Greater East Side : Development News

Since May, Taqueria Los Ocampo has livened up the long-vacant space that once housed Bakers Square on St. Paul’s East Side.

The restaurant, which is the fifth Los Ocampo location in the Twin Cities, opened on May 1.

Now it’s in the process of adding an outdoor dining section that hopefully will be ready by fall, according to Robert (Mingo) Mendez, who’s a consultant to the restaurant.

He says that the patio will be “built from scratch,” with stamped concrete, colorful patterns, and possibly an outdoor fireplace.

Similarly, after the restaurant owners purchased the building, they totally revamped the interior, he says.

The $500,000 renovation involved removing a dropped ceiling, painting the rafters, and opening up the space to accommodate large groups.

New lighting fixtures, an aquarium, and bar were also installed.

Arches in the doorways, tile mosaics, exposed brick walls, and a fireplace, along with plenty of earth tones, characterize the place.

With the exception of the TV screens, “You could put it in Mexico and it would fit right in,” he says, adding, “It has authentic food and atmosphere.”

Lots of flowers and hanging plants, along with Mexican pottery and paintings, add to the ambiance of the restaurant, which seats up to 120 people.

Betsy Leach, who is the executive director of the District 1 Community Council, says that the restaurant has had a positive impact on the neighborhood.

Previously, having “such a prominent location stay vacant was a real sore point with neighbors,” she says via email.

The neighborhood is supportive of the building's transformation. “The owners have done a beautiful job of renovation, creating a unique location in our area,” she says.


Source: Robert (Mingo) Mendez, consultant, Los Ocampo; Betsy Leach, executive director, District 1 Community Council
Writer: Anna Pratt

The Garden of Feed'em, a community endeavor on St. Paul's East Side, has thrived in its first year. 

From the spring of 2010 to today, the garden, which sits on a two-acre piece of land near the Conway Recreation Center, has produced eggplants, broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, cilantro, and other vegetables and herbs, thanks in part to donations, according to Barb Winter, who is one of the community members leading the charge. 

In return, lots of vegetables have gone to local food shelves, churches, and rec center seniors, Winter says.

The garden has also become a community gathering place.

It came together after she and some other garden organizers, with the support of the District 1 Community Council, got the go-ahead from the St. Paul parks and rec department. The department had called for community garden proposals for the parcel.

Volunteers brought in compost and then tilled the land a couple of times, she says. Fortunately, they were able to get the equipment needed to draw water from an area fire hydrant.  

Soon after, the volunteers spread the word about the garden at various neighborhood meetings. It's attracted plenty of interest ever since, she says.

As proof of that, the garden has grown from a handful of 5-foot by 30-foot plots last year to the current five communal plots, along with a dozen rentable plots that run 10 feet by 30 feet.

One thing that makes the garden unique is that a diverse group grows food there, including representatives from a handful of local immigrant communities plus rec center youth. "I'm really glad to see all of the participation," Winter says, adding, "It's a nice melting pot."   

Everyone takes turns watering the garden, she says.

At monthly meetings, the gardeners discuss issues such as a Japanese beetle infestation and slow-to-ripen tomatoes, and they share tips and recipes.

In the coming months, Winter is hoping the Garden will be able to host a fall festival.

She says it's been a boon for the neighborhood. "It was a lot of work in the beginning to see the harvest and growth, and now everyone's caught on," she says. "It's a beautiful thing."


Source: Barb Winter, organizer, Garden of Feed'em  
Writer: Anna Pratt

The idea behind the $35 million Payne Maryland Town Square development is to help change the direction of the St. Paul East Side neighborhood, for the better. 

It's a public-private collaboration that's been several years in the making, bringing together St. Paul Parks and Recreation and libraries, Arlington Hills Lutheran Church, and the Bradshaw Funeral Home, according to Chris Gibbs, who is a principal with HGA, the architecture firm that's working on the project.

Named for the streets it'll intersect with, the town square will be built on a lot that pieces together land from various collaborators, along with a couple of privately owned duplexes.

As of right now, the facility's 110,000 square feet will be split between three levels, including one that will be partially below grade, he says.

The development's preliminary design includes a public library; rec areas such as a gym, exercise room, and walking/running track; meeting rooms for 75 to 300 people; classrooms for big and small groups, and office space. Ultimately, the community will determine what happens in the building, he says.   

Groups will share resources, which will improve their efficiency. "The final outcome will be exponentially greater than any of them can do on their own," he says.

At this point, the building's aesthetic is still coming together. "The keys are to balance fitting in with the neighborhood and yet trying to set a new direction that will start a new beginning."  

Development will be phased, with construction of the library and recreational center to start in the spring of 2012.    

While it won't solve all of the area's problems, Gibbs hopes the town square will be a catalyst for change. "All of the entities are stepping outside of their comfort zones to do something to make the neighborhood better," he says.

Source: Chris Gibbs, HGA principal  
Writer: Anna Pratt