122-Acre Redevelopment in the Works in St. Paul

The St. Paul Planning Commission will consider 32 proposed amendments to the Master Plan for a massive development project located at the former site of a Ford assembly plant.

1 minute read

March 9, 2019, 7:00 AM PST

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Ford Twin Cities Assembly Plant

City of St. Paul / Ford Site Master Plan

The developer of massive planned development at the former Ford site in Highland Park, St. Paul is seeking 32 amendments to a Master Plan approved in 2017.

"The 122-acre property is expected to be home to 3,800 proposed housing units, civic space, office and retail buildings," report Frederick Melo.

Minneapolis-based Ryan Cos., chosen as the master developer last summer, has proposed some controversial changes to the Master Plan.

According to Melo, instead of the multiple-unit homes of two to six dwellings per structure on Mississippi River Boulevard as proposed by the Master Plan, Ryan officials "have asked to be allowed to construct 35 single-family homes, with the intent of creating a more 'diverse blend of housing types and affordability levels.'"

"Public feedback has been mixed, with some neighborhood residents praising the idea and others calling it an about-face on Ryan’s commitment to housing density and affordability," according to Melo.

For more background on the land use and urban design ambitions of the planned development, see another article by Melo from October 2018.

Thursday, March 7, 2019 in Pioneer Press

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