Leading with Vision, Intention, and Urgency
The City of Saint Paul operates with an "all in” approach to city building, relentlessly focused on proactive community engagement, cross-departmental collaboration, and an unshakeable mission of building a city that works for everyone. By breaking down silos and aligning efforts across the enterprise, we are strengthening the very foundation that make Saint Paul a community where people can safely live, work, play, and do businesses.
We are leading with vision, action, and a sense of urgency to advance two key enterprise priorities: Community-First Public Safety and Downtown Revitalization. To ensure progress is made on these priorities, we have developed a strategic workplan for 2025 that will be reviewed quarterly to address and stay ahead of new issues and challenges. This strategy is more than managing today’s challenges, it’s about flexibility and allowing thoughtful reallocation of resources ensuring that we remain responsive to changing needs. The workplan outlines clear strategies, objectives, and goals that guide our efforts to achieve these priorities.
Public-Private Partnership in Action for a Stronger Downtown
Partnering with the Saint Paul Downtown Alliance, the City of Saint Paul helped launch a bold Downtown Investment Strategy in March 2024—marking a significant step forward in reimagining and revitalizing our city’s core. Developed through deep collaboration between public agencies, private sector leaders, and community stakeholders, the strategy reflects a shared commitment to building a safer, more vibrant downtown that works for everyone.
By aligning resources and efforts, the City of Saint Paul and the Downtown Alliance are delivering on a clear, coordinated vision for recovery and long-term growth in the heart of the capital city. This public-private framework outlines targeted investments in housing, public spaces, streetscapes, and key redevelopment and under-utilized sites, with the goal of attracting more residents, visitors, and businesses to downtown.
The expanded Downtown Improvement District (DID) now encompasses the entirety of downtown as of January 1, which is funded by property owners and supported by the city to enhance safety, beautification, and activations. This strategic action plan builds on our primary goals of supporting vibrancy, occupancy, and investment. The DID operates with “street team ambassadors” and a Safety Communications Center that coordinate with Saint Paul Police, private security, and social service to best serve all who come downtown. The mission is simple but powerful: fund enhanced services like trash and graffiti removal, pedestrian assistance, wellness checks, and public safety coverage. The 2025 expansion broadened coverage to Lowertown and key parks, including Pedro Park and Wacouta Commons, and extended services to seven days a week.
Community-First Public Safety
The Community-First Public Safety framework is Saint Paul’s comprehensive, proactive approach to public safety. This strategy is grounded in the principle that meaningful, lasting change is accomplished by addressing systemic challenges and root causes of gun and group violence, mental health crises, substance abuse, and homelessness. We shifted to a model that emphasizes prevention, intervention, and collaboration between law enforcement, the Office of Neighborhood Safety, and community organizations—addressing violence and criminal behavior, ultimately creating a safer environment for everyone.
Safety, both real and perceived, in our community is directly linked to our city’s long-term success. The Community-First Public Safety strategy fosters an environment where all residents feel secure, supported, and connected to resources. By strengthening the city’s public safety infrastructure—through trusted law enforcement efforts, expanded mental health services and crisis intervention, and restorative justice initiatives—Saint Paul will address the root causes of crime and create a more resilient, inclusive, and equitable city.
Downtown Revitalization
Downtown Saint Paul has long been the economic engine that drives the success of the capital city. It is where the highest concentration of property tax revenue is generated, funds which are crucial for supporting city services. In addition, it is the focal point of sales tax revenue, which directly funds investments in critical infrastructure like parks, recreation centers, and streets.
Like many cities across the country, downtown Saint Paul has faced significant challenges in the wake of the pandemic. When downtown struggles to rebound, it affects the entire community. Revitalizing downtown is critical to the long-term economic health of the entire city. Action must be taken. Revitalizing downtown is a catalyst that will create jobs and improve the local economy. By attracting new businesses, creating mixed-use developments, and investing in the infrastructure needed to support these projects, Saint Paul can ensure that downtown remains the vibrant, thriving center of the city.
Investing in Long-Term Prosperity
This strategic workplan outlines clear objectives and goals that guide efforts to achieve priorities and remain responsive to changing needs.