{ Development Roundup } March 2020

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By JANE McCLURE

University and Dale

Redevelopment work continues on the northwest corner of University Ave. and Dale St. The St. Paul City Council, acting as the Housing and Redevelopment Authority (HRA) Board, voted Feb. 26 on measures for the project. A five-story, mixed-use building with 20,000 square feet of commercial space and 40 affordable housing units is planned. The project has a value of more than $28 million.

The HRA Board approved the convergence of 621 University Ave. from city ownership to the Neighborhood Development Center (NDC) Entrepreneur Training Center. NDC is working with developer Wellington Management on the project.

Apartments planned for the building will be studios to three-bedroom units.

The property has been owned by the city since 1989. It was owned by the Alexander family. Patriarch Ferris Alexander owned and operated an X-rated theater at the corner, the Flick. The Flick and its neighbors, the Belmont Club and the Faust Theater, generated debate for years over adult uses in neighborhoods. The theaters were especially criticized and were the site of several protests. The Faust and Belmont sites were redeveloped several years ago.

The former Flick site was green space and has been used for many community gatherings over the years.

The HRA Board also took other action tied to the project. The board approved restructuring of two existing loans into one loan totaling more than $94,000. The board also released HRA mortgages on 625 and 627 University Ave., and obtained a new mortgage on 501 N. Dale St. The changes affect loans dating back to 1997 and 1999, as the city worked with NDC to redevelop the properties. The University sites will be part of the new mixed-use development and 501 Dale St. will be renovated.

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