Here’s to 10 years with the chamber

Chad Kulas

On June 22, 2015, I drove to the Spruce Tree Centre on a rainy Monday morning for my first day at the Midway Chamber of Commerce. It seems like most Chamber directors stay between three to seven years, so it feels a little surprising to celebrate my 10th anniversary.
I can think of several sayings about the passage of time, notably how 10 years have gone fast. But as I reflect on the past decade, so much has happened, and aspects of 2015 feel like a lifetime ago.
In June 2015, the Green Line celebrated its first anniversary and many businesses and customers were still sore about losing parking. In those early years, we saw ridership exceed expectations, only to see a pandemic majorly decrease it. Once again we are seeing an increase, but have a long way to reach the 2019 ridership of over 50,000 a week on the Green Line.
The big rumor floating around the Midway in summer 2015 was if the neighborhood would be home to a new Major League Soccer team. In typical Saint Paul fashion, there was mostly pessimism at the idea and a belief Saint Paul’s interest would just be used as leverage for a site in Minneapolis. But, within a few months there was a press conference announcing the big news that the Loons would call the Midway home and there would be a new stadium at the site of the old bus barn.
With the recent fifth anniversary of the start of COVID-19 and the murder of George Floyd, it means over half of my time with the Chamber is now after these two major moments. Both events dramatically shaped the Midway, and while it was sad to see damaged buildings it was heartwarming to see so many offer support. One of my proudest accomplishments is when the Midway Chamber, along with the Saint Paul Area Chamber and Saint Paul Downtown Alliance, raised over $1.3 million for those businesses and nonprofits impacted.
Occasionally someone will ask me to predict what the Midway will look like in five or 10 years. In order to consider the future, I look at the past and am reminded how the Midway’s history is always changing. Any snapshot of 10 years can show a dramatic difference, and these past 10 years have been no exception. Several new housing and mixed-use buildings have popped up, especially near station stops. When I started, our Ambassadors met at O’Gara’s; I think about that now when I go to Yum! Kitchen and Bakery.
But if I was to answer the question of what will change in the next 10 years, a few sites will be redeveloped. I think of the CVS and WestRock, as a couple examples of attractive sites that will get repurposed with both most likely to add many more jobs. Ten years from now, we will not only have Phase I of United Village complete, with a hotel, restaurants and office space, but we will probably have at least one more phase complete.
The past 10 years have been unforgettable for me. The Midway is a unique place filled with people who love it, and I’m lucky to be one of them. Here’s to many more memories and progress as we strive for a stronger Midway.