St. Paul City Council Member Dave Thune represents the “busiest ward in St. Paul,” which spans downtown, West Seventh Street and part of the West Side, as well as Summit Hill and Railroad Island.
The Scoop caught up with Thune on Tuesday morning for a quick check-in regarding Ward 2.
WEST SEVENTH STREET HOTEL
The latest news to come out of the ward is that Minnetonka-based Opus Development plans to tear down the iconic Ace Seven Corners Hardware store and build a hotel and apartment building. Thune couldn’t be more pleased.
Opus Development unveiled plans on July 28 for a 140-unit hotel, 180 luxury apartments and town homes, two levels of parking and four or five retail establishments on the ground floor where Ace Seven Corners Hardware currently stands.
“Obviously, I’m sad that Ace Hardware is (going to be) no longer there, but this is going to be great for the neighborhood,” Thune said. “Both the developer and the architect are just top-notch. Real sensitive to the urban design, and real in tune with the neighborhood plan that’s been sitting around for the last 15 years … of having some density and then stepping down toward the river. It makes a nice mesh with the small businesses and Irvine Park.”
THE BUS STOP BY THE RIVER PARK LOFTS
At the urging of city and county officials, Metro Transit is grudgingly delaying an arterial Bus Rapid Transit line from downtown St. Paul to the Mall of America, and that spells relief to the owners of the River Park Lofts condos on 6th Street between Wacouta and Wall streets. They’d rallied against a proposed bus shelter outside their living room windows.
Thune said the traditional bus stop has been moved down the block a bit closer to the future regional ballpark, to 6th and Wall Street, near the Dave Brooks parking ramp and A’bulae wedding venue.
The stop is “now going to go in front of the parking ramp, due to some excellent work by Public Works and (St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman’s Arts and Culture Director) Joe Spencer,” Thune said. “Major bus stops don’t fit real well with garden level living. When you’ve got a really active street, sidewalk scene, there just isn’t room for everybody. I think it’s a good solution. It’ll certainly make the residents happy.”
Concerns had bubbled up that buses would have trouble making the tight corner from Wall Street onto 6th, but Thune praised the “nice work from the mayor’s office and Public Works. They really did a solid job convincing Metro Transit this will work.”
And about that decision to postpone the rapid bus on West Seventh Street… That’s rubbed some transit advocates the wrong way, but Thune supports the idea of a go-slow approach. He wants Ramsey County to take the lead for the next year or so studying possible transit options along the so-called Riverview Corridor from downtown to the international airport, so as not to rule any mode out.
“It just makes sense to hold off until we get the Riverview Corridor planning,” Thune said. “It would be silly, I think. We don’t want competing plans tearing up the streets. Wouldn’t be prudent.”
Thune plans to attend an open house on Thursday for the Schmidt Artist Lofts, new income-targeted apartments than span two buildings at the old Schmidt Brewery on West Seventh Street.
“It’s beyond anybody’s expectations,” Thune said. “It’s absolutely spectacular. You’ve got a great neighborhood, a great developer, and great new neighbors moving in.”
Thune owns the old Rybak Building (named after former owners and relatives of former Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak) across the street. His mother no longer runs the Rybak Building coffee shop, which is under new management, but he still oversees an art gallery at the site.
Fort Road Federation activist Marit Brock plans to announce her candidacy for the city council on Sunday, and Thune said she’s a worthy candidate. That doesn’t mean, however, that other candidates aren’t also worthy.
“I’ve encouraged her to run,” Thune said. “I’m also encouraging lots of other people to run. I want us to have a good DFL-endorsed campaign, and someone who has been a neighborhood activist for a number of years, and Marit fits that well. Darren Tobolt is going to announce soon, too, I think, and he also fits that well. My criteria is a neighborhood activist and a Democrat.”
This dubious-looking man is also running for election, but to what office, no one knows…
So he’s not endorsing anyone at the moment? “No, not yet. I’ll let things play out a little bit.”
STRYKER MARKET
Police recently arrested the owner of the Stryker Market at 605 Stryker Ave. on the West Side, a known hotspot for unusual activity.
Residents have been invited to a meeting at 6:30 p.m. tonight at the Baker Community Center on Page Street to discuss that and other public safety concerns, “and also generally some problem youth activity,” Thune said. “The police have been extremely good. I can’t say enough about the cops out there.”
ON THE BUDGET PROCESS
The word is that the mayor’s office is asking St. Paul Police to take a bigger chunk out of their budget than other departments, at least in terms of hard numbers. The Scoop is following up on the details.
Thune said it’s too soon for him to weigh in as a council member. Meetings between the city council and department heads don’t begin until mid-August, after the mayor’s Aug. 13 budget address.
“I haven’t seen anything yet,” Thune said. “Chris has been very attuned to the city’s needs with regards to the budget. He’s been extremely fair. All of our services are incredibly important.”