ST PAUL, Minnesota — The Saint Paul Downtown Improvement District is looking to continue its work focusing on creating a safer and cleaner area.
The organization's goal is to fill-in areas where the City of Saint Paul needs support. It was launched in 2021 and needs the City Council to approve their plan in-order for the District to grow. The District is governed by participating properties, not the City.
The District stretches around Cedar Street and Jackson Street on the east to 11th Street and 7th Street on the north, Kellogg Boulevard and Eagle Street/Parkway on the west, and Kellogg Boulevard and Shepard Road on the south. The expansion will cover nearly all of downtown.
"There's a lot to be optimistic about right now in downtown Saint Paul," SPDID president Joe Spencer said.
Spender says since the District launched, quality of life crimes and calls for service are down 40%.
The SPDID 2023 report listed statistics:
13 street team ambassadors
646 hours of service each week
1,180 outreach referrals
2,318 piece of graffiti removed
2,509 safety escorts provided
631,892 pieces of trash removed
There is a lot of support for the District from people who work downtown saying they do feel safer. But, at the first City Council public hearing, those who oppose the District say they have concerns about the management of the funds and impacts the safety ambassadors may have on vulnerable populations.
The expansion looks to add more safety ambassadors, create a new safety communications center, and work with Saint Paul on hiring a city attorney to prosecute exclusively chronic offenders and “quality-of-life” issues by 2025.
The City Council is expected to make a decision on the expansion by Aug. 6.