Midway Como Frogtown Monitor

Public hearing on Hamline library replacement, other CIP projects slated for June 14

Funding for Hamline-Midway Branch Library renovation or replacement is one of five projects that made it through the first round of the 2022-2023 Long-Range Capital Improvement Budget (CIB) process. … more

By JANE McCLURE | 6/9/21

Midway resident Susan Gainen is part of Art to Change the World, which will have a pop-up event at Sociable Cider Werks on Aug. 8 from noon to 8 p.m. (Photo submitted)

Midway resident part of Art to Change the World

When Art to Change the World director Barbara Bridges saw all the new construction of apartment buildings going up in her Northeast neighborhood she saw potential art buyers and collectors moving in. … more

6/9/21

Rebecca Calvo is the interim director at District 10 Como Council.

In Brief June 2021

St. Paul edges out MinneapolisSt. Paul bumped Minneapolis to third and took second in annual Trust for Public Land’s 2021 ParkScore® index. Washington, DC, is the best city park system in … more

6/9/21

Standoff over development continues

By JANE McCLURE The St. Paul City Hall standoff over the Lexington Station mixed-use development continues. The Minnesota Attorney General’s Office won’t be asked to weigh in on … more

6/9/21

District 10 Executive Director Michael Kuchta is leaving.

District Council Executive Directors bid farewell

Como District 10 and Hamline Midway Coalition are both looking for new executive directors.After almost six years in the position, Como District 10 Executive Director Michael Kuchta is moving out of … more

5/12/21

Folks ride with Mayor Melvin Carter to celebrate the opening of the newly completed trail along Ayd Mill Road on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2020. Off-street trails along Como Ave. and Johnson Parkway were also completed in 2020. (Photo submitted)

St. Paul Bicycle Coalition advocates for safer biking options and connections

The bicycle system in St. Paul is improving each year, in part due to the advocacy of the St. Paul Bicycle Coalition.Co-chairs Andy Singer and Ian Buck point to the increased number of bicycle lanes, … more

By TESHA M. CHRISTENSEN | 5/12/21

{ Development Roundup } May 2021

New tenant for old WalmartAt Home, a Texas-based home furnishings and decor store, is moving into the former Midway Walmart at 1450 University Ave. City officials in April issued a building permt to … more

By JANE McCLURE | 5/12/21

Who will get STAR grants?

Creation of an African retail plaza, a new home for the Keystone Community Services food shelf and improvements to the pavilion at Como Park are among the hopefuls competing for 2021 Neighborhood … more

By Jane McClure | 5/12/21

See "Summer of Soul" at an outside event taking place at Como Pavilion on Thursday, May 13. (Photo submitted)

40 years for International Film Festival

In a year that has seen its share of trauma with the ongoing pandemic and the tragedies of George Floyd and Daunte Wright, the Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival (MSPIFF) has reached an … more

By JAN WILLMS | 5/12/21

Raie Gessesse Awarded Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowship

Hamline University alumna Raie Gessesse ’20 has been awarded a Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans. Chosen from a pool of 2,445 applicants, Gessesse is one of 30 outstanding … more

5/12/21

Chroma Zone returns

Rather than eight days in the fall, this year’s Chroma Zone will kick off in May with a four-day live painting event at Bang Brewing called the Bang It! Mural Meet, curated by Peyton Scott … more

5/12/21

Mayor vetoes city council vote on Lexington station project

The much-debated Lexington Station mixed-use project likely can proceed, despite objections from some St. Paul City Council and community members. April ended with a 5-2 vote by council members … more

By Jane McClure | 5/12/21

Nick Kor, of the Asian Minnesotan Alliance for Justice, said, “A fundamental belief of our alliance is that we have to name the racism against Asian Americans. We must be clear and we must speak up.” (Photo by Margie O’Loughlin)

Asian Minnesotan leaders name the racism

In the wake of a shooting spree in Georgia that left six Asian Americans dead last month, the Asian Minnesotan Alliance for Justice is encouraging the community to name the racism.Nick Kor is a … more

By MARGIE O’LOUGHLIN | 4/14/21

Hamline-Midway Library may be torn down

The fate of the Hamline-Midway Branch Library could be decided this year, during St. Paul’s 2021 Long-Range Capital Improvement Budget (CIB) process. The city’s CIB Committee will be … more

By Jane McClure | 4/14/21 | 1 comment

A PATH FORWARD

Ramsey County doesn’t want to return to the status quo.While 2020 was a hard year with unemployment spiking at 11% last May, it brought ongoing workforce disparities to the forefront, and the … more

By TESHA M. CHRISTENSEN | 4/14/21

Minnesota’s First Economic Competitiveness & Inclusion Plan implemented in Ramsey County

On March 23, the Center for Economic Inclusion (the Center) joined its peer consultants Fourth Economy, NEOO Partners, MZ Strategies, and Urban3 to present the first-ever Economic Competitiveness and … more

4/14/21

Over 500 people marched along the Mississippi River on March 11 to protest Enbridge drilling their tar sands Line 3 pipeline under the headwaters of the Mississippi. It was part of the largest ever grassroots multi-faith day of action to lift up bold climate demands in over 40 countries. (Photos by Margie O’Loughlin)

Line 3 threatens Mississippi River

Minnesota Interfaith Power and Light held a rally on March 11 to protest the Enbridge Energy Line 3 Pipeline Replacement Program. A spokesperson for the group said, “Construction of the tar … more

4/14/21

Cardboard placed in recycling bins is picked up by Eureka Recycling and sorted at their NE Minneapolis facility. It ends up here at WestRock in the Midway neighborhood, where it is remade into one of two types of recycled paper. (Photo by Margie O’Loughlin)

Understanding the life cycle of recycled cardboard

For people who care about conserving resources, recycling is a given. But what really happens to all the cardboard and paper dumped in curbside recycling bins? Mike Gunderson is general manager of … more

By MARGIE O’LOUGHLIN | 4/14/21

Lexington Station denied

Lexington Station and its 288 apartments won’t be built near Lexington Parkway and University Avenue. On a 4-3 vote April 7, 2021, the St. Paul City Council rejected an appeal by developer … more

By Jane McClure | 4/14/21

Trent Bowman is the president of NAREB, a coalition of Black real estate professionals. He said, “Throughout history, people of color have been left out of the homeownership game. It’s about leaving a legacy. It’s about building wealth in our communities. We have to understand the history of housing discrimination, so we can work in the present to leave something for our kids in the future.” (Photo courtesy of NAREB)

Part II: The Twin Cities housing market

In last month’s article about the Twin Cities housing market during COVID-19, real estate professionals characterized the market as “frenzied.” A picture emerged of Minneapolis and … more

By MARGIE O’LOUGHLIN | 4/14/21