New West End businesses, Community Arts grants, Holiday Train, and more

Greetings! Here’s city-related news for residents of Ward 1 and beyond. 
 
Night trains: In my last update, I shared residents’ (and my own) frustration with the Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC)’s new rail schedule that’s brought jarring middle-of-the-night horn blasts to Ward 1 and beyond. I’ve since learned that CPKC has a complaint desk that an actual person responds to (via email). If you experience a particularly disruptive night due to train horns, I encourage you to send an email to [email protected] with the date and time, along with your address. I know some folks have been emailing them and while we can’t be sure, it may be making a difference as recent nights have in fact been quieter.

That election that just happened: I don’t love all the results of the November election, but I do love this: 31,318 people in St. Louis Park – 84.1% of registered voters – cast a ballot. That's compared with statewide voter turnout of 76.4%. More than 53% of SLP voters cast their ballot prior to Election Day, continuing an early voting trend that started during the pandemic and is likely to continue. In the presidential election, nearly 76% of SLP voters voted for Kamala Harris, just over 22% voted for Donald Trump, and Robert F. Kennedy and Jill Stein each came in with about .6% of the vote. 
 
City-owned land: Council members were recently asked to share our perspectives on four parcels of publicly owned, undeveloped land in the city. Specifically, staff sought council direction on whether we want to designate these four parcels as park and open space, or keep open the possibility for them to be developed in the future. The four parcels in question are: 2800 Toledo (aka Rock Island Park), 3940 France Ave. (north of the Minneapolis pump house and the former “Weber Woods”), 9258 Club Road (between Cedar Manor Lake and Hwy. 169, north of Park Spanish Immersion School) and Quentin Ave. & Old Cedar Lake Road (the dead-end stub of Quentin east of the Hwy. 100 sound wall). My own preference was for all four parcels, which total just under 13 acres, to be preserved as park and open space. However, the majority of council members indicated their desire to keep open the possibility of future development on the Toledo, France, and Quentin Ave. parcels, while preserving the Club Road parcel as park and open space. Since the city owns these parcels, we have greater flexibility in determining what might be built there (including affordable housing), which was a driver in the majority opinion and which I respect. For me, there’s also value in preserving rare open space for habitat and other environmental benefits—a little bit of wild in our otherwise fully developed city. There’ll be more discussion on this in the future. 
 
Beltline Station project update: One of the first big projects I got to engage with the public on, back in 2018, was the Beltline Station Development proposed by Sherman Associates. Six years later, the developers are still working to close on financing on the project. The planned 376-unit development includes two apartment buildings, one mixed-use building (apartments and retail), and a six-story parking ramp. As of now, the goal is for construction to start in spring 2025 and be completed in 2026. The Metro Green Line Extension, with a station adjacent to the planned development, is anticipated to open a year later, in 2027. 
 
From offices to apartments: Locally and nationwide, office buildings are underutilized as workforce expectations continue to evolve post-Covid. In St. Louis Park, developer Hempel Real Estate has taken interest in the underutilized West End Office Park with the goal to redevelop at least one and potentially all four existing parcels into residential/retail space. Their current proposal for 5401 Gamble Drive is for a six-story, 223-unit mixed-use building with 21,000 square feet of commercial space, replacing the existing office building which has very low occupancy. Due to the potentially large scope of this project (if all four parcels are redeveloped) city staff determined that an Environmental Assessment Worksheet (EAW) should be completed. Public comments are now being invited on the EAW. You can read it here and comment on it here through Dec. 26. A neighborhood meeting on the proposed development is scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 17, 5 pm, at 1682 West End Blvd. 
 
New West End businesses: Game Show Battle Room at 1661 West End Blvd. opened earlier this month, transplanted from a Golden Valley location. The venue offers game show experiences for parties of 8-64 people, along with beer, seltzers, and non-alcoholic drinks. Our Gallery recently opened nearby at 1637 West End Blvd. Presented by Crayon Kelly, Our Gallery is described as a “vibrant and innovative space where art meets entrepreneurship, showcasing original artwork from a wide variety of artists, offering classes and team-building activities and hosting monthly Art Battle events.” Interesting.
 
More ways to be involved: Recently, I shared a list of opportunities for volunteerism in our great community. Since then, I’ve learned of two more organizations actively seeking volunteers who asked for a mention. Children First partners on a variety of initiatives to support kids and families in SLP. Check out their website, then complete their Volunteer Interest Form here and they’ll get in touch. The SLP Schools Career Pathways Advisory Board supports SLPHS students and teachers in strengthening career pathways programs available to students. Advisory Board members represent a range of careers and life experiences. Email Kara Mueller to learn more and get involved. 
 
Rental property license fee increase: Every year, council reviews staff recommendations for fees the City charges for everything from dog licenses to domestic partnership registration. This year, staff recommended significantly increasing our rental property licensing fees, with the goal to fully cover the cost of running the program with fees charged to property owners, rather than subsidizing it with tax dollars paid by everyone. I’ve heard from several rental property owners that they’re already stretched thin and the increase (ranging from $60-$130 or more per property per year depending on the type of property) is an undue hardship. While the new fee structure will likely remain in place for 2025, conversations with rental property owners will likely continue on how to balance the needs of property owners, tenants, and taxpayers going forward.
 
Building community through the arts: SLP Friends of the Arts, in partnership with the City, recently recommended six organizations for funding through an annual $20,000 allocation for community arts projects. They are The Rock 'n' Read Project for music-making sessions during the SLP Summer Reading Festival; Canvas Convergence for a summer chalk art festival at West End; Freeze Pop Records for a quarterly pop music festival in SLP; The Park Theater Company for the SLP Monterey Drive Concert; Maggie’s Farm Theater for a storytelling performance series; and Caron Learned for creation of an interior mosaic mural at the Sabes JCC. The arts are a vital way to build and strengthen community and I’m glad we’re supporting them in SLP!
 
Minnetonka Boulevard project update: Work on this two-year project is winding down for the winter. The stretch of Minnetonka Blvd. between Inglewood and CSAH 25 is anticipated to re-open later this month and remain open until construction work commences again in spring 2025. That work will include full reconstruction of Minnetonka Boulevard between Highway 100 and Inglewood Avenue and involve significant road closures and detours throughout the season. Details will be provided by Hennepin County this winter on their project website; sign up on the site to receive email updates. If you haven’t already, check out the new local street and parking spaces near Yum! Kitchen and Bakery. Very cool and needed! Kudos to city and county staff for designing this improvement. 
 
Here’s a select list of upcoming events in our community:
 
STEP Holiday Toy Drive: STEP will serve more than 800 kids this season and urgently needs donations to fill the need. Bring donations to STEP through Wed. 12/11 during donation hours. Info on most needed items can be found here.
 
Canadian Pacific Holiday Train, Thursday, Dec. 12, West Lake Street & Library Lane. Festivities (Including food trucks) start at 4:30 pm; the train rolls in at 6 pm for a 30-minute live music concert at 6:15 pm by The Lone Bellow and Tiera Kennedy. The Canadian Pacific Holiday Train’s mission to raise awareness of food insecurity in the communities it stops. Please bring a cash or food donation for STEP. More info on this fun community tradition here.
 
Thai Sunday Buffet, Sundays through March 8, 11am-7 pm, Wat Promwachirayan, 2544 Hwy 100. Love the Thai Sunday Market? Here’s the winter version. Enjoy a variety of freshly cooked and authentic Thai dishes in this all-you-can-eat buffet! Proceeds benefit the Temple. Info here.
 
Neighborhood meeting for proposed development at 5401 Gamble Drive, Tuesday, Dec. 17, 5pm, 1682 West End Blvd. Info on the proposed project here. 
 
Be the Light Winter Solstice Walk, Tuesday, Dec. 21, 6:00-8:30 pm, Westwood Hills Nature Center. Join others on the shortest day of the year to remember the many people in our community who can’t “see the light” because of struggles with mental health. Luminary walk, bonfire, and make your own luminary. Free, but registration required. Info here.
 
National Day of Racial Healing Event, Monday, Jan. 20, 4-7 pm, Westwood Hills Nature Center. An opportunity for children, teens, neighbors and community members to learn about each other’s diverse backgrounds, cultures, perspectives and lived experiences. The all-ages event is free; but registration is required. Soup and light refreshments will be provided. Hosted by the City of SLP, SLP Public Schools, SLP Community Education and Benilde-St. Margaret's. Space is limited; open until filled. Info here. 
 
Youth for Change Coalition Mental Health & Wellness Art Gala, Wednesday, Jan. 29, 6-8 pm, Westwood Hills Nature Center. Youth artists in grades 6-12 are invited to submit artwork on the theme: “What does mental wellness mean to me?” Submissions are due January 22. Info and artwork registration here.
 
Thanks for reading and please stay in touch! 

Margaret