Around (down)town: Join us for a Wild playoff pre-game party in the park, Annual Meeting recap and more!

Highlights from our 2nd Annual Meeting

Friends,

It was incredible to see so many of you at our 2nd Annual Meeting yesterday afternoon. After years of virtual meetings and celebrations these past two years, having the opportunity to gather together in person to reflect on the tremendous amount of progress we've made as a downtown was even more special. We shared our 2021 Annual Report and our 2021 recap video that highlights our impact.

The icing on the cake was being able to welcome David Downey from the International Downtown Association (IDA). This coalition brings together downtown organizations from around the country to strengthen our collective downtowns. David shared his insights on the recent Downtown Comparison Study we were a part of.

After the Annual Meeting, we took David out for a very Saint Paul experience — a Wild win in over time!

My biggest takeaway from the evening is best summarized by words from the one and only Dolly Parton. "Figure out who you are and then be that on purpose." When we compare downtown Saint Paul with our peer organizations, we're doing great. We have growth, momentum and opportunities. Our stats and figures may not rival those of New York City or London, but our downtown is incredible in its own right. When we look at our Vitality Score compared to 50 others that have participated, we rank sixth! That's a metric that's meaningful.

Before the party was even over, many of you who were with us were asking if David’s slides would be available. We've shared them on our website here, and will have a recording of the presentation available to share as well in the next few days.

I also want to call your attention to an incredibly fun upcoming event next week. I just can't quite tell you when it will be yet. The Downtown Alliance will be hosting Wild fans of all types in Rice Park for pre-game fun for the first home playoff game of round one. The schedule comes out tomorrow, so we'll share time and date specifics across social media, but in the meantime check out all the other info you'll need to know below.

There's so much more great news this week — keeping reading to catch it all.

Take care and have a great weekend,

Joe Spencer

Minnesota Wild pre-game playoff party in the park!

To celebrate the first home game of the Wild playoff season we're throwing a

block party in Rice Park!

We'll have food and beverages available, music from the Red Bull mobile DJ truck, photo ops with Nordy and some very special tailgating appearances. This event is free and open to the public. All are encouraged to come and enjoy themselves, whether you're heading into the X afterward or plan to watch the game from your favorite downtown spot.

We won't know the schedule for round one until Saturday afternoon so make sure you're following @StPLdowntown on Facebook and Instagram to hear when the party will be.

It's happening some time next week and could be as soon as Monday night!

Wild Playoff Block Party in Rice Park.

Lunch is back!

This week we got news that several of our favorite spots are bringing lunch hour service back.

Momento — Not long after opening its doors for happy hour and dinner service, Momento will begin offering lunch next Tuesday! Beginning May 3 their new hours will be:

Tuesday – Thursday: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Friday – Saturday: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Happy Hour: weekdays 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Menu: New expanded menu, featuring $12 lunch combos, fresh salads, homemade soup, handhelds, pizza, spirit-free cocktails & more!

St. Paul Grill — The power lunch is back! You've been asking and we now have an answer for when you can get lunch again at the Grill. Here's a look at their new expanded hours:

Tuesday-Wednesday

Bar – 4 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.

Dining Room – 5 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

Thursday-Friday

Bar – 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.

Dining Room – 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. / 5 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

Saturday

Bar – 4 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.

Dining Room – 5 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. (post-Mother's Day you'll also be able to get Saturday lunch!)

Red's Savoy – The pizzeria located within Treasure Island Center is once again open for lunchtime slices, and they're also offering a sweet deal – $20 a month will get you a jumbo slice every day.