In the past, the corner of University and Dale avenues in St. Paul was known as the "Red Light District," according to city spokesperson Janelle Tummel.
It's come a long way since then, thanks to the community pulling together to make the $13.5 million
Frogtown Square development a go, she says.
U.S. Secretary for Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Shaun Donovan,
U.S. Representatives Betty McCollum and
Keith Ellison,
Deputy Mayor Paul Williams and
City Council member Melvin Carter III, attended the development's March 4 grand opening.
The project was made possible with $6.4 million in HUD financing
plus over $4 million in grants and loans from the city to buy and build
on the land parcel, according to project information.
The glassy four-story building has 50 one-bedroom apartments that are geared toward seniors. They have special features such as walk-in showers and easy-to-reach pull-cord alarms to accommodate seniors' needs, according to Tummel.
All of the units, known as the Kings Crossing Apartments, filled up within 24 hours of becoming available and there's a long waiting list, according to Tummel. It goes to show that "It's definitely meeting a need in the area," she says.
The building also includes community spaces, a business center, eating areas, and first-floor retail, she says.
Best Wireless, Fasika Ethiopian Restaurant, Global Market, Grooming House, Just Church'n it Fashions, Rondo Coffee Caf� and Subway fill the retail spaces.
It's highly energy-efficient and pedestrian-friendly, with accessibility to and from the future
Central Corridor Light Rail Transit line, Tummel says.
About the development, which was 15 years in the making, Secretary Donovan is quoted in a prepared statement, saying, "[Its] innovative approach of combining small businesses and
affordable housing is exactly the type of smart planning the country
needs to continue winning the future towards economic prosperity."
Episcopal Homes, Inc., owns and manages the apartments while Northeast Dale-University (NEDU), a group of community developers, is responsible for the 11,700 square feet of commercial space, according to project information.
Project partners include the
Metropolitan Council,
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,
Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development,
Ramsey County,
Bigelow Foundation and
Twin Cities Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC).
Source: Janelle Tummel, spokesperson for the city of St. Paul
Writer: Anna Pratt