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

• Total size: $5 million
• Approved by: Saint Paul City Council (unanimous vote)
• Approval date: March 25, 2026
• Administered by: City of Saint Paul, Department of Planning and Economic Development (PED)
• Purpose: To jump‑start downtown recovery by filling and redeveloping underused spaces, expanding housing, and increasing street‑level vibrancy.

 
Funding Breakdown

• $3 million – Housing
  • Office‑to‑residential conversions
  • New housing or rehabilitation of existing buildings
  • Gap financing for projects already underway
• $2 million – Economic Development
  • Commercial capital improvements (interior and exterior)
  • Long‑life equipment purchases (5+ years)
  • Public‑realm improvements (lighting, outdoor seating, public art)

 
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

• Total size: $30 million (Lead Investors: Securian Financial & Bush Foundation)

• Announced: February 5–6, 2026
• Led by: Saint Paul Downtown Development Corporation (SPDDC)
• Nature: Mission‑driven, flexible real estate investment fund
• Goal: Acquire, stabilize, and reposition key downtown properties to catalyze long‑term redevelopment

 
What the Fund Supports

• Commercial, residential, and mixed‑use development
• Office‑to‑residential conversions
• Elimination of substandard property conditions
• Pedestrian‑oriented streetscapes and public spaces
• Job attraction and retention
• Minority‑ and women‑owned business development
• Historic preservation and civic space restoration

 
Properties Already Acquired
Using early capital, SPDDC has already secured:

• Alliance Bank Center
• Capital City Plaza Parking Ramp
• Empire Building & Endicott Arcade
• U.S. Bank Center mortgage note
  Many of these holdings were formerly controlled by Madison Equities, whose collapse created significant downtown distress—and opportunity

 
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

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

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

Last week’s Annual Meeting proved powerful to our 700+ attendees, and I wanted to share highlights from our conversation about unshakable leadership - and the character required to lead well.
 
The Edelman Trust Barometer reminds us that business remains the most trusted institution in America. That trust is fuel. And we intend to use it. Because business is our economic engine. And economic forces don’t pause. We will either grow or shrink; compete or fall behind. Our work with the Minneapolis Regional Chamber is about aligning for a future that strengthens our capital city and our region - not at the expense of our priorities, but because of them. 
 
Leadership Requires Character. And that’s a Journey. 
 
You cannot wish for character and an easy life. Because the cost of one is the other. We tend to focus on “what must I do,” rather than “who must I be?”
 
Leadership is navigating into the unknown. People will disagree about the path, the pace, or the risks. That doesn’t make them wrong – or right – because we’ve never been where we are going. 
 
Message #1: ground yourself in character. It’s the only currency we fully control. Most issues the Chamber faces aren’t black and white. They’re complex, nuanced, often between competing goods. If we anchor ourselves in who we are and the values that guide us, people can trust that. 
 
Message #2: leadership requires holding together competing truths. 

• Pride in us and grief about us
• Legacy and innovation
• Caution and boldness
• Local identity and regional vision
• Reality and hope

 
A friend recently gave me a helpful picture: “think of yourself as a ship. You set your course. Currents and winds that push you aren’t good or bad; they just are. Let them inform your work, not necessarily redirect it.

Here’s what I believe: we can’t define ourselves by what we don’t do, by what we deny ourselves, by what we resist, by who we exclude. We’ve got to measure success, by what we embrace, what we create, and who we include.

Ultimately, Unshakeable Leadership doesn’t mean you don’t get shaken. It means you don’t stay shaken. We are at an inflection point economically, politically, socially. Great moments are borne of great struggle. And our region - the 16th largest region in the nation – is built for this moment.

Our bigger future won’t happen in one season. But it will start in one.

Leadership take-aways shared by attendees: 

Mayor Kaohly Her – “St. Paul is open for business.”

Steve Grove - "If you are in an unfamiliar situation, what you may feel as a weakness should actually be considered a strength because you are bringing fresh eyes to the situation."

Matt Majka - "Pay attention to your ratio of questions-to-comments in every situation." Also, he prioritizes “extreme personal humility combined with intense professional will.”

Chanda Smith Baker - "It's easy to stay in your communities of comfort, but it's hard to grow personally and professionally ... reach out.

Other takeaways from attendees:

• “Our organization was proud to support the St. Paul Area Chamber’s 158th Annual Meeting.  SPAC has provided a powerful forum for us to connect with local leaders and learn how others are finding ways to be a positive force in our community.”

• “Opening thoughts throughout the night with the Mayor, B Kyle from the St. Paul Area Chamber, and Bria Shea of Xcel Energy reinforced something I strongly believe: ‘leadership requires steadiness in uncertainty and vision beyond the moment. True impact happens when leaders are willing to evolve, challenge systems, and build bridges across sectors.’ Tonight reminded me why I care so deeply about the work we do and the role each of us plays in strengthening the systems that serve our communities.”
• Nights like this are why I engage locally. Community does not build itself. It is shaped by the people who show up, lean in, and choose to stand together. And that to me, is unshakable leadership.”

• Jen Hellman, Goff Public, and SPAC Board Chair:  “The theme of the St. Paul Area Chamber annual meeting is unshakable leadership. As B Kyle said, leadership doesn't mean you can't be shaken, but it means you can't stay shaken. We're moving forward as a region stronger and better, together.”

See you in the trenches,
B