THE BRAINSTORMING

The development principles were introduced by Historic Saint Paul’s consultant, Mary deLaittre, facilitator for ongoing neighborhood workshops associated with this project.

By this time others had joined the group. A list of attendees is included in team member. All had an opportunity to give their first reactions and additional thoughts as the discussion made its second and third trip around the room.

Broad themes included the need to capitalize on the neighborhood’s considerable assets, such
as, its late 19th century housing stock, tree-lined streets and unique features, such as, its high-profile location on the bluff, its steeply sloped topography and its dramatic views of downtown Saint Paul. Strategies for overcoming the neighborhood’s drawbacks were also discussed. While several properties are carefully maintained, many houses are in disrepair and/or require restoration. Many houses do not have garages, which makes them less marketable. Rental properties and unsupervised places attract unwanted activities. Safety is a issue. The consensus seemed to be that these problems are not insurmountable and toward the end on the discussion, the group had identified several possible strategies for sparking this neighborhood’s recovery, including the following:

• 
  Commercial along the primary traffic routes on 7th
  and 3rd Streets should be reinforced and enhanced.
  
• Mixed-use secondary commercial and residential
  should be encouraged along Maria, which could
  serve as a link between these two commercial streets.
  
• A mixed use development at the west end of Maria
  could bridge the separation currently experienced
  between Metro State campus and the neighborhood.
  
• Streetscape features such as decorative pavers, light
  fixtures, signage, etc. could be repeated throughout
  the neighborhood strengthening its identity.
  
• The bluff overlooking downtown should be become
  a green space and accommodate a parklike
  pedestrian way and/or community gardens.
  
• The adjacent house at 334 Mounds could become a community gathering space. This prominent white house is a highly-
  visible marker of the neighborhood suitable for a public
  use. Its ample yard could be developed into a small park.

THE CHARRETTE

The tour, the presentation and the discussion had taken the better part of the morning and there wasn’t much time left, but several concepts for turning around this endangered neighborhood were illustrated by the charrette participants, who included local architects Ken Koense, AIA, Ted Lentz, AIA, Erin McKiel, AIA, Terry Olsen, AIA, Todd Rhoades, AIA, Diane Trout-Oertel, AIA, John Yust, AIA and landscape architects Steve Goltry, ASLA, ACP, Joel Odens, ASLA, and Julie Goller, ASLA. A good deal of work was generated in a short amount of time. See Appendix 3 for some of the drawings that were generated.

John Yust (left) and Ken Koense (center) got down to
work while Ellen Biales, Assistant to City Council President
Kathy Lantry, (right) discussed ideas generated
during the brainstorming session with a local resident.

Julie Goller (left), Joel Odens (center) and Steve Goltry
(right) began their investigation by identifying the
key pedestrian routes through the neighborhood.

Charrette participants worked through lunch. From left to
right in the foreground are Todd Rhoades, Erin McKiel and
Ted Lentz. From left to right in the background are Ken
Koense, Terry Olsen and Andy Zhang, who has offered
to set up a blog for the Fourth street Preservation Project.

All too soon it was time for participants to wrap
up their presentations in preparation for the pin-up.

APPENDIX 1 DEVELOPMENT PRINCIPLES

Get APPENDIX 1 DEVELOPMENT PRINCIPLES in PDF format

THE FIELD TRIP on Sept. 27, 2008

Tour participants met at the corner of East 4th
Street and Maria Avenue at 9:00 am. Carol
Carey, Executive Director of Historic Saint Paul,
described the status quo of the neighborhood.

Carol and Becca Hine, also of HSP, led the group
on a tour of the neighborhood. One of the first
stops was the Children’s Garden which occupies
publicly-owned land on Third Street East.



The group explored Third Street, which has a
mix of residential and commercial and services.
Businesses appeared to be struggling and the
discussion revolved around the need to upgrade
existing enterprises and encourage new ones.


The tour proceeded south on Third Street
and participants noted opportunities for
further development. Third Street leads to the leads to the Kellogg
Bridge, which is located at the southeast
corner of neighborhood and provides
immediate access to downtown.

The next stop on the tour was one of the
three houses that have been purchased by
the HRA on Fourth Street. The HRA plans to
issue an RFP for rehabilitating these houses.

Fourth and Fifth Streets terminate in cul de
sacs overlooking downtown. The group discussed
development options for the narrow
strip of public land along the edge of the
bluff, where a sweeping panorama of the city
and the river valley beyond is unobstructed.

The group saw great potential for a large
piece of property adjacent to the strip of public
land along the bluff. This property is occupied
by the highly visible, prominent white house
that is a familiar sight from the freeway below.

The house, which has been vacant for a long
time, is for sale. Discussion revolved around potential
uses for this strategically located property
which could become a symbol for Dayton’s Bluff.


After the tour, the group reconvened at Metropolitan State University Library for a presentation of the development principles identified in recent neighborhood workshops
that preceded this event. A summary of the Development Principles that have been selected
to guide the revival of Dayton’s Bluff neighborhoods is included in Appendix 1.