More development coming to Saint Paul's West Side
A proposal by Sherman Associates to construct a new mixed use development on the Mississippi River will be a positive addition to the urban village planned for Saint Paul's West Side Flats. After the developer spent months working closely with the City, the West Side Community Organization, and other stakeholders to finalize the site plan, the "West Side Flats Phase 3" project sailed through the city of St. Paul's planning commission approval process. Although there was some community debate about the height of the project, the final plan was for two five-story buildings with four stories at the rooftop deck of the building closest to the river, and six-story pop-ups on the corners of the building on Fillmore Avenue. This building configuration fulfills an important requirement of the West Side Flats Master Plan that building height should tier away from the river to maximize scenic views of the bluffs surrounding the flats.
The West Side Flats Phase 3 Project will bring numerous benefits to the community. The first phase of the West Side Flats, located at the southeast corner of the Wabasha Bridge, was completed a couple years ago bringing residents back to the flats for the first time in decades. Phase 3 will include 183 market rate apartments, 82 affordable housing units and 5,000 square feet of commercial space with a restaurant that opens up to the river esplanade. Phase 2 will add more commercial development, but will likely get built after Phase 3. These pioneering projects are not without risk, and Sherman Associates has been willing to move ahead with projects that are welcomed by the community.
"We've come a long way since 'The Bridges of Saint Paul' mega-development was proposed and rejected in the early 2000s," noted Whitney Clark. FMR's executive director. "FMR is excited to see positive riverfront development finally coming to the West Side Flats."
For more information, please visit the project web page.