West Side

Next week, forestry crews will start cutting down boulevard ash trees in selected areas of St. Paul as part of a broader strategy to slow the spread of emerald ash borers.

They expect to remove about 355 non-diseased but generally declining ashes over two months in wards 6 and 7 on the East Side. All the trees are on public property. Right now, the concentration will be on boulevard tries and in the future it may move to parks.

The work is being funded through a $722,600 state grant aimed at helping cities cope with invasive emerald ash borers. The insects were found last spring in the St. Anthony Park neighborhood. Ash borers will likely spread to many of Minnesota's estimated 940 million ash trees.

The work will be done away from the infested area on the west side of the city. Removing healthy trees in the infected areas would simply force hungry beetles elsewhere and would hasten their spread. In the spring, crews expect to focus their efforts on removing diseased trees in the infested area.

Ash trees make up about 30% of Saint Paul's tree canopy, with more than 30,000 of them just on boulevards. Last year, 83 diseased trees were found and removed in St. Paul and Falcon Heights.

The city is distributing pamphlets explaining the tree-removal process to affected area residents.

Related Links

• Saint Paul Takes Steps Against Emerald Ash Borer
• Emerald Ash Borer Found in Falcon Heights
• Ash-less Experiment in Saint Paul's Como Park Neighborhood

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Though construction and filming wrapped up in October, a date has finally been set for the "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" taped in Saint Paul. The episode of the ABC show featuring local daycare provider Sandy Morris and her two children, Catricia and Mychal, will air at 7 p.m. on January 3.

The 1896 home at 226 Prescott St. on St. Paul's West Side was demolished and replaced in just 96 hours thanks to thousands of volunteers.

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In the blog last week, I wrote about the "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" that was taking place in St. Paul. Now the new home at 226 Prescott Street on St. Paul's West Side has been finished! A crowd of more than 1,500 people were there on Friday to greet Sandy Morris and her two children, Catricia and Mychal, and to watch their reactions as they saw their new home for the very first time.

Saturday, the Morris family was still amazed.

“It’s a beautiful house, it’s amazing, it’s a beautiful house,” said Sandy Morris. It’s what went into the house that makes it so special for Morris and her children – lots of labor and love. “The amount of volunteers that came through here throughout the week… on cold rainy days and nights and were here all night long and all day.”

Click on the links to see pictures and videos. Click here to read the original "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" blog post.

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Expect there to be a lot of noise and a flurry of action on St. Paul's West Side this week due to a taping of "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition." While the Morris family of 226 Prescott Street is off on a cruise courtesy of the show, thousands of volunteers have been working around the clock to complete the new home in less than 100 hours.

On Sunday, the house was demolished. On Monday, the basement wad been poured, framing put in place and working on the roof. The weather hasn't been helping matters.

"We can work with a little drizzle," said Tom Budzynski, owner of TJB Homes — the Blaine company spearheading the building of the Morris' new 2,800-square-foot home that will include three bedrooms, three baths and a separate area for the day care center that Sandy Morris operates out of her home. "But if it downpours, the health and safety of the crew is more important than working."

Apparently the Muppets have been on site? Miss Piggy had the honors of kicking down the last wall of the old Morris house, while Kermit ran the backhoe. They will be back on Thursday.

Construction on the Saint Paul home is scheduled to continue through Thursday. That is when the designers will decorate. The family will get the keys to their new home on Friday afternoon.

According to the Pioneer Press article:

If you want to see the house, a shuttle runs through Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Signal Hills Center parking lot, 50 Signal Hills Center in West St. Paul. Spectators are encouraged to bring a non-perishable food item as admission to the site. There will also be a blood drive on Thursday and Friday at the Neighborhood House at the Wellstone Center, 179 Robie St. E., St. Paul.

Personally, I'd aim for Thursday....

According to the Minneapolis Area Association of Realtors’ Market Update for 100 Twin Cities Communities, new posted listings for homes in St. Paul MN, decreased in February.  There were 480 new listings in Saint Paul throughout the month, compared to the 602 homes put up on the market during February 2008.  That is a decline of -20.3%.  In contrast, there were 548 new listings in January 2009.  The Merriam Park neighborhood and West 7th neighborhood of St. Paul experienced increases in posted new listings, while rest saw their listings decrease.

For the year to date posted new listings in St. Paul, the picture looks just a little different. For February and January, there were 1,027 new listings, compared to the 1,164 during the same time frame of 2008. That’s a -11.8% reduction.  The Greater East Side, Merriam Park, and West 7th neighborhoods saw a rise in listings up to +17.4%; other Saint Paul neighborhood listings dropped.

There were many homes sold in Saint Paul in February compared to 2008.  There were 202 homes sold throughout the month, a full +27.0% increase over the 159 homes sold in February of 2008!  Rates at which homes were selling varied from neighborhood to neighborhood, with the biggest differences seen in West Side/Cherokee...

The first St. Paul real estate market analysis for the year of 2009! New posted listings for homes in St. Paul, Minnesota, decreased in January according to the Minneapolis Area Association of Realtors’ Market Update for 100 Twin Cities Communities.  During the month, there were 548 new listings in Saint Paul, compared to the 562 homes put up on the market during January 2008.  That is a decrease of just -2.5%.  It was a mixed bag when the posted new listings are broken out by neighborhood, as some big increases while others saw decreases. Here is a breakdown of new listings by Saint Paul neighborhood:

The number of homes sold within St. Paul, Minnesota, in January 2009 is higher than the same month of 2008, a trend that has been running for a few months.  There were 170 homes sold throughout the month, a +7.6% increase over the 158 homes sold in January 2008.  Closed sales on homes for January 2009 in Saint Paul by neighborhood:

The prices of homes sold in St. Paul have continued to fall.  The average sales price of a home sold in January was $111,222, a negative change from the $205,897 of January2008.  That is a decrease of -46.0%. Only the West 7th neighborhood saw an increase in real estate prices in January. The percentage...

This is the final St. Paul real estate market analysis for the year of 2008.  According to the Minneapolis Area Association of Realtors’ Market Update for 100 Twin Cities Communities, new posted listings for homes in St. Paul, Minnesota, increased in December.  There were 399 new listings in St. Paul, compared to the 351 homes put up on the market during the same month of 2007, which adds up to an increase of +13.7%.  Unlike November, lots of neighborhoods in Saint Paul saw increases in new listings.  The increase is a little unusual, because December is obviously a month full of holidays and most people don’t want the hassle of putting their house up on the market.

There were 6,859 new listings of homes for sale in St. Paul that were posted within the 2008 year.  That is a decline of -8.8% from the 7,520 homes listed throughout the year of 2007.  The neighborhoods of Mac-Groveland, St. Anthony / Midway, and West 7th experienced the greatest declines in new listings.  The Phalen and West Side / Cherokee neighborhoods have been the only St. Paul neighborhoods that saw boosts in new listings compared to 2007.

There was a higher number of homes sold within St. Paul, Minnesota, in December 2008 than in 2007.  There were 217 homes sold during the month, +5.9% more than the 205 homes sold during December of 2007.  There were 3,046 closed sales in Saint Paul...

New posted listings for homes in Saint Paul, Minnesota, decreased during November according to the Minneapolis Area Association of Realtors’ Market Update for 100 Twin Cities Communities.  Throughout the month, there were 398 new listings in St. Paul.  In the previous year, there were 481 new listings during November.  That is a -17.3% reduction in new listings, comparatively.  The only neighborhoods of St. Paul which saw increases in posted new listings of homes for sale were Phalen and Merriam Park.  A drop off in new listings is to be expected now and over the next few months as the winter season really starts kicking up snow. 

Saint Paul’s new listings of homes for sale from for the year-to-date from January through November are at 6,460.  That is a decrease of -9.9% from last year’s 7,169 for the same time frame.  Southeast, St. Anthony / Midway, and West 7th neighborhoods are continuing to experience great declines in homes being listed for sale.  The Phalen and West Side / Cherokee areas have been the only Saint Paul neighborhoods to see boosts in new listings through the month of November.

And now the part that you’ve been waiting for: the good news.  The number of homes sold within St. Paul, Minnesota, during November...

New listings for homes in Saint Paul, Minnesota, fell again during October according to the Minneapolis Area Association of Realtors’ Market Update for 100 Twin Cities Communities.  Throughout the month, there were 515 new listings in St. Paul.  During October of 2007, there were 603 new listings.  That is a decrease of about -14.6%.  Normally, I list the neighborhoods here that saw the greatest decreases in new listings, but there are many which saw decreases of 20% to over 45%.  The only neighborhoods which saw any significant increase of new listings were the Phalen and Merriam Park neighborhoods of Saint Paul. 

Posted new listings of Saint Paul real estate for the year to date were at 6,062 from January through October.  That is a decrease of -9.4% from last year’s 6,688 during the same time period.  Merriam Park, West 7th, and St. Anthony / Midway continue to experience great decreases in new listings.  The Phalen neighborhod and West Side / Cherokee neighborhoods are the only ones to have seen any increases in new listings for the year to date.

Now for a really good number: The amount of homes sold within Saint Paul, ...

A blighted area at the corner of Robert and Cesar Chavez Streets, one of the busiest intersections on St. Paul's West Side, could be getting a major overhaul.  A $3.4 million project to tear down the decrepit Riverview Commercial Club building and replacing it with local restaurant Holy Land Middle Eastern Restaurant and Deli and a grocery store chain may become a reality.  It’s really up to the economy.

The old three-story Commercial Club building, which has been a ballroom, a bowling alley, even an Elks Club in its history, has sat vacant for more than a decade.  In a serious state of disrepair, it is believed the structure is beyond repair.  Fixing the corner could really reenergize the neighborhood and pay homage to the neighborhood's Middle Eastern tradition.

Plans call for the building to be razed and a one-story, 10,000-square-foot building and 50 space parking lot to be put in its place. Holy Land would be the sole tenant of the building and is expected to bring at least 20 new jobs.  The nonprofit Riverview Economic Development Association, or REDA, is the lead developer on the project.

There have been many ideas batted around to fix up the site over the years.  None have worked out for one reason or another.   This time, REDA has joined with Wellington Management, a longtime St. Paul development company, and is confident it can get the job done.

Construction on the Saint Paul real estate could begin after winter.  However, Holy Land has just gone through a recent expansion...

Changing from what has been happening in recent months, new listings of homes for sale in Saint Paul, Minnesota, rose during September according to the Minneapolis Area Association of Realtors’ Market Update for 100 Twin Cities Communities.  During the month, there were 621 new listings in St. Paul.  Throughout September of last year, there were 602 new listings.  That is equal to an increase of about +3.2%!  The Phalen and Highland Park neighborhoods of St. Paul experienced the greatest increase in new listings during September at +44.3% and +32.4% respectively. On the contrary, the West 7th and Merriam Park neighborhoods saw declines in new listings of -45.0% and -50.0% respectively during September. 

Posted new Saint Paul real estate listings from January through September for the year to date were at 5,543.  That is a decrease of -8.9%.  The month of September’s rise in new listings helped to raise that number up a bit that from August’s -10.2%.  If the trend continues in October for new listings in Saint Paul, the real estate market might be on par with posted listings for last year.  Saint Paul's Merriam Park and St. Anthony / Midway had the most extreme decrease in new listings.  The Phalen and West Side / Cherokee neighborhoods have seen moest increases...

Como Park is in the northwest area of Saint Paul real estate. It is bordered on the north by Hoyt Avenue and Larpenteur Avenue and on the south by the Burlington Northern Railroad tracks and Maryland Avenue, with Snelling Avenue making up the western boarder and Dale Street the eastern boundary.  Known as St. Paul's Garden District, Como Park is primarily a residential and recreational neighborhood.   The neighborhood is centered around Como Lake and its large parks.

At the beginning of its “modern” history, Como Park was settled as farmland in the mid 1800's. Como Lake was named in 1848 and was incorporated into the city of St. Paul in 1854. Real estate developer Henry McKenty believed the Como Park area would make a great resort, which lead to construction on Como Road beginning in 1868.  Though McKenty's real estate visions never developed, Como Road still exists today as part of a major street running through the neighborhood, Como Avenue.

256 acres of land on the west side of Lake Como were bought by the City of St. Paul in 1873 because of its picturesque location.  The electric street car was introduced to Lake Como in 1893, allowing Saint Paul residents to make the 3-mile trip to Como Lake Park in 30 minutes. In 1897, the Como Zoo was built. The Como Lakeside Pavilion was constructed from 1905 to 1906. Then the Como Park Conservatory was built in 1915. These historic structures are still the centerpieces of the neighborhood’s recreational venues.

In fact, Como Park is the most widely used park in the Twin Cities area. Admittance to the Como Park Zoo is free to visitors. The Marjorie McNeely Conservatory, formerly the Como Park Conservatory,...

Oh would you believe it?  New listings for homes fell in Saint Paul, Minnesota, for yet another month in a row during August, according to the Minneapolis Area Association of Realtors’ Market Update for 100 Twin Cities Communities. Throughout the month of August, there were 553 new listings in the City of Saint Paul. In August of 2007, there were 641 new listings, which is a drop of about -13.7%, about the same as July's drop of -13.6%. The Como / Como Park neighborhood of St. Paul experienced the largest decrease in new listings at -32.5%.  The Merriam Park was the only neighborhood of Saint Paul to experience an increase in new listings in August compared to last year.  Listings there rose 6.7%.

For St. Paul’s posted new listing for January through August, there were 4,922 new listings in the city.  This is a drop of -10.2% compared to the 5,482 new listings during the same time period of 2007.  The greatest new listing fluctuations happened in the St. Anthony/Midway neighborhoods, where new listings have decreased by nearly 30% for the past two months in a row, while the West Side / Cherokee neighborhood’s new listings of homes for sale have increased...

Once again, new listings for homes fell in Saint Paul, Minnesota, during the month of July, according to the Minneapolis Area Association of Realtors’ Market Update for 100 Twin Cities Communities. During July of 2008, there were 599 new listings in the City of Saint Paul. In July of 2007, there were 692 new listings, which is a drop of about -13.4%, a bit worse than June's drop of 8.9%. The Mac-Groveland neighborhood of St. Paul experienced the greatest decline in new listings this month at -56.9%. The West Side/Cherokee neighborhoods experienced the greatest increase in new listings over last year at 41, a whopping 86.4% more listings when compared to July 2007’s statistics.

Looking at posted new listing for Saint Paul real estate the 2008 year-to-date, from January through July, there were 4,369 new listings in the city, compared to 4,841 during the same time period of 2007. That means there were 9.8% fewer new listings so far this year. The most dramatic changes have happened in the St. Anthony/Midway neighborhoods, where new listings have decreased by 29.8% while the Phalen neighborhood’s new listings continue to increase with 12.1% more houses for sale than last year.

Yet again, a reduction in the amount of listings has not meant fewer closed sales on homes in Saint Paul MN. At 300, there were 5.3% more closed sales this year in July than the same month of 2007’s 285....

In the past, residents on St. Paul's West Side that wanted to take their four-legged canine friends to an off-leash dog park needed to travel to Minneapolis.  Dog lovers, that may be changing quite soon!  On Wednesday, the St. Paul Parks Commission approved a plan to build several off-leash dog parks, ranging from "destination" parks to "neighborhood" parks, with a promise to satisfy a range of dog lovers.

Included in the recommendations is having special little parks for little dogs.  At these parks, larger breeds of dogs can be in one area away from the smaller dogs in another fenced in area so like can play with like.  City leaders foresee something for everyone.

As spokesman for Mayor Chris Coleman said on Wednesday after the release of a task force report on the topic, "They will be a welcome addition to our nationally recognized parks system."

Coleman formed the task force earlier this year during a series of State of the City meetings. The usual taxes, public safety, and traffic concerns all surfaced during the forums, but the unexpectedly overpowering message from attendees: Give us more dog parks.

Right now, the City of Saint Paul only operates one park with an off-leash area for dogs: Arlington/Arkwright, on the East Side. An off-leash area at Ramsey County's Battle Creek Regional Park, across the Maplewood...

New listings for homes fell in Saint Paul, Minnesota, during the month of June, according to the Minneapolis Area Association of Realtors’ Market Update for 100 Twin Cities Communities. There were 632 new listings in the City of Saint Paul throughout the month. In June of 2007, there were 694 new listings, which reflects a drop of about 8.9%, much better than May 2008’s new listings drop of 23.8%. St. Paul’s Downtown, for the second month in a row, has experienced the greatest decline in new listings at -51.2%. This time it was the Phalen neighborhood which experienced the greatest increase in new listings over last year at 111, 18.1% more than June 2007.  

When you look at Saint Paul’s posted new listing for the 2008 from January through June for the year-to-date, there were 3,770 new listings in the city, compared to 4,149 throughout the same period of time in 2007. That means there have been about 9.1% fewer new listings of homes for sale so far this year. The most dramatic changes have happened in the Merriam Park neighborhood, where new listings have decreased by 28.0% over the course of the year; the Phalen neighborhood’s new listings continue to increase with 11.9% more houses for sale than last year.  

Reduced listings does not mean that there have been fewer closed sales on homes in ...

Some residents of Saint Paul awoke to explosions at 7:30 AM on Saturday morning.  More yet awoke to the sound of the High Bridge power plant’s 570-foot-tall smokestack crashing to the ground.  Its descent rattled windows, set off car alarms, and thrilled thousands of onlookers that came to witness the end of an era.

                     

Built in 1923 and formerly St. Paul's tallest building, it was considered a historical structure by some and an eyesore by others. Though it was plain and homely-looking, the old stack was a symbol of home to many residents on both the West End and the West Side of St. Paul.  It’s no wonder, as the smoke stack has stood between these neighborhoods for over 80 years.

 

As stated previously in this blog, the demolition came as part of a $380 million conversion from a coal to natural gas burning plant by Xcel Energy at the High Bridge location. The new natural gas facility, which came online in May, has twice the capacity of the old one...

New listings for homes fell in Saint Paul, Minnesota, during the month of May, according to the Minneapolis Area Association of Realtors’ Market Update for 100 Twin Cities Communities. During May of this year, there were 623 new listings in the City of Saint Paul. Throughout May of 2007, there were 818 new listings, which is a drop of about 23.8%.  St. Paul’s Downtown neighborhood experienced the steepest decline in new listings at -56.3%.  The West Side/Cherokee neighborhood was the only area of St. Paul to experience an increase in new listings compared to last year. 

When looking at Saint Paul’s posted new listing for the 2008 year-to-date, there has been less dramatic decrease by over half.  From January through May, there were 3,138 new listings in the city, compared to 3,455 during the same time period of 2007. That means there are 9.2% fewer new listings for the year. The most drastic changes happened in the Saint Anthony/Midway neighborhoods, where new listings have decreased by 31.1% while the Phalen neighborhood’s new listings increased by 11.9%.

In addition to reduced listings, closed sales on homes in St. Paul, Minnesota, also declined during the month of May. At 258, there were over 8.8% fewer closed sales than May of 2007’s 283.  For the 2008 year from January through May, the view is very different, as...

The Riverview Economic Development Association would like to invite you to Music and Movies in District del Sol!  This is a unique, family-friendly outdoor art, film and music series on St. Paul’s West Side in Parque Castillo.  Now in its sixth year, it is held every Thursday for 8 weeks during the summer, beginning June 19 and running through August 7.

This free series will feature a variety of live, local bands and well-known films as well as interactive art activities for all ages.  Each week, a new world culture will be explored and experienced through art, music and movies. 

The activities start at 6:30, music starts at 7:30 pm, all followed by a film starting at dusk.  The schedule for activities, bands, and movies can be found here. Click here for a map and directions.

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