Written by Nancy Yang
There's quite a buzz around the Twin Cities! Despite dreary economic broadcasts by national news anchors, there are several projects on-going in our beautiful Twin Cities.
I was invited to the 2011 Project Showcase & Social which was put on by the Sensible Land Use Coalition (SLUC) this past Thursday, July 27, 2011. It was hosted within the "vintage ambiance" of the Theodore Wirth Park Chalet. There was a cash bar (yum!), delicious hors d'oeuvres, and tons of Type "A" go-getters to meet.
I was interested in several projects such as the Central Corridor-Frogtown Square Project. I met Becky Langdon, who managed the site for 4 years. We discussed how this amazing project came about and how it will impact the face of University Avenue in St Paul. America is aging! And this is evident as the 50 permanent senior housing units, which comprise part of the Frogtown Square, are completely filled with no vacancies and has a supremely long waiting list. 80% of these units are geared towards seniors earning less than 30% of the area median income, while in general, the units are leased to seniors earning less than 50% of the area median income. Episcopal Homes, Inc. owns and operates these residential units, now known as Kings Crossing.
Photo, courtesy of Neighborhood Development Center (NDC's) website on Frogtown Square.
There are several retail stores as well, such as:
1. Best Wireless, owned by Kanan Mustafa (cell phone store)
2. Fasika Restaurant, owned by Atnafu Yeshidagne (Ethiopian restaurant)
3. Global Market, owned by Mohamed Nur and Mohamed Jana Kite (ethnic grocery store)
4. Grooming House, owned by Dedrick Young and Damen Johnson (barber shop)
5. Just Churchin it Fashions, owned by Phyllis Gillman (women’s clothing and accessories)
6. Golden Thyme Coffee, owned by Aurora St. Anthony Ltd (contact: Nieeta Presley) (coffee shop)
7. Subway Restaurant, owned by Mike Saul (restaurant)
Ms. Langdon mentioned that they would like a larger restaurant to be the focal center of the new Square. I personally feel the Square has done much to this corner of University Avenue and Dale Streets. It's a beautiful sight to behold as many buildings in this busy area could use a face lift!
Here is a picture of me with Becky Langdon at her booth for Frogtown Square. After chatting a bit, it turns out she also worked with Minnesota Housing to help create the Home Stretch programs that our lovely First Time Home Buyers all get to attend if they are seeking down payment assistance!
I also learned more about the overhaul of St Paul's Union Depot and it's planned transformation into a "Multi-Modal Transit Center." I recently met with a potential seller of a condo located right in St Paul's Lower Town and I really wanted to chat with the presenter however he had an animated crowd for the entire hour and half I was at the event. I was able to snag a flyer of some marketing they had for the Union Depot and I think it's going to be an amazing project! Move over, Minneapolis, St Paul's got a lot to shine about!
By the end of next year, there will be lots of hustling and bustling at the Union Depot, with Amtrak trains, Metro Transit, Greyhound, and Jefferson Lines busing, normal pedestrian traffic along with bicyclists, and of course, the Central Corridor Light Rail Line will be up and running by 2014. I hope you are just as excited for these new changes coming to downtown St Paul as I am.
Side Note: Here in the Twin Cities, we are known for having one of the most comprehensive skyway systems in the United States. In fact, I've spoken with working moms who say they don't ever have to leave the skyway system if they don't want to. With splashy or efficient condos or lofts, daycare on the skyway, restaurants, weekly farmers markets, and work mere blocks away, living is pretty easy in the St Paul/Minneapolis downtown area. I bought a home recently myself but definitely have my sights set on a nice spacious condo when I'm older and the kids are grown.
There were several projects being showcased that night, such as:
This new Radission to be built will be connected via a skyway directly to the Mall of America. The Radisson Blu brand is mainly known in Europe.
Here is a picture of me with Robert Engstrom of Robert Engstrom Companies, who is also on the board for SLUC. I worked with him in 2010 when I sold one of the homes that his company had remodeled to a very happy new homeowner in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota.
Thank you to SLUC for putting on such a good show. There was a great turn out and even a talented guitar player crooning the latest hits while everyone enjoyed a good conversation with like-minded individuals.