North St. Paul City Council — Transcript
Saturday, March 15, 2025
Margaret Street Commons Redevelopment RFP
Affordability of School-Constructed Homes
Purple Line Terminal and North St Paul Transit Stop
Votes (3)
Margaret Street Commons RFP Discussion
Mr. Grahams presented the draft Request for Proposals for the redevelopment of the Margaret Street Commons site, detailing its assets, environmental considerations, zoning, and alignment with city growth plans. The Commission provided feedback, suggesting improvements to maps to clarify site features like storm sewers and amenities, and discussing the process for developer selection. They emphasized the city's strong preference for mixed-use development with active retail, and considered the current economic climate's impact on developer interest and the proposed timeline.
Commissioner Reports - School Constructed Home Affordability
A commissioner reported observations on the high pricing of homes constructed by the school, noting that a developer proposed homes for less than half a million, contrasting with other regional developments for $375,000 for similar square footage. The commissioner questioned why student labor wasn't driving down costs to a more affordable range ($400,000) for young families, suggesting the current approach might be 'overbuilding' for starter homes.
Commissioner Reports - Purple Line Terminal and North St Paul Transit Stop
A commissioner put forth a recommendation for the City Council to formally engage Met Transit regarding the Purple Line's terminal decision. Specifically, the commissioner suggested advocating for a transit stop within North St Paul, particularly if the line is routed towards Century College. This initiative aims to secure a direct transit benefit for North St Paul, potentially as an express route or a future hub for connections to areas like Stillwater.
Notable Quotes (5)
the bad is that there are recognized environmental concerns that's bad um the good news is that opens up a Floodgate Of grant opportunities um at the state and federal level.
I think the mixed use component is really important here well in all of our planning documents that I have seen they all say that they all say that Y and you put it in the RFP so I was appreciative of that I was going to say exactly the same thing.
I think the I think the climate is a lot better than it was certainly two three years ago for sure... I'm I'm hoping that by the time we go through this process and that's another reason why I wanted to push it past the first of the at least the first of the year to try to get a little bit better situation.
our developer from the school was saying that it was hard to do anything for less than a half million I do understand economies of scale and that type of thing but on the other hand you know if they're using a lot of student labor doesn't that help exchange that so I just wanted to follow up on a push for them to try to get something closer to the $400,000 range that's a little more affordable for uh a young family starting out.
I'd like to recommend that the city council consider a letter to met Transit saying that if they do go over there that they should try to establish a stop uh in North St Paul.
Ordinances & Resolutions (8)
Request for Proposals for the redevelopment of the Margaret Street Commons site, discussed by the Planning Commission.
State statute cited for deeming an existing structure on the redevelopment site as substandard, which aids future project financing.
A report from 2019 that identified recognized environmental conditions at the Margaret Street Commons site.
A 2022 assessment indicating the city's capacity to accommodate new housing units, including senior-specific housing.
A city planning document that calls for continued growth and increased demand for services in the downtown area.
A primary platform where the city intends to post the Margaret Street Commons RFP.
A newspaper suggested as an option for advertising the Margaret Street Commons RFP.
An industry-specific website suggested as an option for advertising the Margaret Street Commons RFP.