Friends,

Earlier this week we made the exciting announcement that the Downtown Alliance is leading an effort in partnership with public and private stakeholders to create a development strategy that furthers density, vitality, and desirability in downtown Saint Paul. The Downtown Investment Strategy will identify three to five priority development opportunities and/or initiatives based on stakeholder input, community engagement, market analysis, and an economic impact assessment. This new, innovative undertaking pulls together property owners, government entities, nonprofits, and business organizations to all move in the same direction to accomplish economic development goals for downtown Saint Paul.

We're grateful for the leadership and collaboration from both our private and public sector partners on the year-long effort and we are looking forward to sharing more news and updates in the weeks and months ahead. You can find the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal story with more information about the Downtown Investment Strategy linked here, or on our website linked above.

We're also excited to share that the 370Sets, the weekly live music and happy hour event at Osborn370, is back again this summer and kicking off next Wednesday. Each week will feature a different local musician along with food and drink options from Hepcat from 4-6 p.m. You can read more about it below along with an absolutely jam-packed event calendar this weekend, including the next Ordway Inside Out event, below.

Take care,

-Joe

Downtown Alliance, Saint Paul mayor want 20K more residents downtown — and 20K more jobs

Growing downtown so that it spans some 10 percent of the city population won’t happen overnight, but the Downtown Alliance has already hired some key partners to help lay out the “Downtown Investment Strategy.” They include the Manhattan consulting firm James Lima Planning + Development (JLP+D), as well as the Minneapolis office of global design firm Perkins+Will and the St. Paul-based real estate and engagement firm NEOO Partners.

The three firms plan community outreach this summer that would be folded into the final plan in early 2024, alongside other market analysis and economic impact assessments, which were already conducted this winter and spring.

Saint Paul’s Rice Park unveils last part of redesign: a high-tech lighting display

Rice Park unveiled on Wednesday the last part of its redesign.

A new light display called LightWave includes color-changing LED light strings attached to metal plates around the inside and outside of the bench on the fountain in the middle of the downtown Saint Paul park.

As Saint Paul carjackings and auto thefts decline, more grant funding helps maintain progress

With declines in carjackings and auto thefts in Saint Paul, Ramsey County officials said it’s a sign their efforts are working and they announced Thursday they’ve received additional state grant funding to continue.

The Ramsey County Youth Auto Theft Intervention Project began in 2021. The goals are “to interrupt auto thefts and carjackings before they happen, hold offenders accountable, and help young people involved in these offenses connect with services designed to keep them from reoffending,” the Ramsey County attorney’s and sheriff’s offices said in a Thursday statement.

California company plans to keep Sibley Court, Sibley Park apartments in Saint Paul affordable for 30 years

With a boost from Saint Paul’s Housing and Redevelopment Authority, a nonprofit housing company plans to acquire and rehab two sizable affordable housing rental properties on the edges of downtown Saint Paul.

Affordable Housing Alliance, doing business as Integrity Housing of Irvine, Calif., has a purchase agreement to buy Sibley Court, a 122-unit property at 484 Temperance St., which opened in 2003, and the Sibley Park Apartments, a 114-unit property at 211 Seventh St. E., which opened in 2002. The company plans $2.5 million in capital improvements.

The Future of Downtowns happy hour panel

Next Tuesday, we're welcoming special guest speakers Steve Cramer (Minneapolis Downtown Council and Downtown Improvement District), James Lima (James Lima Planning + Development) and D'Angelos Svenkeson (NEOO Partners) for a happy hour panel conversation about the future of downtowns, from local and national trends to opportunities on the horizon for Saint Paul and more. Join us July 18 from 4:30-6 p.m. in the lower level of Osborn370 at the new Gallery Kitchen event space for drinks and appetizers.

The Eagles add second Saint Paul date on their fall 2023 Long Goodbye Tour

The Eagles' Long Goodbye Tour just got longer, as the band added a second concert at Xcel Energy Center in November alongside bonus dates in five other cities.

Tickets for the Nov. 17 show had not even officially gone on sale yet, but Eagles representatives announced the new dates "due to high demand" Wednesday, when pre-sale access to tickets began. Pre-sale options for the Nov. 18 concert open up Thursday at 10 a.m., while the public sale for both shows will begin Friday at 10 a.m. via Ticketmaster.

Ordway Inside Out - Finding Her Beat

Saturday, July 15

7-10 p.m.

Rice Park

As part of an ongoing commitment to enhance access to artistic programming, the Arts Partnership presents Ordway Inside Out featuring a free outdoor screening of the documentary Finding Her Beat. Buoyed by dynamic drum performances and do-or-die spirit, Finding Her Beat is an energizing and uplifting story of music, cultural expression, and sisterhood.

This award-winning documentary was filmed at the Ordway and other Twin Cities locations. Since its release, it has been featured at film festivals around the world. The evening will kick off with a special Taiko drumming performance by Enso Daiko, followed by the film.

Grab some food and a drink and stake out your spot for this free, un-ticketed event. Be sure to bring a chair or a blanket to sit on.

The 370Sets return on Wednesday!

On Wednesday, July 19, we're kicking off this season of the 370Sets at Osborn370.

Each Wednesday from 4-6 p.m. all are welcome on Osborn Plaza in front of Osborn370 for live music, featuring a different local musician each week. Food and drinks from Hepcat will also be available.

Learn more here.

Food Truck Wednesdays - July 19

This summer you'll be able to enjoy lunch and music in Rice Park at Food Truck Wednesdays. Each week will feature multiple different trucks as well as live music.

Mark your calendars and tell your coworkers - on Wednesdays we dine al fresco!

WHAT: Food trucks and live music

WHERE: Rice Park

WHEN: Wednesday July 19

Food trucks from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Potter’s Pasties
Eggroll Queen
Montebello
Dunkin’ Donuts (free iced coffee samples!)

Music from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m

Follow the Alliance on Instagram to get the latest updates on trucks and musicians.

Are you following the Alliance on Facebook? What about Instagram?

Event season is in full swing! Make sure you're following the Downtown Alliance on social media to stay up to date on all the latest downtown events and news. Plus, we do love giveaways, so you never know when you could end up with tickets, swag or other great downtown prizes.

@StPLdowntown

stpdowntownalliance.org

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