An upscale mixed use development near downtown St. Paul, Minnesota, has been blocked by a city council vote, leaving many to wonder if the ruling was really the correct decision for the city.
"A well-known local developer, proposing the largest project in St. Paul's history, has been prevented by the city itself, with the support of some pro-development forces, from building an upscale mixed-use community directly across the river from the downtown."
"Four years after Jerry Trooien, chairman of JLT Group, unveiled plans for the Bridges of St. Paul, the City Council - with support from the St. Paul Riverfront Development Corporation, the city's planning commission and a new mayor - voted 5 to 2 in September not to change zoning that limits height and density on the riverfront."
"Declining to develop one of the few low-lying parcels of land along this part of the Mississippi, which otherwise has limited public access, remains a highly contested decision. And in an era when large-scale developments have emerged across the country - along waterfronts and off - this is a tale of what can go wrong when competing visions collide and market forces tip the balance away from development."
FULL STORY: St. Paul Stops a Waterfront Developer From Crossing the Mississippi
Depopulation Patterns Get Weird
A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.
California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.
Pennsylvania Mall Conversion Bill Passes House
If passed, the bill would promote the adaptive reuse of defunct commercial buildings.
Google Maps Introduces New Transit, EV Features
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Ohio Lawmakers Propose Incentivizing Housing Production
A proposed bill would take a carrot approach to stimulating housing production through a grant program that would reward cities that implement pro-housing policies.
Chicago Awarded $2M Reconnecting Communities Grant
Community advocates say the city’s plan may not do enough to reverse the negative impacts of a major expressway.
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