Development Roundup

By JANE MCCLURE

216-unit apartment building to go up on Hampden Ave.

Another apartment building will be going up in the West Midway. A four-story, 216-unit building will start construction at 787 Hampden. St. Paul Leased Housing Associates, an arm of Dominium Development, is taking on the project on a three-acre site just north of the Green Line light rail.

The property was rezoned from industrial to traditional neighborhoods use in 2016. Existing industrial buildings will be demolished. The building will have underground and surface parking. The property is on a triangular lot.

The project needed a variance to allow balconies along Hampden Ave. The zoning requires a minimum 10-foot front yard setback, but the balconies will extend out five feet, for a variance of five feet. Each level of the building will have balconies.

Affordable housing is planned. The structure will be built around a green space courtyard and swimming pool for the residents.

The zoning variance request met no opposition, and there was no comment by St. Anthony Park Community Council.

The variance for balconies won St. Paul Board of Zoning Appeals approval Apr. 24. That decision is final unless it is appealed to the City Council. No appeal had been filed as of Monitor deadline.

Variance approved for banquet center in Energy Park

The Falls Event Center at Bandana Square is moving ahead, thanks to a variance from the St. Paul Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) in April. The variance is for 1217 Bandana Blvd. N., which is known as the “chimneys” building.

The building was built as the blacksmith shop for the Northern Pacific Railroad as part of the Como Shops complex. Its Utah-based developer wants to turn the property into an events center and reception hall. It most recently has been office space.

The chimney building and a second building have more than 22,000 square feet of floor area and a 40-space parking lot. The new use requires 109 spaces. A parking lease is proposed with the nearby Best Western Plus Hotel, but that building and its parking facilities are more than 300 feet away. That drives the need for a variance.

Travel complications kept the applicant from attending the BZA hearing. Midway Chamber of Commerce and Como Community Council representatives spoke in support. One person sent a letter opposing the variance.

The variance was approved with the condition that there be a five-year shared parking agreement. If the shared parking goes away, the applicant will have to find other parking. Another condition is that added parking would need site plan approval in the future.

City continues jobs, economic development focuses

Continued jobs growth and stepped-up economic development efforts have been a focus for St. Paul city officials. Mayor Chris Coleman emphasized jobs growth in his final State of the City speech this spring. City Council members heard more about the St. Paul Department of Planning and Economic Development (PED) jobs strategy at a policy session last month.

Jobs have caught up to pre-recession levels, said Coleman. In his final months in office, his administration is working on more jobs growth, especially along the Green Line and other transit corridors.

PED Director Jonathan Sage-Martinson told the City Council that a variety of efforts are underway to attract more jobs and businesses to the city, by the city, and with partner agencies. The city is also making changes to the way it markets city-owned properties as it works to attract redevelopment and more jobs. That marketing effort is likely to include city-owned land along University Ave., near Lexington Pkwy., and Albert St.

Comparing third quarter 2015 to third quarter 2016, 984 jobs have been added to the city, to make a total of 180,837.