News from the Downtown Alliance
January 10, 2019
A note from the president
I want to start by thanking our friends at Visit Saint Paul for pointing out this Chicago Tribune piece naming Saint Paul as the top place to visit in the Midwest. Don’t wait to have guests in town to revisit some of these great places in our fair city – get out there! In downtown specifically, I want to congratulate Julie Bauch for shepherding one of Saint Paul’s great buildings into a new era – more news on that below. I’ll also wish a happy birthday to our Mayor (and SPDA co-chair) Melvin Carter! Finally, I want to offer a warm welcome back to all the legislators who arrive in Saint Paul this week for the start of of the 2019 session – as the capital city, we are happy to be your temporary home for the next several months!

See you all around (down)town,

Joe Spencer
President
The Saint Paul Downtown Alliance
Fire & Ice kicks off January 10
Now in its third year, the official art show of the Winter Carnival kicks off tonight. Fire & Ice 2019 features the work of more than 100 local artists and will be on view at AZ Gallery on Prince Street from January 10 through February 17. Artists were charged with creating works that represent the spirit of winter and promise of spring. A formal reception will take place Friday, February 1, as well.

Walz appoints new DEED commissioner
It's been an exciting week in the public realm as newly and re-elected officials alike were sworn into office and Governor Walz announced his state commissioners. Among his picks is friend of Saint Paul, newly appointed DEED Commissioner Steve Grove. Steve and his wife Mary founded Silicon North Stars, providing Minnesota high school students from underserved communities learning opportunities from local and national tech industry leaders. Steve recently offered his insights on the history and opportunities within the Minnesota tech industry.

Leadership Saint Paul Class of 2019
The newest class of Leadership Saint Paul met today for the first time and features more than 50 participants from a variety of industries, including our own staffer Emma Burns. The program, led by the Saint Paul Area Chamber of Commerce Foundation, offers Saint Paulites a unique opportunity to engage with their peers and individuals outside their typical network about ways to grow and strengthen Saint Paul and the East Metro. Many of the greatest leaders in our community are LSP alumni and we're excited for the class of 2019!

Downtown Saint Paul in the news