ST PAUL, Minn. — A Twin Cities firm is preparing to redevelop a prime site in the heart of the Grand Avenue business district in St. Paul, as the commercial corridor continues to try to reinvent itself after COVID.
Ari Parritz, the founder and president of Afton Park Development, said his group has put the Victoria Crossing East building under contract at the corner of Grand and Victoria, with plans to redevelop the site into a mix of new retail and residential.
The developer will still need to go through the city’s zoning process – aided by developer-friendly rules adopted by the city council earlier this year – but the Victoria Crossing East project may be the next significant change to occur on Grand Avenue.
The structure is more than a century old and currently houses JUUT Salon Spa, Paper Source, Gather Eatery and Watch Bar. (According to Parritz, discussions with those tenants are ongoing.)
“We think of it as Main and Main in the city. It’s the most recognizable – for some people – location. It’s what they think of when they think of Grand Avenue,” Parritz said. “It’s one of the corners that we felt needed some help, and we thought a redevelopment was a good way to accomplish that.”
Parritz recently completed another project with Reuter Walton a few blocks east on Grand, which included the residential Kenton House and restaurants on the ground floor.
“Grand Avenue has gone through a period of transition. We think it’s on its way out of that period of transition,” Parritz said, “into a new normal that people are going to love.”
Chris Jensen, president of the Grand Avenue Business Association, said 30 new businesses have opened or reopened on Grand since January 2023. He praised the Victoria East Crossing redevelopment proposal as a boom for the neighborhood.
“We’re excited it’s a local developer,” Jensen said. “They have their eyes and ears on the street and know the neighborhood really well.”
At the same time, Grand Avenue still has some high-profile vacancies along the stretch that demand attention.
As KARE 11 reported earlier this year, two entire commercial buildings on the west side of the Grand/Victoria intersection remain empty, following the closures of Pottery Barn, Salut restaurant and others. Those buildings are owned by one of the nation’s largest public pension funds, the State Teachers Retirement System of Ohio or STRS.
Although the out-of-state entity has drawn criticism for the vacancies, Jensen said he recently spoke with STRS and feels confident they’re trying to find tenants.
“I did meet with the STRS people a few weeks ago. They want it full just like we want it full,” Jensen said. “We’re excited that they are starting to partner with our neighborhood association and are starting to get involved. They are making progress, and we hope to have an announcement in the coming months.”