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First off, Sunday night Mike Logan from the Minneapolis Regional Chamber and I welcomed Portland’s city and business leaders for their 2025 Best Practices Trip. Many of our regional partners – including the Met Council, Greater MSP, our chambers, and downtown organizations – are engaging with them. We crossed paths with Jay Cowles, Charlie Zelle, and I know the Saint Paul Downtown Alliance provided a walking tour of downtown Saint Paul on Monday afternoon. The visit highlights the value of intercity collaboration, especially around downtown revitalization, public safety, and industry investment. We are looking forward to our own trip to Detroit at the end of October! In case you missed it: last week I joined city leaders and stakeholders for a roundtable organized by FOX 9 on the downtown revitalization underway. The conversation reinforces how interconnected these issues are and how vital it is that we keep moving forward together. FOX 9 hosts roundtable discussion on future of Saint Paul As downtown areas in cities across the country struggle to recover from the pandemic, Minnesota’s capitol city faces unique challenges. Several office towers have been abandoned after Madison Equities walked away from its entire real estate portfolio. An obsolete and over-retailed skyway system is dragging down street-level business. The stadium that draws millions of visitors is now considered outdated and in need of huge investments in public money for renovations, according to the Minnesota Wild and city officials. 
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At last week’s State of the Airport luncheon: MSP airport tops J.D. Power airport rankings for second consecutive year. Congratulations MAC team. Well-earned! This week we turn our focus to small business. On Sept. 25 at Lunch With Leaders, we’ll welcome DEED Commissioner Varilek along with Josh Olson of Ramsey County and Jimmy Loyd of the City of Saint Paul to share resources and support strategies for small businesses. This is especially timely because last week we saw the latest release of Minnesota jobs numbers: Minnesota’s job market has shown resilience, with 5,900 new jobs added in August (equating to a .2% increase), outperforming national trends. The state’s unemployment rate also increased to 3.6%, still below the national rate of 4.3%. Growth has been driven by construction, education, and health services. Despite job gains, the broader economic picture remains murky. Fed President/CEO, Neel Kashkari, recently published an essay exploring the tension between price stability and maximum employment. He poses three key questions:
It’s a thoughtful read! And finally - don’t forget to register for our 2025 ICLV trip to Detroit! We still have a few spots left, but registrations close on Sept. 25. Join us for what promises to be an exciting exploration of Detroit’s economic transformation. See you in the trenches, B Don't Miss these Upcoming Events!
Chamber Check-in 9/23/25  This week I want first to zoom out and highlight Minnesota’s business landscape. Time magazine just released its annual World’s Best Companies list, and six Minnesota companies made the cut. A great reminder of the strength and reach of our state’s largest employers. Closer to home, we are focusing on small business: on September 25 at Lunch With Leaders, we’ll welcome DEED Commissioner Varilek along with Ramsey County and City of Saint Paul leaders to share resources for small businesses. Then, on October 6, DEED will provide another update on Minnesota Paid Leave – an important opportunity to learn and ask questions. I was struck by Mayor Jacob Frey’s recent launch of the City of Minneapolis Mayoral Dashboard, a first-of-its-kind public tool tracking progress on top city priorities: public safety, recruitment and retention, climate action, opioid response, economic inclusion, and homelessness. The interactive dashboard underscores a commitment to transparency and accountability. And finally - don’t forget to register for our 2025 ICLV trip to Detroit! We still have a few spots left, but registrations close on September 25 or sooner if it fills. Join us for what promises to be an exciting exploration of Detroit’s economic transformation. See you in the trenches, B Chamber Check-in 9/16/25  Last week we attended Mayor Carter’s annual budget address. Council President Noecker opened with a powerful reminder about trust: “Trust is at an all-time low; and yet trust is what holds our communities together.” I couldn’t agree more. Her expressed commitment, on behalf of the City Council, was clear: to work collaboratively with the Mayor to deliver a budget that is “responsible and responsive, effective and efficient.” Mayor Carter’s address reaffirmed his top priority - public safety - and his most urgent priority - downtown revitalization. Both are essential for restoring confidence and navigating the current property tax challenges. Encouragingly, crime trends show improvement, but public safety investments must remain central to the budget discussion. Just as importantly, the Mayor emphasized that Saint Paul’s future depends on growth. I look forward to reviewing the budget details of the proposed 5.3% property tax levy increase, to see how these priorities translate into specific investments for our city’s future. See you in the trenches, B Chamber Check-in 9/09/25 I took much of last week off to spend with my great nephews, adventuring across the region. My days were filled with joy and family. For the community, the week contained devastating tragedy. The contrast is not lost on me. My heart goes out to everyone affected by the unimaginable tragedy at Annunciation Catholic School. Two young lives were lost, and so many others remain wounded — both physically and emotionally. To the families, survivors, and community: I cannot begin to understand your grief, but I do know this — you are not alone. Saint Paul stands with you. For the rest of us, moments like these remind us that small acts of kindness matter - a shared memory, a silent presence, a hand held. The bravery shown by teachers and students — shielding one another, rushing to protect, and showing love in the face of fear – must be our beacon. Let hope and healing grow from their example. Ideologies separate us. Dreams and anguish bring us together. – Eugene Ionesco See you in the trenches, B Chamber Check-in 9/02/25 |
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