WSP leaders highlight key issues during annual address
Jake Spitzack
Staff Writer
Economic development and public safety issues highlighted the West St. Paul State of the City address, held in mid-May. During the presentation, city leaders shed light on the following topics.
A redevelopment plan for the 9.5-acre vacant property at 150 Thompson Ave. E., formerly home to the YMCA, is expected to be completed by this fall. Pending city council approval, Greco Properties plans to build market-rate apartments and townhomes, and a restaurant on the site, beginning next year. The city is encouraging the inclusion of an outdoor public gathering place as part of the project. It could feature a bandshell, food truck plaza, kids’ play zone or other amenities open to the public. Dakota County recently created a segment of the River to River Greenway trail through the site.
Final plans are expected to be complete by the end of the year for major improvements at the intersection of Smith Avenue and Dodd Road, which has a crash rating 2.5 times higher than the national average. Work includes realigning both roads and adding a memorial for Mendota Heights Police Officer Scott Patrick, who was killed in 2014 while making a traffic stop near the intersection. Construction is expected to take place next summer and fall. Paster Properties is seeking to redevelop its strip mall at Smith and Dodd into a mixed-use building that would include retail, a restaurant and multifamily housing. The adjacent Camelot Cleaners property has been purchased by a developer, but no plans have been announced. Mayor Dave Napier also noted that the city hopes to partner with the City of St. Paul in some capacity to spark economic development in the area just north of the Smith-Dodd intersection, which is an entryway into St. Paul.
New construction and property improvements have more than doubled the city’s total taxable market value in the past decade, to $31.6 million. The mayor said to expect more development in the Robert Street Marketplace in front of Cub Foods. The city is still seeking a brewery or restaurant for the property it purchased in 2022 at 1619 Oakdale Ave., near the corner of Wentworth and Oakdale, he added.
Last year, the West St. Paul Police Department welcomed to its staff a full-time crisis response worker as well as a Dakota County social worker to assist officers with calls regarding mental health crisis. The department also signed another two-year contract to employ Officer Elyse Wood as a school resource officer at Two Rivers High School.
South Metro Fire signed a two-year contract extension with Par 360 to provide firefighters with mental health programming and individual checkups with a psychologist. Additionally, a recent study found that the fire department should hire eight more first responders to maintain best staffing practices, and significant upgrades must be done to the South Metro Fire stations in West St. Paul and South St. Paul. Department staff are recommending hiring three more employees next year, two in 2026 and three in 2027. The cities of West St. Paul and South St. Paul, which jointly operate South Metro Fire, have no timeline for improvements to be made at the fire stations.
Notably, the number of catalytic converter thefts in the city has plummeted thanks to statewide measures taken to prevent thieves from reselling them. The city had 190 reported catalytic converter thefts in 2021-2022 and just two last year.
To view the State of the City address, visit https://townsquare.tv/shows/state-city-addresses.
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