Continued from my St. Paul Home Page -
We now know that the Port Authority signed a Purchase Agreement with Kelly on June 28, 1999, without letting any of the other bidders know, and kept everyone thinking they had a chance to buy the building!
Why would the Port Authority continue to discuss the purchase of
the 7th Place Building with the 2 other bidders at the same time? Their explanation is that it was a "purchase agreement, but not really", they didn't satisfy my curiosity on why they would sign
a purchase agreement w/ them, when Doug & Brenda Lamb sent one to them months ago with thier offer.
I wish they would have reconsidered the Lambs' offer. They have supported the Residents of 7th Place in their struggle to keep their homes, and they have fought hard to keep our building standing for both its history as well as our homes! For months they have been a great support.
The Lambs have also been in contact with the folks that are very interested in providing a downtown grocery store, and now it seems that Kelly is interested in talking with them now.
Now is the time to call your councilmembers! On Wednesday, April 28, 1999 the City Council had 2 Resolutions before them:
To contact your Councilmembers -->
The above became suspension items:
Note: May 5 - 2nd Readings read for the above, watch the Council on the 12th for the 3rd Reading.
I looked up the minutes of the last meeting, as well as the agenda for the next meeting on the St. Paul City Council Agenda & Minutes page - http://www.stpaul.gov/council/1999/
An idea is stemming to turn 7th Place into a housing and retail cooperative! Others have put in bids to the Port Authority for the purchase of 7th Place Building. You will most likely not hear of these bids due to the fact that the City is still wanting the
development of the St. Paul Companies on this property. Is the Port Authority taking these new bids seriously?
We would like to be a part of saving St. Paul's history, as well as it's homes. We all know of the need for good affordable housing
in Downtown St. Paul - and would like to continue to be a part of the local community - a community of varied cultures, interests, ages, and faiths are represented not only at 7th Place Residence, but in the local community residences as well.
There is very much a Community of downtown residents, that the City doesn't even realize! We support the local stores, and should have a grocery store to accomodate us as well as people that come into work during the day,
and wish to stop in for groceries so they can go straight home, instead of driving to some grocery store in another outlying area. Many businesses are needed to accomodate the Downtown Community. The St. Paul Companies delivered the residents of 7th Place a memo on January 22, 1999 of their decision not to exercise its option to purchase the Seventh Place property, and any plans for development
rest with the Port Authority and the City of St. Paul. They thanked us for our time and cooperation, and acknowledged that they knew the uncertainty of the sale had been difficult for us residents. Attached to the Memo was the News Release they were sending out to the Press. We really appreciate their concern for us, and the
fact that they let us know of their decision before we heard it in the Newspaper, as we had learned of the proposed sale back in August, as the owners - the Port Authority - did not feel it necessary to inform us.
a) Criteria. In considering the designation of any area, place, building, structure or similar object in the City of St. Paul as a heritage preservation site; the commission shall apply the following criteria with respect to such designation:
