Billboard battle continues at 280/I94

Technical and procedural questions weren’t a good sign for OutFront Media’s effort to convert an area freeway billboard for digital use. The St. Paul Planning Commission Sept. 25, 2026 laid over the billboard conversion request to allow time for commissioners’ questions to be answered.
The request returns to the commission Oct. 9.

Commissioners indicated that they are struggling with the request for a variance and whether or not it meets required findings. One finding to meet is “plight” not created by the property owner. Commissioners asked if a request for a dynamic display sign event meets the finding of plight.
Another issue is with the signs slated for removal or sign credits in exchange for a dynamic display sign. Some of signs aren’t in active use although they are considered to be active by OutFront Media. Other signs are blocked by foliage.

OutFront Media’s plan to convert the east side of a billboard near Interstate 94 and Highway 280 for digital use is opposed by the St. Anthony Park Community Council and the Union Park District Council, as well as the anti-billboard group Scenic Saint Paul.

The sign is at 2516 Wabash Ave., in St. Anthony Park’s planning district. But it is across I-94 from Union Park.

The project would replace a static 14’ x 48’ billboard east face with a 14’ x 48’ lit digital or dynamic sign.

To do the sign conversion and change the sign angle, OutFront Media needs a relocation of nonconforming use permit for the angle change and a variance to move the sign without bringing it into full conformance with all applicable city codes.

The angle change is needed because the sign currently is within the view of two residences. That’s OK for a static sign but not for a dynamic sign.

OutFront Media contends that by adding a dynamic signs along the freeway and removing signs in neighborhoods, the company is meeting the city’s goal of reducing the number of billboards overall. A longtime city policy is that neighborhood signs can be taken down and credit given toward dynamic signs along the freeways that run through St. Paul.

Gerrit Hooker, real estate manager for OutFront Media, and city planners Chris Hong and Bill Dermody explained the request.

Hooker said that 19 billboards with a total of 33 sign faces would come down. Seventeen structures are in neighborhoods. One is near I-94 and Vandalia Avenue and the other is near Interstate 35E and Maryland Avenue.

St. Paul does not allow new billboards, said Hong. In this case the billboard to be angled and converted is an existing nonconforming use. The variance is needed according to the city zoning administrator.

The sign credit policy provoked controversy more than a year ago when interim Ward Four Council Member Matt Privratsky changed it with no community input. His action set aside a list of billboards all 17 district councils had prepared, which indicated priorities for removal prepared by all 17 district councils. Now billboard companies can take down any billboard in exchange for sign credits. One concern Scenic Saint Paul raised is that billboard companies could remove less visible and unused billboards to get sign credits

Billboard relocation and conversion ordinances mandate that OutFront Media remove six square feet of illuminated billboard space or eight square feet of non-illuminated billboard space, for each square foot of dynamic display space created. City and OutFront Media staff negotiated the list of smaller billboards to be removed.

Another question raised by commissioners is timing. OutFront began removing signs in 2019 to obtain sign credits for the 2516 Wabash billboard. But for what the company calls “a variety of reasons,” it was unable to complete the sign conversion project after winning City Council approval.