Congratulations to SARPA, the Mac-Groveland Community Council, the Merriam Park Community Council and Councilman Benanav for a job well done!
I think this is an excellent example of what can be done when a developer and Community Organizations work together. It also shows that sometimes it is necessary to start litigation to bring some parties to the table. Dan Dobson Summit Hill --- Bob Spaulding <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: ***ST. THOMAS, NEIGHBORHOOD GROUPS REACH AGREEMENT ON CAMPUS DEVELOPMENT*** Council Member Benanav leads successful negotiations; Compromise unanimously passes City Council AN UPDATED, JOINT PRESS RELEASE OF: - The University of St. Thomas - Summit Avenue Residential Preservation Association - Macalester-Groveland Community Council - Merriam Park Community Council ST. PAUL, Minn. - An agreement between the University of St. Thomas and organizations representing the surrounding neighborhoods cleared the way for St. Paul City Council approval of a project to redevelop two blocks in a manner that serves the needs of the community and the university. At its Council meeting this afternoon - Wednesday, August 4th - the St. Paul City Council unanimously adopted the negotiated agreement between the Macalester-Groveland Communtiy Council, Merriam Park Community Council, Summit Avenue Residential Preservation Association (SARPA) and the University of St. Thomas itself. Under the terms of the agreement, approved by the City Council this afternoon, St. Thomas will construct two academic buildings and a residential village with up to 475 beds. The development will be on the two blocks bounded by Summit, Cleveland, Grand and Cretin avenues, and those blocks will be added to the campus boundary. Construction on the first phase could begin as soon as this fall, and will include a child development center building at Grand and Finn, a 75,000-square-foot business education building at Summit and Cleveland and a 160-space underground parking garage. Construction dates have not been set for the second academic building, a 65,000-square foot structure on the same block as the business building, or on a residential village on the block to the west. The agreement allowing St. Thomas to proceed with the project was reached in negotiations this past week among representatives of the university, Macalester-Groveland and Merriam Park community councils and the Summit Avenue Residential Preservation Association (SARPA). City Council member Jay Benanav, who represents the area, brought together the four groups. Benanav and the organizations said they were pleased they could reach agreement on a package that will benefit St. Thomas while protecting the vitality of surrounding residential neighborhood. The project also keeps the entire "west" block of the two-block site as a residential area, establishes definitive setbacks for new buildings, and identifies ways to reduce the number of student rental houses in the immediate neighborhood. In addition to the size of the two academic buildings and the number of students that will be housed in the residential village, other key points in the agreement include the following: - St. Thomas will save six of the existing homes on Summit between Cretin and Finn. In return, SARPA agreed to drop a lawsuit it had filed against the city claiming the Environmental Assessment Worksheet review of the project was inadequate. SARPA also agreed not to sue the city in relation to any approvals the city may give for removal of five Summit houses between Cretin and Finn and construction of new residential buildings in that area. - St. Thomas will cap enrollment on the St. Paul campus at 8,750 students. Enrollment last fall was 6,975, and the historical high was 8,712 in 1991. St. Thomas always has emphasized that the goal of redeveloping the two-block site is not intended to increase enrollment, but to provide better academic facilities, more housing and more parking. - Underground parking on the two new blocks will be developed to accommodate no more than 590 vehicles. - St. Thomas will continue to contribute up to $10,000 annually to both the Macalester-Groveland and Merriam Park community councils. In addition, a new university-community advisory council will be established and funded with at least $10,000 annually from St. Thomas. The council will help resolve university-neighborhood issues. - The agreement sets the boundaries of the St. Thomas campus. Over the next five years, the university will sell three properties it owns on the south side of Grand Avenue. It also agrees not to purchase and retain additional property within one mile of the campus, with the exception of residences for any future ex-president or chancellor. In addition to the campus-specific agreements, St. Thomas agrees to purchase, rehabilitate and sell to owner-occupants at least 30 neighborhood homes over the next 12 years. The program - a key point in the overall agreement for Benanav - is intended to reduce the number of neighborhood houses rented to students. A key goal for St. Thomas and the neighborhood groups is to provide more on-campus housing, especially for older students. The residential village will be designed exclusively for juniors, seniors and graduate students. ------------------------------------------------------- THE TEXT OF THE COMPROMISE THAT WAS APPROVED: http://www.macgrove.org/council/issues/UST%20Benanav%20Compromise%208-4-04.pdf (100K - PDF Format - Requires free Adobe Acrobat Reader from www.adobe.com). ------------------------------------------------------- This informational e-mail was sent by the Macalester-Groveland Community Council, located in the Edgcumbe Recreation Center at 320 South Griggs Street in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The Macalester-Groveland Community Council serves Citizen Participation Planning District 14 in Saint Paul, the area bordered by Summit Avenue, the Mississippi River, Randolph Avenue and Ayd Mill Road/I-35E. Call our office (651-695-4000) with any questions or concerns you may have! Please let us know if you'd rather not receive these updates and we'll be happy to take you off your list. Bob Spaulding, Community Organizer/Executive Director Rachel Harris, Coordinator of Recycling and Home Improvement Programs Caitlin Reid, Crime Prevention and Youth Initiatives Coordinator Anna Henning, Job Connection Coordinator Erin Geary, KidsPark Lead Teacher Maren Skyberg, KidsPark Assistant Teacher Chris Oinonen Ehren, KidsPark Infant Teacher _____________________________________________ To Join: St. Paul Issues Forum Rules Discussion Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] _____________________________________________ NEW ADDRESS FOR LIST: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe, modify subscription, or get your password - visit: http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/listinfo/stpaul Archive Address: http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/private/stpaul/
