On August 26, 1998 The 7th Place Residents learned that the St. Paul Port Authority voted to sell the Seventh Place Building
to the St. Paul Companies. We read this piece of news in the paper! We had not heard from the Port Authority themselves of the sale.
Since then, the St. Paul Cos. have backed out of the deal. The St. Paul Cos. didn't want to invest any more time and/or money into the
possible sale, until the City decided what they wanted for the property - due to heritage preservation and affordable housing conerns. The
Mayor still wants this sale to go through, some City Council members are starting to support the preservation, even though they obviously want
the company to expand downtown.
Many Newpaper Articles have covered this proposed Sale, including: 1998 Articles include:
Aug 26 St. Paul Pioneer Press - Business Section - Headline: The St. Paul gets 7th Place site
Sep 30 Star Tribune - Headline: Building a dream? [End of the Orpheum?] This article talks about many different changes in St. Paul, including the Orpheum and 7th Place.
Oct 06 St. Paul Pioneer Press - Headline: Affordable housing vexes city
Oct 08 St. Paul Pioneer Press - Headline: Council hears about affordable housing woes
Oct 08 Star Tribune - Headline: Preservationists set to protect old St. Paul buildings
Oct 22 St. Paul Pioneer Press - 3 Guest Columnists: 1) Jan Benanav - Ward 4, St. Paul City Council, 2) Chris Coleman - Ward 2, St. Paul City Council, 3) Sue Haigh - Chair of Ramsey County Board of Commissioners
Oct 22 St. Paul Pioneer Press - Headline: Council endorses company's expansion *Dispute had developed over St. Paul Companies site
Oct 23 St. Paul Pioneer Press - Local Section - Headline: St. Paul buildings nominated for historical status (pg 2B)
Oct 26 St. Paul Pioneer Press - Local Section - Headline: Orpheum battle shows need for better planning
Nov 02 Star Tribune - Around St. Paul Section - Headline: Coney Island ready to open, but when?
Nov 02 Star Tribune - Headline: St. Paul Companies looking for space, city officials look nervous
Nov 03 St. Paul Pioneer Press - Opinion - Headline: Even more dead
Nov 23 St. Paul Pioneer Press - Headline: St. Paul Cos. postpone decision *Plans for building face 3-month delay
Nov 26 Star Tribune - Headline: St. Paul looks to Lowertown buildings for housing
Dec 06 St. Paul Pioneer Press - St. Paul Briefing: Informs the public of the Housing Meeting on Dec 7th at the St. Paul Technical College.
Dec 08 Star Tribune - Headline: St. Paul wrestles with downtown low-income housing issue
(SEE THIS ARTICLE FOR MY VIEWS AND HOW THIS IS AFFECTING ME, also about the meeting with the PED and the City Council for all St. Paul Residents.)
Dec 15 Mpls & St. Paul Skyway News - Headline: St. Paul Companies Scheduled to Discuss Possible Expansion at December Meeting
1999 Articles include:
Jan 04 Star Tribune - Headline: Coleman ready to settle in for next few years as mayor
Jan 16 Star Tribune - Headline: The St. Paul Companies may ask second delay in site purchase
Jan 22 Star Tribune - Headline: Downtown St. Paul Buildings granted historic status
Jan 22 St. Paul Pioneer Press - Panel rebuffs Coleman, votes to preserve disputed buildings
Jan 23 Star Tribune - Headline: St. Paul Companies cancels plan to buy 7th Place site
Jan 23 St. Paul Pioneer Press - Headline: St. Paul Cos. drops its option on disputed site, invites deal
Jan 24 Star Tribune - Headline: 3 on heritage panel get boot
Jan 24 St. Paul Pioneer Press - Headline: Groups may build more housing downtown
* Northeast corner of St. Paul eyed for development
Jan 24 St. Paul Pioneer Press - Headline: Insurer's expansion in neutral - St. Paul Cos. drops its option on disputed site, invites deal
Jan 26 St. Paul Pioneer Press - Headline: Coleman fired 3 for daring to do their jobs
Jan 26 Star Tribune - Headline: Council split on Coleman's move to fire commissioners
Jan 27 Star Tribune - Headline: A Wrecking Ball is swinging through St. Paul
Jan 27 Star Tribune - Headline: Group expresses interest in buying St. Paul buildings
Jan 28 St. Paul Pioneer Press - Headline: Process set to reach a deal on firm's St. Paul expansion
Jan 28 St. Paul Pioneer Press - Headline: `Never sell it'
Jan 28 Star Tribune - Headline: St. Paul forms task force for St. Paul Companies site
Jan 31 Star Tribune - [Metro/Region] Headline: Compromise in St. Paul
Jan 31 St. Paul Pioneer Press - [Editorial] Headline: Our View - New, historic buildings not mutually exclusive
Jan 31 St. Paul Pioneer Press - [Opinions] Headline: Making or (Breaking) History? *Contention is only natural - and constructive - as the City and the St. Paul Cos. undertake a more public design process (Guest Columnist: Patrick Seeb - Exec. Dir. of St. Paul Riverfront Corp.)
Jan 31 St. Paul Pioneer Press - [Opinions] Headline: Making or Breaking History? *The Heritage Preservation Commission's job is only to offer its opinion on the historical significance of the Coney Island buildings, the Orpheum Theater and the St. Francis Hotel (now Seventh Place Apartments), and that's exactly what the commission has done. Unfortunately,
some people don't like its opinion. (Guest Columnist: David Heide - Chairman of the Heritage Preservation Commission. Call him at (612) 337-5060)
Jan 31 St. Paul Pioneer Press - [Opinions] Headline: Reader sentiment favors buildings, leans against Mayor Coleman (9 Readers opinions)
Feb 02 Star Tribune - Headline: Coleman nominates two for heritage panel
Feb 03 Star Tribune - Headline: Visiting mayor wonders whether we're planning well
Feb 03 Star Tribune - Headline: Coleman taps longtime city planner Bellus for heritage panel
Feb 04 St. Paul Pioneer Press - Headline: ST. PAUL BRIEFING - Mayor nominates 6 for preservation panel: Mayor Norm Coleman has recommended six citizens to fill open seats on the St. Paul Heritage Preservation Commission.
Feb 04 St. Paul Pioneer Press - Headline: Insurer: Project on hold for now - St. Paul Cos. puts off expansion up to 5 years
Feb 04 Star Tribune - Headline: Coleman visits, reassures Coney Island's owners
Feb 05 Star Tribune - Headline: St. Paul Cos. nixes expansion until St. Paul clarifies site plan
Feb 05 St. Paul Pioneer Press - Headline: Firm, city seek clarity on expansion - Seventh Place option dead, but others being sought
Feb 06 St. Paul Pioneer Press - Headline: Civic volunteers serve -- quietly - Preservation dispute highlights usual role of St. Paul committees
Feb 07 Star Tribune - Headline: Family-owned restaurant looms large in St. Paul deadlock
Feb 11 St. Paul Pioneer Press - Headline: City Council holds off OK'ing 3 preservation panel nominees * Action is latest chapter in St. Paul development spat
Feb 11 Star Tribune - Headline: St. Paul council wants to take closer look at 3 heritage board appointees
Feb 14 St. Paul Pioneer Press - Headline: Factors limiting housing development [People seeking affordable housing can check with the St. Paul Housing Information Office at (651) 266-6000]
Feb 14 St. Paul Pioneer Press - Headline: Looking for a Place to Call Home (affordable housing article)
Feb 18 St. Paul Pioneer Press - Headline: Housing plan draws wide reaction
*St. Paul City Council gathers public input on host of housing issues
For more recent articles... check out my What's New's page -->
The following are articles relating to the early times of the St. Francis Hotel and Orpheum Theater, and can be found on microfilm at the Minnesota History Museum: Nov 24, 1916 St. Paul Daily News - Headline: page 10 article *Palace Theater Open Next Monday*
Nov 26, 1916 St. Paul Daily News - Headline: Sunday Section - large poster advertisement of the New Palace
Nov 27, 1916 St. Paul Dispatch - page 4 - New Palace Grand Opening advertisement
Nov 28, 1916 St. Paul Pioneer Press - page 10 - article about the New Palace
Inaugural Program
The Efforts of the 7th Place Residents to keep their home: 1998
Oct 06 Four tenants met with Councilmember Jerry Blakey. Oct 07 Some tenants along with Bella St. Paul's owner met with Councilmember Chris
Coleman. Oct 07 We (10-15 residents) went to the Affordable Housing City
Council Meeting. Mary Helen, Steve, and Shirley spoke! Oct 21 Residents went to the City Council/HRA Meeting at
3:30 pm. There was quite a few residents to represent the building at that time in the day. It was at this meeting that Councilmember Jerry Blakey brought forth the
resolution to be able to demolish 7th Place, and all councilmembers that were present voted "Yes".
Doug B. was quoted in the paper for a comment he made,
and Veronica spoke up also even tho she was not quoted. Date Unknown Mike P. was quoted in a newspaper article. Oct 29 We met with Beverly and Mary of The St. Paul Co.'s at the Listening House to
discuss our concerns. We were reassured that we would have at least 1 year to move out if necessary, and that the $1000 relocation money that the St. Paul Companies and the Port Authority say they will give us upon the sale,
was not a firm offer. They said they could do better than that. Residents asked the representatives of the St. Paul Companies to give us a letter confirming the timeline we would have to move out, if we in fact were forced to. They said they would speak to someone about getting
that information. We have not seen that letter yet! Date Unknown Five of us went to one morning meeting with the Downtown Council. We were able to discuss how the sale and demolition of our homes would affect us. These meetings are interesting as it is a roundtable forum, and
everyone gets a chance to give their input, as well as ask questions.
There have been a couple of other Downtown Council/Riverfront Development Corp. meetings that we have gone to as well. Dec 07 Evening. There was a meeting at the St. Paul Technical Institute about the Housing plan for the next 10 years. The Planning and Economic Development met with people from different parts of the city throughout the year, and this was a meeting for ALL St. Paulite's concerned about the housing plan to be implemented.
You could sign up to address the issues you felt were necessary. There were about 250 St. Paul residents at the meeting. We spoke to the St. Paul City Council and the PED. These ideas are to be taken into consideration when the City Council reviews the housing plan given to them by the PED.
Most people spoke about the lack of affordable housing. Many 7th Place Residents were in attendance, and 4 of us spoke!
Dec 07 Afternoon. Veronica, along with the CSP, met with the St. Paul Companies, the Port Authority, PED, Family Housing Fund, as well as others. This is the 2nd meeting of it's kind. I attended the 1st one on November 23rd. These meetings are to ensure that IF the 7th Place Building is sold and demolished to make way for an office tower, that the 7th Place Residents would have a home to go to.
Currently there is an estimate that ranges between 1-2% vacancy rate here in St. Paul. I understand a healthy vacancy rate is in the range of 5-6%.
The Planning and Economic Development is to come up with at least 130 affordable housing units to replace the units that would be lost if demolition occurs. So far, the PED have come up with one plan to renovate 2 buildings in the Lowertown area to come up with 215 units, but they only want to make 87 affordable. Where do they plan to come up with 43 more units of affordable housing? Maybe they will build a 3rd structure!
That way existing residents, as well as all St. Paul residents will have a broader choice of where they want to live. At the same time perhaps the City will add more affordable units than the 130 at 7th Place. Because of the low vacancy rate, it would just make sense!
Dec 10 Veronica, a tenant of 7th Place, along with the CSP met with our Downtown City Councilmember Christopher Coleman. This meeting was to discuss the expectations of the upcoming meeting on the 15th of December at the Landmark Center. Dec 15 There was a Community Meeting which many 7th Place residents, as well as many other St. Paul residents attended. This was largely to discuss the implications to the community if the 7th Place Building as well as the Coney Island Buildings came down to make way for a new office tower downtown by the St. Paul Companies. It was hard to find anyone in support of the Sale and Demolition of the 7th Place Building, except for the St. Paul Port Authority which is trying to sell the property, and the Planning and Economic Development. As far as the Coney Island Buildings are concerned, they are privately owned, and it is unclear how the St. Paul Companies ever expected to obtain those buildings as they are not available for
sale by the Port Authority, and the owners say they are NOT FOR SALE. The citizens of St. Paul made it VERY CLEAR what they thought of the deal. THEY SHOULD NOT COME DOWN! Historically for both of the sites, and in regards to the 7th Place Building also because of the vast shortage of housing in the city. The Efforts of the 7th Place Residents to keep their home: 1999 Keep checking back for more news. I am still updating this section, and will continue to do so. 01/06/99 6 p.m. The Seventh Place Residents met with the Community Stabilization Project to discuss where we want to go from here. There was to be a meeting at 2pm also with the St. Paul Companies with a tenant along with the CSP. That meeting was cancelled and will be rescheduled.
This was the 1st meeting of the New Year. We talked about the survey which residents participated in which is to be made public, especially to the City and the PED to help to determine the profile of the residents. We should see their results soon also.
01/13/99 Veronica (a 7th Place Resident) along w/ the Community Stabilization Project, attended the 3rd meeting held at the St. Paul Companies that includes the Family Housing Fund, the PED, the Port Authority, as well as others involved. This was the meeting that was to be held on the 6th. 01/21/99 Residents attended the Heritage Preservation Commission's meeting to Nominate the 7th Place building as well as the Coney Island Buildings for historical status.
Among the topics discussed were:
These were just a few items discussed.
At 6 p.m. The Residents met w/ the CSP to inform us of what took place at the afternoon meeting and to discuss where we want to go from here. The residents have always had a say in what we want accomplished. The CSP listens to us, and is helping us to accomplish those goals.
