Stabilize Snelling and University Campaign launched

Jason Elyea-Wheeler

The Hamline Midway Coalition cares about our neighborhood because it’s where we live, work, play, and have built a strong sense of community. We also hear from our neighbors every day about the urgent need for change around one of the Midway’s most crucial intersections.
The challenges at Snelling and University aren’t just local – they impact the entire University Avenue corridor and resonate throughout the Twin Cities. This intersection sits in the heart of the Midway, a gateway for millions, and serves as a vital link between St. Paul and Minneapolis, functioning as both an economic and transit hub. Addressing public safety, vacancy, and public health here will create ripple effects across the metro and the state.
This campaign is grounded in what our community has clearly voiced: a desire for safety, livability, and compassionate, long-term solutions. Through direct engagement – whether at doorsteps or in neighborhood meetings – we’ve listened. Transforming vacant spaces like the CVS into community assets, expanding outreach to those most vulnerable, and improving transit safety all reflect the collective desire of this neighborhood for a safer, more vibrant future.
Revitalizing this corridor isn’t just about the Hamline Midway; it’s about stabilizing a key artery that connects us all. By investing here, we strengthen not only our community but also the broader economic health and vitality of St. Paul and the entire state. The future of this critical gateway impacts everyone – and it’s something we all have a stake in shaping.
Our work to achieve these goals has been underway throughout 2024, as we’ve engaged our neighbors, businesses, and city leaders to take meaningful steps forward.
• In February, we hosted a neighborhood listening session with the General Manager, Chief Operating Officer, former Chief of Metro Transit Police, and the Metropolitan Council Transportation Chair, drawing over 75 attendees.
• In March, we intensified our community engagement through door-to-door outreach, online feedback collection, and our Hamline Midway Coalition open house, gathering valuable input from residents focused on the priorities laid out in our 10-Year Plan.
• Additionally, we co-hosted a community meeting at Allianz Stadium to address neighborhood concerns about the state and future development of United Village. This event was part of our ongoing efforts to ensure that residents’ voices are heard on major developments in our area.
• In June, our development committee brought together community members and Director Angie Wiese from the Department of Safety and Inspections (DSI) to discuss the vacant CVS property. The meeting was attended by approximately 50 neighbors, highlighting the community’s investment in the future of this space.
• Throughout the spring, we reached out to dozens of local businesses, particularly those near Snelling and University, to provide information about Promise Act loan and grant funding while also listening to their ongoing concerns about the area.
• In August, we organized a meeting with leadership from Beacon Interfaith Housing Collaborative to address ongoing neighborhood concerns about Kimball Court. This led to the establishment of direct, ongoing communication with dedicated staff, focused solely on ensuring accountability and transparent dialogue with the Hamline Midway Coalition.
• Furthermore, we have organized nearly two dozen neighborhood cleanups between our monthly community events and regular efforts at the Snelling Avenue Green Line stations through the Adopt A Stop Program. These cleanups have given us firsthand insight into the public health crisis developing at this intersection.
• On the topic of community safety, we met with Commander McCabe of the Saint Paul Police Department’s Western District and over two dozen neighbors on Minnehaha Avenue to address concerns about speeding, crime, and other pressing issues in the neighborhood.
• Most recently, our staff and board leaders met with Council President Jalali, SPPD Commander Yang, Director Brooke Blakey, and numerous business and community partners, including Raks and Sophia Pham of Tuan Auto, to discuss further community safety initiatives.
Through this ongoing engagement and action, we’ve heard loud and clear that changes are needed at the corner of Snelling and University and surrounding area. While we recognize that we cannot single-handedly solve the opioid epidemic and housing crisis, the Hamline Midway Coalition believes there are meaningful, feasible actions our elected officials must take and help us pursue in order to stabilize this key corridor in our neighborhood.
We are committed to leading a local campaign focused on the issues raised during our Metro Transit Listening Session, our meeting with the Department of Safety and Inspections, our 10-Year Neighborhood Plan engagement, countless conversations, and other community events. These issues include:
1. Establish a new, expedited response system through the Department of Safety and Inspections for problem vacant properties, like the CVS, prioritizing abatements for those that pose immediate public health risks. This system would go beyond the current abatement process, ensuring faster action on issues such as trash, drug paraphernalia, and graffiti, and creating a more effective framework for addressing urgent public health concerns.
2. Urge Metro Transit to allocate more resources for the Snelling Avenue and nearby Green Line stations to improve safety for all riders and provide support for vulnerable individuals. Stabilizing Snelling and University requires a comprehensive approach that includes enhancing safety at adjacent Green Line stops throughout the Midway.
3. Advocate for increased street outreach and services from Ramsey County to directly support unhoused neighbors and those struggling with addiction along the Snelling and University Avenue corridors. Stabilizing the Snelling and University intersection requires extending support to the broader neighborhoods, ensuring that vulnerable individuals throughout these areas receive the help they need.
4. Transforming the vacant CVS property into a community-centered space or comparable asset is a long-term vision identified as a top priority through community input. The goal is to convert the building into a valuable part of the neighborhood, with the potential for a mix of for-profit and non-profit, mixed-use development. We are exploring similar projects throughout the city and along the Green Line corridor, with plans for ongoing community engagement and idea-sharing opportunities.
Redeveloping the CVS property will require collaboration with the private owner, developers, funders, and city, county, and state partners to explore all avenues for acquisition, capital investment, and redevelopment. We are fully committed to pursuing every possibility to make this vision a reality.
We believe these four neighborhood priorities are possible and necessary for the stabilization and improvement of our community. ...
These issues and the responses we are organizing toward are more than just campaign priorities – they are rooted in the lived experiences of people who love and care for this community, along with our shared vision for the future.
By addressing these four neighborhood priorities, we can begin paving the way for a stronger Midway, where businesses thrive, public transit is reliable, and community development flourishes, all while caring for those in crisis and our most vulnerable. We believe this approach has the potential to foster long-term stability and prosperity for both the Hamline Midway neighborhood and the broader Midway area, with impacts that extend far beyond.
Alongside these campaign priorities, HMC is also committed to several key actions:
1. We will partner with elected officials attending our Hamline Midway Town Hall [held Oct. 17] to coordinate hybrid constituent meetings throughout 2025. These meetings will improve communication with neighbors about ongoing initiatives, assess their effectiveness, and provide updates on new efforts and resources.
2. Additionally, HMC will continue attending the Third Thursday Saint Paul Police Department’s Western District monthly community meetings and maintain regular communication with the Office of Neighborhood Safety.
3. We are also scheduling a meeting with Mayor Melvin Carter by the end of 2024 to discuss these priorities and explore broader solutions.
4. HMC will remain dedicated to our existing neighborhood-led initiatives, focusing on the environment, transportation, development, renter engagement, and community building across the entire neighborhood.
To review the full Stabilize Snelling and University Campaign document and find the link to endorse the campaign, visit: https://tinyurl.com/stabilizesnellinganduniversity