Overview

The Hamline Midway Coalition (HMC) used 2025 Commercial Corridor Program funds to carry out a comprehensive creative placemaking and corridor activation initiative along key commercial stretches of Snelling Avenue and University Avenue within the Hamline Midway neighborhood. With the 2026 round of Commercial Corridor Program funds, HMC plans to implement the placemaking initiatives planned the prior year, including beautification and public art. In addition, HMC plans to continue corridor marketing, business spotlights, and events.

What the funding supports

Stylized Snelling & University Commercial Corridor Graphic

Marketing

Marketing funds cover promotional materials, neighborhood branding, placemaking and advertising.

Learn more about Marketing
Ice Cream Social event for the Snelling and University Commercial Corridor

Events

Event funds back monthly business showcases along with community outreach and collaboration.

Learn more about Events
Two children stand behind a mosaic-tiled sidewalk planter filled with flowers on Snelling Avenue, with the Snelling Cafe sign visible in the background.

Beautification

Beautification funds will bring artistic trash bins, painted planters, sidewalk signage and art exhibits to the corridor.

Learn more about Beautification

Events

An advertisement for Midway Meetup at Black Garnet Books

Neighborhood Activation

Monthly neighborhood activation events were hosted at local businesses to help activate spaces within the community in the hopes of improving foot traffic within the corridor and to provide meaningful connections using Commercial Corridor funds.

A banned of Midway Art in the Park

Midway Art in the Park

The Midway Art in the Park was hosted as part of the Saint Paul Art Crawl with help from the Commercial Corridor fund to support local artists within the community giving them a space to showcase their work. 

An infographic of Big Ole Trash Party

Big Ole Trash Party

Big Ole Trash Party is an annual event hosted by the Hamline Midway Coalition created to bring the community together to clean up trash. Along with featuring a block party with live music, food trucks and t-shirts. The Commercial Corridor Program fund helped to pay for this event.

An infographic of Neighborhood Ice Cream Social

Ice Cream Social

The Ice Cream Social is a summer get together that is held annually by the Hamline Midway Coalition providing free ice cream to the community. The event also features live music, performers, art and games. Commercial Corridor funding helped to pay for the event.

Midway Area Artists & Musician Mingle event graphic promoting a Feb. 28, 1-3 p.m. networking event at Interact Center for the Visual & Performing Arts Gallery.

Artists & Musician Mingle

Artists & Musicians mingle was a new event that brought together neighborhood creatives who have ended up spearheading a new three day Midway Music & Arts Festival planned for the Fall 2026. 

Marketing

An advertisement of March Midway Meetup at Urban Lights

Corridor Marketing

As part of their marketing plan the Hamline Midway Coalition has made social media posts promoting events funded within the corridor using Commercial Corridor funds and has also placed advertisements for corridor events in local newspapers such as the Community Reporter.

Two attendees pose with a fringed opossum mascot at an outdoor community event on a sunny sidewalk.

Branding and Placemaking

The Hamline Midway Coalition completed a Neighborhood Branding, Placemaking and Events campaign that included business outreach and identified placemaking activities to be undertaken within the next three years. This included the creation of a neighborhood mascot to be used to market the neighborhood and appear at events.

Screenshot of the Midway Spotlight website homepage, a digital hub for the Hamline Midway neighborhood.

Corridor Website

The Hamline Midway Coalition used corridor funding for the creation of a neighborhood culture and events website for the promotion of business and culture of the area. Funding was used to find and hire a vendor to help with its creation.

Business Spotlight Videos

As part of the Hamline Midway Coalition's Business Spotlight initiative, they interviewed several small locally run businesses operating in Midway area. Funding from the Commercial Corridor program allowed for a professionally edited and produced videos to talk about the rich history of the neighborhood including places such as Gingko Coffeehouse and Urban Lights Music.

Beautification

AJ International Mall storefront on University Avenue with its yellow sign and awning, with the Spruce Tree Centre visible in the background.

Artistic Trash Bins

Details about the artistic trash bins project on the University and Snelling Avenue corridor are coming soon. Check back for updates on the project as they become available.

Two children stand behind a mosaic-tiled sidewalk planter filled with flowers on Snelling Avenue, with the Snelling Cafe sign visible in the background.

Painted Planter Boxes

Details about the painted planter box project on the University and Snelling Avenue corridor are coming soon. Check back for updates on the project as they become available.

Row of University Avenue storefronts including Headz N' Heelz Hair Salon and Zany Boutique, with additional businesses along a tan brick building.

Sidewalk Signage

Details about the sidewalk signage project on the University and Snelling Avenue corridor are coming soon. Check back for updates on the project as they become available.

Urban Lights side-wall mural featuring bright green background, geometric shapes, stylized wings, and text elements including "Urban Lights" and "Carrington Ave / Cares St."

Art Exhibits

Public Art Exhibits will be placed along the corridor using Commercial Corridor funds at vacant storefronts and public rights-of-way to display the neighborhoods' identity and pride.