A lack of support and a surplus of red tape were some of the issues raised as downtown St. Paul business owners met Thursday with members of the Minnesota Legislature that represent the area.
“Remember when (we heard) all of these stories of how much downtown was the pulse of not only entertainment, but family and business and culture and arts?” said Rep. María Isa Pérez-Vega, a Democrat who represents downtown and also serves as chair of the St. Paul Delegation in the Minnesota House.
“I don’t see that fizzling away,” she said.
Several people at the meeting expressed the desire for more communication around resources that are available to small-business owners. One entrepreneur pitched the idea of a small-business liaison or task force that could answer questions and alert business owners to resources, grants and other opportunities.
“Why, in a day and age where I can pick up my phone and find anything under the sun, can you not have available access to these resources?” asked one business owner.
Another business owner requested simplifying licensing processes and making renewals easier. Other issues brought up at the meeting included ongoing construction, public safety and a lack of sufficient workforce housing.
The business owners who spoke did not give their full names or identify their businesses during the meeting.
Democratic Rep. Kaohly Her, who represents west-central St. Paul and is running for St. Paul mayor, emphasized the need for diversity in downtown St. Paul. “We need to change how we’re going to do our downtown. We need the diversity of people,” Her said, adding that her constituents often request diverse retail.
It’s no secret downtown St. Paul has suffered in recent years. Notably, Madison Equities a large downtown commercial real estate landlord, put the Alliance Bank Center and nine other properties up for sale en masse more than a year ago following the death of company principal Jim Crockarell. Those transactions are still shaking out, while some of the propoertis have gone vacant and have lost access to utilities.
Just last week, a nonprofit subsidiary of the St. Paul Downtown Alliance acquired the Alliance Bank Center, which contains a central skyway link, the first step toward stabilizing the vacant office and retail complex, which was been boarded up since April.
“I want St. Paul to be the St. Paul that it deserves to be,” said Pérez-Vega. “Let’s figure out together the way to do it.”
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