Land Use & Planning

Oversized development downsized at Mississippi and Minnesota River confluence

by Alicia Uzarek

June 12, 2015

Last month, FMR appealed the Saint Paul Planning Commission decision to grant a height variance in the confluence area because we believed it would greatly impact this significant portion of the river corridor. We are pleased that the Saint Paul City Council decreased the building height variance to allow a 60 foot building instead of a 73.5 foot building — a 13.5 foot decrease.

FMR appeals oversized building at Mississippi & Minnesota River confluence

by Alicia Uzarek

May 19, 2015

On April 24, 2015, the Saint Paul Planning Commission approved a height variance of 33.5 additional feet for Johnson Brothers’ proposed mixed-use building at 1465 Davern Street which lies within the Mississippi River Corridor Critical Area and the National Park boundary. FMR appealed this decision on May 4, 2015 because this development will significantly impact the scenic and historic character of the river valley at the confluence of the Mississippi and Minnesota Rivers.

Graco reneges on its promise to provide a riverfront trail easement

by Irene Jones

March 16, 2015

Graco, the Northeast Minneapolis company whose headquarters occupy the riverfront adjacent to the new Scherer Park, have disappointed many with their recent attempt to back out of an agreement to provide a public trail easement. Read more

Fords riverside toxic dump under investigation

September 16, 2014

From 1945 until 1966, the Ford Motor Company dumped unknown quantities of industrial waste, including solvents and paint sludge, on the floodplain of the Mississippi River below the bluff adjacent to its St. Paul assembly plant. The dump, known as Area C, adjoins the popular Hidden Falls Park and the Mississippi River, a location where floodwaters regularly inundate the dump. >>