Will former CVS be demolished?

The shuttered CVS at University and Snelling avenues should be demolished, with no opportunity for repair. That recommendation goes to the Saint Paul City Council Nov. 5, 2025.
But what happens to the deteriorated building is still a question mark, following a Sept. 30 legislative hearing. It could take weeks or even months for the building to come down even if the city orders it be removed.
A lack of response from building ownership is especially troubling to city officials, area district councils, residents and business people who are weary of the blight and a building at the epicenter of the ongoing fentanyl addiction crisis. Loitering, graffiti vandalism, trespassing and dumping of trash are other concerns.
Marcia Moermond, city legislative hearing officer, set Oct. 28 as a placeholder in the event more information comes in, including any information from the building owner. She is also holding the public record open.
The city’s move to have the building removed or repaired has already drawn a massive community response, with more than 50 emails and voice mails so far. Most have been for demolition. About 20 people attended the hearing. Eleven spoke, asking that the building be demolished.
It’s not clear how many calls have been made for summary abatements and clean-ups due to the recent cyberattack on the city website. A printout of police reports produced almost nine single-space pages of calls on issues ranging from assault to drug dealing.
Representatives of Hamline Midway Coalition (HMC) and Union Park District Council (UPDC) urged the city to order the building removed, citing its impact on neighborhood perceptions as well as safety.
HMC Community Organizer Justin Lewandowski and interim district council Executive Director Lisa Nelson called out the amount of time and resources spent on CVS. HMC’s efforts have included setting up a process for community members to file complaints, gathering more than 150 petition signatures, hosting a community meeting with the city’s Department of Safety and Inspections (DSI), and hosting a large town hall where the condition and activities around CVS were raised as serious issues.
Areas cleanups have resulted in countless bags of trash collected, as well as used foils and needles from drug use.
A letter from HMC stated:
“This building, in its current state, is unsafe, unsightly, and unfit for our neighborhood. It diminishes the aesthetics of the Snelling–University intersection, erodes community pride, and undermines the sense of safety and dignity neighbors deserve to feel in Hamline Midway.
“The continued vacancy and deterioration have also imposed real economic harm. Residents, local businesses, and community institutions have been forced to spend time, energy, and resources cleaning up messes around the CVS themselves and attempting to counteract the blight and stigma the property produces. Nearby businesses have lost customers and revenue as a direct result of the unsightly appearance, deterring visitors as well as potential tenants and investors.”
Speakers described the issues of behavior around CVS as well as the condition of the property itself. A point frequently emphasized is that Snelling and University is a major intersection, as well as a neighborhood gateway.
Having no response from the building owner was questioned by Moermond. The building owner is listed on public records as SCP 2005 C21 045 LLC of Spokane, Wash. Its address is a post office box.
CVS sent a local attorney to answer questions for the lease holder. Attorney Andrew Dosdall said the lessee has talked with city Department of Planning and Economic development staff about reuse of the property by another tenant.
But reuse without significant investment could be a challenge. The building’s certificate of occupancy was revoked in May 2022, said James Hoffman, the city’s vacant buildings program supervisor.
An inspection was conducted in July. A list of building deficiencies was compiled in August. The building has no utility services. Much of its wiring has been stripped. HVAC equipment has been stolen from the roof, likely to be resold as scrap metal.
Former neighborhood resident Natalie Singer’s letter to city officials described how she was forced to move. Problems around the vacant building spilled over into the neighborhood and her yard. She described fights, drug use and people using her property as a toilet.
“It is an embarrassment and took many years too long to take any sort of decisive action on this. That CVS is a blight, a symbol of inaction and apathy,” she wrote.
“The vacant CVS building is not only an eyesore, but creates a sense that the neighborhood is not safe, not vibrant, and, to use a word we often hear, ‘dying.’ We, along with so many of our neighbors, are exhausted,” said Rev Kristen Fryer, pastor at nearby Bethlehem Lutheran Church in the Midway. Her letter outlined how the congregation has expended scarce resources combating neighborhood problems. Attendance at church and events has dropped.
Neighborhood resident Gunnar Aas was among those who found it frustrating that the building ownership wasn’t represented at the hearing. “It’s an insult to this community and to the city,” he said.
Several speakers brought forth their visions for site redevelopment, including green space, a food distribution center and other idea. Moermond cautioned speakers that the focus now is on abating the nuisance property.
“This isn’t an exercise in urban planning, at this time,” she said. Potential future uses under the property’s traditional neighborhoods zoning cannot be part of her decision.
CVS opened in 2007 after a community debate about site redevelopment and how the building should face the busy corner. The building was extensively damaged and looted during the civil unrest following George Floyd’s murder in 2020. It was renovated after seven months and reopened, only to close in April 2022.
Since then it has been a magnet for loitering, drug dealing and trash. City officials estimate the property value at $2,392,100, with the building itself worth about $634,000. Property taxes are current but vacant building fees are not.
Rough estimates by city staff are that repair would cost about $200,000, with demolition at more than $100,000.
If the owners wished to save the building, it would take considerable work. A $5,000 performance bond would have to be posted. The city would need detailed plans for the scope of work, as well as specific financing details.