Local projects gain, others stumble, in developing CIB funding process

By Jane McClure

Improvements to May Park, planning for Fire Station 20, a play area for Frogtown Farm and a bicycle connection along Lexington Pkwy. to Pierce Butler Rte. remain among the 2016-2017 Long-Range Capital Improvement Budget (CIB) projects recommended for approval to Mayor Chris Coleman and the St. Paul City Council. The mayor will release his capital spending picks along with the 2016 city budget in August, and the City Council will make final decisions in December.

Photo left: Dickerman Park

But work on Dickerman Park, improvements to Hamline Midway Branch Library and completion of the Charles Ave. Bicycle Boulevard didn’t fare as well when the CIB Committee wrapped up its rankings June 8. Committee members may not have agreed on projects to be funded, but they did agree that the list of worthy proposals far outweighed the money available.

Photo right: Fire Station 20

After hearing from citizens at a packed hearing, the committee made its recommendations. Committee members were able to add some smaller project by cutting funding to rebuild Frogtown’s aging Scheffer Recreation Center and Fire Station 20 (2179 University Ave. W.). Those projects will receive planning funds but will have to come back in the 2018-2019 cycle for construction dollars.

The committee also made some trims to several annual programs including play area, tennis, basketball court and other parks and library maintenance programs.

The committee and its citizen task forces spent several months reviewing more than 130 projects and city programs. Requests totaled more than $166 million—almost four times more than what was available. For the two-year funding cycle, the Committee allocated $22 million in capital improvement bonds, $14.8 million in Municipal State Aid (MSA) and $8 million in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) dollars.

CIB Committee Chairman Paul Sawyer said that while it’s difficult to make cuts to needed larger projects, giving design and engineering funds for those projects does free up money for smaller projects.

Much debate centered on Scheffer, a 1970s-era recreation center on Marion St. A recent St. Paul Department of Parks and Recreation plan identified it and Merriam Park Recreation Center as the two buildings most in need of replacement or major rehabilitation. Scheffer was initially listed for $6.8 million, but on a split vote the committee cut that amount to $1.2 million for design and engineering. Some committee members said that setting aside a large amount of money for one project, without a specific plan, could all too easily allow the Mayor and City Council to raid the Scheffer funds for other projects.

“Scheffer deserves to be rebuilt, but we should also looking at funding projects we can do now,” said CIB Committee Member Mary Morse Marti.

The committee and the council and mayor have tangled over projects in the past. May Park, located on Clayland St., and the Lexington bike connection, lost funding to other projects in the 2014-2015 cycle.

Another project that was cut back was Fire Station 20 replacement. The station, which is just west of the Cretin-Vandalia-University intersection, is more than 90 years old. It is small and has had access affected by Green Line light rail. A new site was offered by the Rock-Tenn paper recycling company, but it would cost $5.6 million to build. That was cut to $1.5 million for engineering and design.

Committee members expressed worries that some projects are left half-done. Those include the Charles Ave. Bicycle Blvd. and Dickerman Park. Part of the Charles work is done, but another $750,000 was sought for work including traffic circles. Work on Dickerman continues this summer with the city’s 8-80 Vitality Fund, but another $3 million is needed to continue park improvements.

For 2016-2017 the committee broke out projects by funding source, rather than ranking projects as a group as had been done in some past cycles. The 26 projects making the cut for capital improvement bonds include May Park ($240,000), the Pierce Butler-Lexington bicycle connection ($598,000), and Frogtown Farm and Park play area ($522,000).

There was disappointment among area residents when the $1.9 million Hamline Midway Branch Library modernization failed to make the cut. It is one of the last neighborhood libraries awaiting work.

MSA money from the state will fund 15 projects and three annual programs. Area projects include another phase of Pierce Butler Rte. extension, from Grotto Ave. to Arundel St., at $4 million. Raymond Ave. reconstruction from Energy Park Dr. to Como Ave. was also recommended at $255,000, as was lighting for a stretch of Como Ave., at $81,000.

CDBG federal funding will cover 17 projects and programs. One question mark is whether work on Victoria Theater on University Ave. is eligible for the $540,000 it is penciled in for. It ranked seventh in that category. Model Cities’ Central Exchange mixed-use development near University and Victoria, is recommended for $400,000. Area programs recommended for CDBG funds are Restore St. Paul’s Commercial Facade Improvement program ($200,000) and the St. Paul Green Line Home Improvement Loan Fund ($500,000).

Projects that finished out of the running include: Snelling-Selby area pedestrian safety work; Pelham Blvd. reconstruction; Orchard Recreation Center soccer complex; Montgomery St. reconstruction; Vandalia St. bridge improvements; Westgate bike lane project; Como Park intersections and crosswalk changes; North Dale refrigerated ice rink modernization; Merriam Park improvements; McMurray Fields improvements; Central Corridor sidewalk completion; and, work on Territorial Road to make it safer for biking and walking.

Read about all of the projects at http://www.stpaul.gov/index.aspx?NID=217.