 Despite the Saint Paul ordinance being veto-proof, Mayor Her won’t sign a 60-day eviction extension notice. Across the river, Mayor Frey vetoed the Minneapolis ordinance. Mayor Her acknowledges that we all share the goal of ensuring Saint Paul residents can achieve housing stability and remain in their homes, especially after Operation Metro Surge. We share both her very real concerns that this ordinance will produce the opposite result, and her preference for rental assistance supports. In her own words: “I fear that often times at the city we are pulling the wrong lever at the wrong level of government. This ordinance has many signs of repeating the same mistakes.” I so appreciate these mayors’ considerations: they both heard the concerns of affordable housing providers and landlords alike —those closest to the issue—who have warned that policies like this can compound financial distress for renters “in ways that can follow them for years.” The urgency to act is real, and the desire to do something is both understandable and necessary. The challenge, as always, is choosing the right approach. That is the work before us: ensuring that well-intentioned policies are also effective ones. Our role remains to help inform that policymaking so that, in trying to solve the problem, we don’t inadvertently make it worse. See you in the trenches, B Events
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 Great news for Saint Paul, reinvesting in our downtown: two distinct but complementary efforts announced. Both are critical to stabilizing Saint Paul’s tax base, supporting our long-term economic competitiveness, and restoring confidence after years of high-profile vacancies and closures. 1. Downtown Vitality Fund (City of Saint Paul – Public Funding) Overview
Funding Breakdown
Eligibility for the program is open to both for‑profit and nonprofit organizations, with the requirement that proposed projects be located within the Downtown Improvement District (DID) as defined by the Saint Paul Downtown Alliance as of January 1, 2025. Organizations interested in participating can submit an Interest Form. 2. Saint Paul Downtown Investment Fund (SPDDC – Private / Mission‑Driven Capital) Overview
What the Fund Supports
Properties Already Acquired Using early capital, SPDDC has already secured:
Taken together, these two funds are designed to work in tandem. The Downtown Vitality Fund delivers nimble, public‑facing capital to activate spaces and support near‑term projects, while the larger investment fund brings flexible, patient capital to more complex redevelopment efforts that traditional financing often cannot reach. Aligned with the city’s broader “pandemic to prosperity” strategy, this combined approach signals a clear direction for downtown Saint Paul: more housing, greater street‑level activity, and a more resilient, mixed‑use urban core. See you in the trenches, B Upcoming Events
 A couple of special highlights for the week. The first come from our own work:
Second is excellent work done by the Minnesota Chamber: survey results on PFML’s impact on Minnesota’s businesses. Because making needed adjustments to the state’s new Paid Family and Medical Leave mandate is top of mind for the state’s business community. If you qualify as a “small employer” under the PFML program, you can apply for a grant to help cover costs when an employee has taken leave for expenses incurred after Jan 1, 2026. These grants help manage the cost of hiring temporary workers, increasing hours or wages or training staff while an employee is out on PFML. Learn More and Apply. See you in the trenches, B Next Up on the Event Calendar:
 Last week we honored Women’s History Month with our annual March Mavericks luncheon, Presented by Wells Fargo, centered on this year’s theme: “Unshakable: Strength in Every Season.” We were hosted at St. Catherine University, and the event featured an exceptional panel moderated by Emmy Award-winning broadcaster and former professional athlete Lea B. Olsen. Panelists included entrepreneur and CEO Larissa Loden; Greater MSP Enterprise Director Ieesha McKinzie Collins; and Minnesota Vikings EVP/Chief Legal Officer Karin Nelsen. We also were proud to recognize Goff Public as our Celebrating Business Success Award winner, a women-owned and led company, celebrating 60 years in business. Our Celebrating Service Award winner was Women’s Advocates, whose mission is supporting victim-survivors and breaking the cycle of domestic violence. The stories shared were powerful and deeply inspiring – reminding us that leadership isn’t linear and that strength shows up differently in every season. Genuine, insightful, and compelling, these leaders exemplified what it means to be truly unshakable. “Ordinary” people doing extraordinary things. Well-deserved thanks and congratulations! See you in the trenches, B Upcoming Events:
Last week, the Saint Paul City Council unanimously approved a sweeping new set of restrictions on future drive‑thru businesses — an ordinance that increasingly feels like a solution looking for a problem. While the city frames the action as a step toward safer streets and reduced congestion, the ordinance raises more questions than it answers, especially regarding how existing drive‑thrus may be expected to adapt. The new ordinance significantly narrows where drive‑thrus can be located, barring them from downtown, near high‑frequency transit corridors, and from stand‑alone buildings in designated pedestrian‑oriented districts. It also dictates how new lanes must be positioned — requiring placement along the side or rear of buildings and imposing a strict 120-foot buffer from nearby homes for restaurant and coffee uses. One example illustrates how this process unfolded: after more than a year of being laid over, the ordinance was amended to more than double the transit station buffer — from 300 feet to 660 feet — just one week before final adoption. With little to no input from the regulated industries, the Council expanded a buffer that now covers nearly 40% of the city's existing drive‑thrus. The Chamber highlighted two practical fixes: a clear definition of where the 120-foot buffer is measured from, and a site-specific review process to address cases where the standard rules don't fit the terrain. The Council adopted neither. Without measurement clarity, applicants and reviewers are left to interpret a critical standard inconsistently, creating uncertainty that could delay or derail otherwise compliant projects. Without a variance or exceptions pathway, operators facing unusual lot configurations have no recourse short of abandoning the use altogether. These are not minor tweaks; they reshape entire site‑planning assumptions for prospective operators. More striking is the dramatic jump in required “stacking space.” Restaurants must now provide 12 car spaces, and coffee shops 14 — triple the previous minimums. Banks, credit unions, and pharmacies are now required to provide 6, at least double what current demand for these institutions typically generate. Yet the ordinance provides little insight into how businesses with existing constrained footprints are expected to interpret or respond to these new thresholds. Rather than delivering clarity or signaling that Saint Paul is open for business, this measure creates regulatory ambiguity — leaving residents and businesses wondering what problem the city is truly trying to solve. See you in the trenches, B Up Next on the Calendar:
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