are steadily losing limbs and toppling over in storms. For years, city leaders tried scraping funds out of the annual budget to cut down dead trees, remove stumps, and plant new trees—but that only seemed to make inequities worse. It was residents of affluent areas who usually advocated the loudest to have new trees planted nearby.
In 2022, Saint Paul leaders turned to an unlikely place for a fix: the municipal bond market. They issued their first-ever “sustainability bond,” raising $18 million to fund a more proactive and comprehensive citywide tree program—one that will, overtime, reduce disparities in tree cover.
In downtown St. Paul, an Indiana-based developer is proposing installing 300 units of market-rate housing in two new buildings to be erected on either side of the Green Line’s Central Station light-rail stop off Fifth and Cedar streets.
In downtown St. Paul, the outdoor seating area along Wabasha Street that frames the entrance to the Osborn370 building, the Alliance Bank Center and the former Ecolab tower next door is actually a public plaza — a city-owned amenity that hasn’t been spruced up since the city redeveloped it in 1997.
After 15 years of removing ash trees from the public right-of-way, St. Paul’s forestry department felled the last of some 30,000 of the trees from boulevards this year, all but capping the city’s efforts to get ahead of the dreaded emerald ash borer. That said, you’d be forgiven for not noticing.
The new fund will back major roads projects, starting with Grand Avenue
The city of St. Paul’s new 1 percent sales tax increase began Monday, raising the total county, state and local sales tax to nearly 10 percent — the highest in Minnesota, according to the Department of Revenue.
As residents adjust to a cost bump on nonessentials, they can expect construction signs in the coming months, too, as infrastructure projects backed by the new fund begin.
St. Paul’s 1% sales tax increase takes effect on April 1, and city leaders have unveiled which projects they’ll pay for first — including a rebuild of Grand Avenue, plus dozens more improvements to parks.
The city of St. Paul has committed nearly $32 million to subsidize affordable housing at the Heights, St. Paul’s new mixed-use development transforming the former Hillcrest Golf Course on the city’s East Side.
Hundreds of the Heights’ planned 1,050 units of housing — from studio apartments to owner-occupied homes — will be made available to lower income families, officials said, thanks to a combination of city tax subsidies and county, state and federal grants and credits. Construction is expected to start this summer.
Step aside, Spoonbridge and Cherry, because there’s a new huge statue in town.
Snelling Midway Redevelopment announced that a large-scale sculpture of a loon, Minnesota’s state bird, will be built in Midway. The statue’s construction is part of Snelling Midway Redevelopment’s United Village Project, a 35-acre project designed to revitalize and breathe new life into the Midway community. The artwork…
ST. PAUL, Minn. — St. Paul voters made it clear on election night—they want better roads.
The city projects a new sales tax will raise a billion dollars for road construction projects over the next 15 to 20 years.
“Anyone who lives in St. Paul knows that the streets are not in great shape, and especially during the winter,” Shelia Anderson said.
Forty-four miles of roads will be re-done—big ones too.
City of Saint Paul’s AAA Sewer Bonds Certified ‘Green’
The city continues to be a leader in its commitment to resiliency and protecting the environment
SAINT PAUL, MN – For the first time in city history, Saint Paul’s sewer bonds have been formally verified as “green bonds.” The city will issue these Sewer Revenue Bonds, Series 2023E (Green Bonds) with the independent second party opinion provided by Baker Tilly US, LLP.
The “green bond” designation provides investors with a verification that the city’s financing of major sewer repairs, stormwater quality improvements, tunnel rehabilitation, and sewer rehabilitation aligns with the International Capital Markets Association Green Bond Principles and the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals. The designation also provides investors with an opportunity to purchase bonds funding environmentally-oriented infrastructure improvement projects. As part of this issuance, the city implemented a Green Bond Framework that it will use to guide future green bond funding opportunities.
“Sustainability and green practices are core tenets of our economic development strategy,” said Mayor Melvin Carter. “These bonds being certified as ‘green’ is a testament to our ongoing commitment to the environment. We are hopeful this designation will attract more interested investors.”
The city recently launched its Climate Action Dashboard, which gives residents and investors access to information regarding green bonds and insight into the benefits of other ongoing city projects.
Saint Paul is committed to addressing climate change impacts in the community in an equitable and inclusive manner. Adopted in December 2019, the Climate Action & Resilience Plan guides the city’s work to achieve carbon neutrality in city operations by 2030 and citywide by 2050.
The city provides annual updates related to its “green bonds” on its Saint Paul Investor Relations website.
About the “Green Bonds” Designation
Since 2015, the city has annually issued bonds self-designated as green to complete sewer improvements, but this is the first time they have been formally designated by an outside party. Designating bonds as “green bonds” is just one of the many city initiatives supporting community resiliency.
Saint Paul was the first Minnesota municipal issuer to offer green bonds, and one of the first cities in the United States to issue green bonds with a par amount under $10 million.
About the Saint Paul Office of Financial Services, Treasury Division
The Saint Paul Office of Financial Services, Treasury Division manages all city financing needs. The city maintains an “AAA” rating for its sewer revenue bonds from S&P Global Ratings (“S&P”) and an “AAA” rating for its outstanding general obligation bonds from S&P and Fitch Ratings.
The Saint Paul Port Authority has successfully earned a LEED for Communities Platinum level precertification for The Heights, a brownfield redevelopment project slated to bring 1,000 new housing units and 1,000 living wage jobs to Saint Paul, Minnesota’s, Greater East Side.
This award was granted by the U.S. Green Building Council as part of its LEED for Cities and Communities certification program. Platinum is the highest level to be obtained and puts The Heights on course as the first project in the State of Minnesota and one of fewer than 55 communities worldwide to reach this milestone_._
“This precertification represents the Port Authority’s dedication to equitable and sustainable development. From day one, our objective at The Heights has been to bridge social, economic, and environmental investments to protect the health and wellness of those who live and work on the Greater East Side,” said Kathryn Sarnecki, chief development officer for the Saint Paul Port Authority. “Our next step is to find businesses that are poised for growth and share our commitment to sustainability to relocate to our light industrial parcels.”
A LEED for Communities Platinum® certification is achieved through a comprehensive rating system evaluation. To achieve Platinum certification, a minimum score of 80 points is required. The Heights received 87 points.
“After working closely with the Port Authority on this project, LHB is excited to see that the precertification score validates the work we’ve done on the front side and verifies that we’re on the right track with our plans for The Heights,” adds Rick Carter, chief executive officer for LHB.
Reflecting on these results, Asa Posner, vice president of sales, Sustainable Investment Group states, “Our engineers and LEED consultants have thoroughly enjoyed guiding the Port on precertification and are grateful to be part of the shared vision for a more equitable, resilient, prosperous, joyful, and sustainable community on Saint Paul’s Greater East Side.”
Developer Chris Sherman of Sherman Associates said he’s little more than a week away from finalizing a deal to acquire the 26-story Landmark Towers office building off Fourth Street, the first step toward a complete office-to-residential conversion that will create 187 new units of market-rate housing downtown, filling commercial space that’s increasingly becoming vacant.
In April of 2023, Environmental Finance awarded the Saint Paul Port Authority their distinguished 2023 Sustainabililty project bond of the year for the $15.9 million Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) Project issuance.
Environmental Finance Bond Awards judges said that this project stood out for its “interesting” work on invasive species. Emerald ash borer is an invasive insect that has killed millions of ash trees throughout the eastern half of the United States, devastating familiar landscapes and demanding an expensive clear-up.
This award recognises the work of the City of Saint Paul and the Saint Paul Port Authority who partnered to issue sustainability bonds that would finance the replacement of dead, dying, or at-risk ash trees.
The project bonds will finance the replanting of new trees throughout the City of Saint Paul and support the city’s removal of the stumps that were left behind from previous removals.
This will enable the Port and the City of Saint Paul to implement their replanting program, which integrates critical aspects of environmental and social sustainability in urban forest management to address the ongoing impact of humans on local ecosystems, as well as building greater climate resilience and reducing public health risks for disadvantaged neighborhods.
The authorities hope their bond program will become a model for other municipalities as they address similar issues.
Todd Hurley, president and CEO of Saint Paul Port Authority, says: "The Emerald ash borer project is a prime example of the Saint Paul Port Authority’s commitment to economic development and job creation. We are thrilled to have been part of implementing a sustainable and equitable solution to a pressing problem that affects our community.
Trees are more than just greenery; they are the lifeblood of our community. Protecting them is crucial, and with this project, we’re ensuring a better future for generations to come."
Sustainability project bond of the year: Saint Paul Port Authority
_* Saint Paul joins Los Angeles, California, and Vancouver, British Columbia in purchase of the Rosenbauer RTX electric fire truck _
Saint Paul, MN – Today, Mayor Carter and Fire Chief Inks announced that the Saint Paul Fire Department is embracing green energy to fight fires, becoming the first fire service in Minnesota to purchase an electric fire truck.
"We’re excited to be the first in the state to invest in this state-of-the-art fire truck,” said Mayor Carter. “It brings us all the critical green energy benefits of an electric vehicle, while meeting the high safety and efficiency standards we have for all our fire equipment.”
In 2020, Saint Paul Fire received demonstrations of the RTX from Austrian-based designer and manufacturer Rosenbauer, and again in January of 2023. Members of the department’s training division, apparatus selection committee, and vehicle maintenance personnel were impressed with the maneuverability, safety features, and functionality during these demonstrations.
“I was blown away by its overall performance and how quiet the rig is,” said Fire Chief Butch Inks. “Communication on fire scenes is important and can be extremely difficult, especially when six or seven loud diesel engines are operating in high idle.”
The investment in the RTX is in alignment with the City of Saint Paul Climate Action & Resilience Plan, which focuses on achieving carbon neutrality in city operations by 2030 and citywide by 2050. This work includes strategies to lessen the impacts of climate change through policy and regulatory actions the city can take to dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions, adapt to the changing climate, and improve quality of life in the city. In addition to furthering climate goals, this investment helps reduce diesel emissions and supports firefighters’ overall health and wellbeing.
“We take pride in our ability to identify and capitalize on opportunities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve air quality, and improve city services at the same time,” said Chief Resilience Officer Russ Stark. “Because emissions from larger vehicles are some of the hardest to tackle, this is a big milestone toward realizing our climate goals.”
Rosenbauer has started the build process on an RTX electric fire truck for Saint Paul, with delivery expected by 2025. Final assembly of the city’s and state’s first electric fire truck will be completed at Rosenbauer’s facility in Wyoming, Minnesota, with delivery expected to coincide with completion of a new Fire Station 7 on the city’s East Side.
“The Rosenbauer RTX is the fire truck of the future,” said Todd McBride, RTX Sales and Marketing Manager of Rosenbauer America. “With over 10 years of research and development, the RTX is built from the ground up using the most advanced materials and technologies. The RTX is the safest fire truck available - for firefighters, for communities and for the environment.”
The City of Saint Paul is submitting federal earmark funding requests to support the purchase of the state’s first electric fire engine.
_*This release has been updated following the incorrect identification of Madison, Wisconsin as having an RXT model electric fire truck. _
SAINT PAUL, MN – Today, the City of Saint Paul announced it has received reaffirmed AAA credit ratings from S&P Global and Fitch Ratings agencies, including stable outlooks as part of a city bond sale process.