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July 8, 2026 - Housing & Redevelopment Authority Meeting

St. Paul City CouncilWednesday, July 8, 2026
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Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Roll call, please. Buy Coleman >> here. >> Jo >> here. >> Kim here. Nger >> here. >> Yang here. Chair Johnson >> here. >> Six in favor, one or I'm sorry, six present, one absent, and Commissioner Buouie is excused. Item number one is Min 26-21, approval of the June 2026 HR meeting minutes. >> All right. I trust that everyone has had a chance to view the to review the meeting minutes for June. I'll take a motion from Vice Chair Jo to approve. All those in favor? >> I. >> All opposed. >> Six in favor, zero opposed. The minutes are approved. Item number two is staff report SR 26-134 introduction to requested TWWV Limited Partnership Loan Amendment District 3 W 2. All right, we have two staff reports that uh needed to get in front of us. They'll come back for action on the 22nd. Um I'll hand it over to Director McMahon. >> Thank you, chair commissioners. We have Lindy Logston here to present on this item for um introduction to the limited partnership limit amendment. >> Hello. Welcome, Melson. >> Thank you. Um apologies. I just sprinted over here from the annex, so I'm a little out of breath. Um but chair Johnson commissioners um my name is Libby Logdston. I'm a senior project manager um on peed's multif family housing finance team and today we are uh going to discuss the requested TWWV limited partnership loan amendment. If you need a if you need a minute lock, you can take it. You can take we can pause for a second. We can, you know, I can fill it with beautiful uh pieces around the staff report. Um the water, >> you know. Yes, we have water back in the building. Appreciate it. You know, it's welcome. I want to give folks an opportunity to be able to catch their breath here. >> Appreciate it. No problem so much. >> We definitely empathize having to uh go back and forward today between here and Osborne. So, you're Look, listen. I I >> was like, I know I'm the first idol. >> Appreciate that. got to get over there. Um but thank you so much. I uh have my breath now. So you can >> wonderful wonderful. >> Um so TWWVLP is a um a combination of three different common bond properties. So the T stands for to de San Miguel which is 142 units um located in district 3. Westminster Place is 99 units located in district 5. and Vista Village is 48 units located in district 3. So back in 2006, these three projects um were underwritten together because it was advantageous to all of the projects to be underwritten together at that point in time um and as y'all are aware, lots of things change um within the development um over the last 20 years. And so at this point it is unfortunately not advantageous for the three projects to be grouped um as one under TWWV uh limited partnership. Um, Tori being the largest was selected to um, kind of go out on its own for funding and it also had the the biggest rehabilitation needs and um, Tori has now secured all necessary funding and is proceeding to a November 2026 financial close. Um, and then the the other two projects, as you might remember from a couple weeks ago, there was a reservation for a million dollars for the Minnesota housing application for Westminister and Vista. Um, and those applications are due tomorrow. So, I think they are well on their way to um, having that be submitted. Um so just to geographically place where we are the um the property that's furthest north that is Westminster um place. The property that is furthest south is Vista Village. And then the property that is just north of the furthest south um is Tory Day San Miguel. Um and the developer is Common Bond. Um over 55 years of experience as a nonprofit owner and developer. They've owned these properties since at least 2006. Um, but a fairly uh well-known entity in the affordable housing space. And this request is coming right now um because of what I mentioned before that Tori is proceeding to um financial close for a rehabilitation. Um and so their request is to essentially keep TWWV limited partnership but remove Tori as collateral from um the original CDBG loan. And the purpose of this is that this being done now helps to decrease the cost and complexity of the financing as we move towards closing. If um this were to happen at the same time as financial close, um the lender would think about this deal as being more risky because it's essentially like a two-step process instead of a onestep process. And um at that point, there would be cancellation of debt income fees as well. Um so it's really to decrease the cost of compliance on the project and decrease the compliance requirements that um take a lot of time and then also money. So um and we found out yesterday actually that the H CDBG loan is actually in the first lean position. So these slides are um a bit inaccurate but it's actually even less risk for the HRA in this. So you'll see um it it should actually show that the HA is in lean position number one. So the original loan was $275,000 with interest now. Um it's around $727,000. It was originally um originated as a loss and um all other details about the loan modification are proposed to be the same beyond moving Tory as collateral. Um but uh so you can see even with the PARF loan for Minnesota housing um being in first position um as shown here um the estimated loan to value ratio is around like 15.5%. Um with the HR loan being in first position it's um 6.65 or no 5.65 so even less risk to the HRA um since we are in the first lean position. Um, so there is uh sufficient collateral to um cover the HAS's risk um in terms of this loan in the event of default even with Tori being potentially removed. Um so staff recommendation is to approve this uh request to modify the TWWV limited partnership loan to remove Tori. um and that it will be or we are uh proposing that it will still be originated as a loss. So no change in that position. Um and then the next steps um the application for Minnesota housing is due tomorrow for the Westminister Vista projects and we are proceeding to the anticipated November of 2026 closing for Tori. So there will be more more items before y'all um to look forward to. But are there any questions? >> Commissioner Naker. >> Thanks, Chair Johnson. Um, so my understanding is that taking out Tor from the rest makes it easier for Tori's closing to proceed, which is obviously desirable. Does it have any effect on the other two's financing? >> That's a great question. Um, Chair Johnson, commissioners, um, Commissioner Nre, apologies if I did that in the incorrect order. Um, it actually is well so the the cancellation of debt income fees will still apply for the Westminster Vista project. So, it's kind of like kicking the can down the road a little bit. Um, so I think it's estimated that those fees are going to be like $200,000 right now. Um, and the developer is not actually seeking loan forgiveness because it counts as a committed source of funding for their Minnesota housing application. So it's actually um beneficial for the project to keep the debt on Westminister and Vista at this point in time. Um so and the properties as I understand are not interconnected um directly for their operations. Um so really like this isn't changing really anything for their operations. It's it's really just like changing the place on paper where Tori exists. Does that answer your question? >> Um, yes. Thank you. And then a followup. Um, you said that the original principal was 275,000, the balance is 727,000, it matures in 2042. Are are payments being made over time or when you say is is this never going to be paid back? >> So, um, these are typically underwritten as deferred. Um and so every 20 years or so is when um affordable housing development projects need to be reyndicated or um rehabilitated. Um and so no no um fees have been collected so far. No no amount of the principal or interest I believe has been collected at this point um because they're deferred. No. Yes. Okay. Good. Um and so we are anticipating that the developer will request a um a forgiveness of the interest part um but they will as we are anticipating they will likely keep the principal amount on their books. Does that make sense? We're getting into some of the more complex financing structures of a deal, but um essentially no. they are not paying because it's it's set up as a deferred loan. Um and then typically at the like 20-year syndication period either um they assume the loan or um they request for it to be uh forgiven or something. So kind of like at the inflection point so which we're at now. So, we anticipate that they will request a um to get rid of the interest portion but still carry the principal balance but not pay any of it back. It doesn't get paid back. >> Mhm. >> Yes. So, as long as they keep the property affordable and like keep all the terms that they have been required to do, then typically um those aren't typically paid back. >> Thank you. Any other questions? >> All right. And seeing none, thank you so much for kind of bringing on the information around this. And if folks ha have questions, um, they can reach out to, uh, to you. >> Okay. Wonderful. Thank you. >> Absolutely. Yeah. Thank you so much. Item number three is staff report 26-136, introduction to proposed three-year lease with Union Pacific Railroad, UPRR, for exclusive use of HR property at 43 Water Street for its reconstruction of the Mississippi River Lift Bridge, District 3, W 2. >> All right. I um appreciated getting a chance to learn a little bit more about this. We own a few different lots here. Um, one of them is unpaved and this one is that and so I'll give it over to director McMahon who will be leading in the presentation for it. Welcome. >> Hi chair, commissioners. Thank you so much. I'm pitching here and we've got folks that have been working hard on this so I appreciate Jen Dull and Danielle Lorenza's work on this and um are also available for follow-up and additional questions. This is just introduction. This is an item that would have action on the 22nd at our next HA meeting. So you can see here outlined in red what we call 43 water street. It's actually five different parcels that collectively we just refer to as 43 water street. It is currently an H owned parking lot managed by Trans Park Incorporated. It is a gravel parking lot that has been sort of gravel and in that state for for quite a while down there. Union Pacific Railroad is going to be doing work on the just adjacent Robert Street Railroad Bridge. It's actually a three-year project for that bridge work that they're going to be doing. And so they approached us to talk about using some of that parcel, using that parcel to be able to have um to help support that construction project and to really reduce the impact to the surrounding community and neighborhood from all of the construction and everything going on for that project. Again, that project will take three years and rail and marine traffic will actually remain in service during that bridge construction. Interestingly, a lot of the construction equipment is brought in and used via barge. So over the next three years, if you're if you're interested or you have kids that are interested or know, a lot of folks really like watching that kind of work. And so it's actually it'll be fascinating to see the equipment come in on a barge and the barge kind of park underneath and use it. It's not a typical way you see construction in the city. So folks like watching, it'll be an interesting one to watch for the next few years. Under the proposed lease terms, yeah, Union Pacific can use a lot for construction trailer and employee parking. So like I said, not the equipment necessarily. The equipment's coming in via barge. This would be a trailer and employee parking during those three years of construction. This helps keep the employee parking out of the surrounding neighborhood and area and really minimizes that disruption to the community. Additionally, Union Pacific would then be responsible for maintenance and security of the site during that time, which is an added benefit to that location. They would pay the HA about 16 not about they would pay the HA $1,600 in month in rent which will total $19,200 a year to the HR noting that currently approximately the usual annual amount that the HA receives in parking revenue is around 11,000. So again we're getting around 11,000 annually now in parking revenue. This being a lease, we would get from Union Pacific, $19,200 a year. Also noting that were the parking lot to try and continue to operate as a parking lot moving into the future, it doesn't have an adequate storm water system in place. Again, it is gravel. It is not paved. There would be significant work that would need to be done in order to continue to operate this as a parking lot into the future. That's significant capital investment. The revenues just simply don't support that con that level of investment to continue to use it as a parking operations. The Westside Flats master plan identifies a space as future parkland or for park operations. You know, previously, including for this year, actually, parks has entered into an agreement with the H to use this lot to support things like the Yach Club Festival and other large events at Harriet Island and really support those large events and community festivals. So, that encourages people in the neighborhood to have those opportunities to gather and to celebrate. After the Union Pacific lease ends, the intent would be to work with parks on transferring this property to the city for their use. But any future conveyance after the end of the three-year lease with Union Pacific would require additional HRA approvals at that point. And so it would be back before you if the land were to be proposed to be conveyed to parks at that time. And then just noting quick, it says August 5th here, August 5th here for the action date. It should be the 22nd, the next HA meeting, not the 5th. So apologies for that. If there are any questions, happy to answer and happy to follow up. I do appreciate just getting kind of like a full run through of it and I appreciate the added financial piece to it. I think it's just really important to understand um you know what we have what we're spending now versus what we stand to you know either gain or lose in any situation. So I do appreciate that additional insight as well. All right. So yes uh the third Wednesday is coming up. So we will not meet on the third Wednesday but we also will not meet on the fifth Wednesday as well. So just a reminder the 22nd is our last H meeting for July and then we'll come back in August and have quite a few things as we gear up for budget season. So with that we are adjourned.