Downtown Saint Paul

Downtown Saint Paul
Neighborhood
Views of Downtown Saint Paul
Interactive map of Downtown Saint Paul
CountryUnited States
StateMinnesota
CountyRamsey
CitySaint Paul
Established1839
Area
[1]
 • Total
1.010 sq mi (2.62 km2)
Population
 (2023)
 • Total
10,000
 • Density9,900/sq mi (3,800/km2)
Time zoneUTC-6 (CST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code
55101
Area code651

Downtown Saint Paul is the central business district of Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States. Its boundaries are the Mississippi River to the south, University Avenue to the north, US 52 to the east, and Kellogg Boulevard to the west. It is bounded by the Dayton's Bluff, Summit-University, West Seventh, Frogtown, West Side, and Payne-Phalen neighborhoods. The West Side neighborhood is on the other side of the river, and can be accessed via the Robert Street Bridge or the Wabasha Street Bridge. Interstate 35E and Interstate 94 run through the north side of the neighborhood, providing a separation between the Minnesota State Capitol and other state government buildings with the rest of downtown.

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
19904,410—
20005,74330.2%
20106,60415.0%
2020 (est.)10,00051.4%

Government

The Minnesota State Capitol is on downtown's northern edge. Work began on the current capitol building in 1896 and was completed in 1905. The early 1950s saw the development of the expansive mall surrounding the capitol. This development required the demolition of many homes, apartments, churches, and businesses, and paved the way for the construction of four government agency buildings surrounding the mall: the Veteran Services Building, the Transportation Building, the Centennial Office Building, and the National Guard Armory.[2] Saint Paul City Hall and Ramsey County Courthouse is also downtown.

Economy

Several corporations and institutions are in downtown Saint Paul. Since 1933, Ecolab has maintained its headquarters downtown.[3] In 1989, Twin Cities PBS relocated to its current location downtown.[4] In 1997, the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System moved its headquarters to Wells Fargo Place.[5] Minnesota Public Radio purchased its downtown headquarters in 2001 from the Public Housing Agency of St. Paul.[6] In 2005, Gander Mountain relocated to downtown.[7] Securian Financial Group is in the Securian Center and is the largest private employer downtown, with 2,600 employees.[8] Travelers Insurance maintains a large presence downtown, employing 2,000 people.[9] In 2009, supercomputer manufacturer Cray Inc. relocated to become the anchor tenant of Cray Plaza downtown.[10]

The economy and general well-being of downtown St. Paul have fluctuated since the mid-20th century, when suburbs first drew away many downtown anchor tenants, such as department stores. The first major urban renewal push occurred in the mid-1960s with the construction of many of the buildings that remain downtown's most prominent. During Norm Coleman's mayoralty, from 1994 to 2002, several new tenants moved to downtown St. Paul from Minneapolis, and major construction occurred, including Grand Casino Arena. The district remained relatively stable for the next 20 years.[11] As in many other downtowns, the COVID-19 pandemic caused an exodus of tenants. In the following years, office-to-residential conversions have become common downtown. Some of the tenants that left downtown in the wake of the pandemic have returned, but the district continues to struggle.[12][13]

Lowertown

A view of Cray Plaza with Mears Park in the foreground
Main article: Lowertown Historic District (Saint Paul, Minnesota)

The Lowertown Historic District is a historic district on the east side of downtown St. Paul. This 16-block warehouse and wholesaling district comprises 37 contributing properties built between the 1870s and 1920. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983 for the significance of its river and rail connections, economic impact, architecture, and urban planning.[14] Lowertown has recently been changing from a bohemian community into a gentrified neighborhood filled with coffee shops, restaurants, bars, breweries, and market-rate apartments.[15][16]

Lowertown is the home of the Saint Paul Union Depot, a historic railroad station that is still a transportation hub for Amtrak, Greyhound Lines, and the Metro Green Line.

Parks

Downtown has three city parks, two of which predate Minnesota statehood. The land for both Mears Park and Rice Park was donated to the city of Saint Paul in 1849.[17][18] Both parks have undergone numerous renovations and host several festivals. Rice Park most notably hosts the Saint Paul Winter Carnival, the nation's oldest winter carnival, having operated since 1886.[19] Since 1999, Mears Park has hosted the Twin Cities Jazz Festival. Downtown's third park is Kellogg Mall Park, which has fountains, an arbor, and a paved bike trail along the river.

Culture

A southern view of the Science Museum of Minnesota from across the Mississippi River

The Saint Paul Public Library system operates the Central Library, which has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1975.[20] James J. Hill Reference Library is within the Central Library. Landmark Center is on the north side of Rice Park.

Theater & performing arts

Museums

Sports

In September 2000, Grand Casino Arena opened in downtown to serve as the home of the Minnesota Wild.[21] Apart from hosting the Wild, Grand Casino Arena has hosted the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, the NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship, the Minnesota State High School League Boys' Hockey Tournament, the WNBA's Minnesota Lynx, and the now defunct National Lacrosse League team Minnesota Swarm.

A view of CHS Field and the St. Paul skyline from left field

CHS Field, in Lowertown, opened in 2015 at a cost of $63 million.[22] It serves as the home field of the Saint Paul Saints of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball. An average of 8,438 fans attend Saints games at CHS Field, the seventh-highest average attendance in minor league baseball.[23]

The Saints' move from Midway Stadium to CHS Field marks the return of baseball to downtown since the St. Paul Saints of the American Association played their games at The Pillbox from 1903 to 1909. The Pillbox, or Downtown Stadium, was on the current site of the Metro Green Line Robert Street station, between 12th and 13th Streets.[24]

In January 2018, TRIA Rink opened on the top floor of the former Macy's building, since renamed Treasure Island Center. TRIA Rink is the Minnesota Wild's practice facility and the home arena for the Minnesota Whitecaps of the National Women's Hockey League and Hamline University's hockey program.

Since 2011, downtown has hosted Red Bull Crashed Ice. Crashed Ice is a winter extreme sporting event featuring ice cross downhill (or downhill ice cross), which involves downhill skating in an urban environment on a track with steep turns and high vertical drops. The event coincides with the Saint Paul Winter Carnival and draws crowds of more than 100,000.[25]

Transportation

A view of the Union Depot station

The neighborhood is served by five stops along the METRO Green Line light rail system:

  • Capitol/Rice Street
  • Robert Street station
  • 10th Street station
  • Central station
  • Union Depot station

Skyway

Like its twin city, Minneapolis, downtown Saint Paul has a skyway system consisting of 40 bridges that link most of the buildings along Kellogg Boulevard with the midcentury office core. The skyway is open every day from 6 a.m. to 2 a.m., but businesses in the skyway generally close at 6 p.m. and on the weekends.[26] Prominent buildings connected to the skyway include:

  • Cray Plaza
  • Hamm Building
  • First National Bank Building
  • Minnesota Building
  • Wells Fargo Place

Education

Primary and secondary

  • Saint Paul Preparatory School
  • Creative Arts Senior High School
  • Saint Paul Conservatory for Performing Artists

Higher Education

References

  1. ^ "Downtown neighborhood in Saint Paul, Minnesota (MN)". City-Data. 2013. Retrieved April 20, 2017.
  2. ^ Millett, Larry (2010). AIA Guide to Downtown St. Paul. St. Paul: Minnesota Historical Society. p. 74.
  3. ^ Woltman, Nick (April 15, 2015). "Ecolab to acquire downtown Travelers building, move operations". Pioneer Press. Retrieved April 20, 2017.
  4. ^ "Who We Are". Twin Cities PBS. December 7, 2015.
  5. ^ "April 1997 Board Meeting Summary". Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System.
  6. ^ "Minnesota Public Radio Will Expand in St. Paul Through Purchases Adjacent To Current Headquarters; MPR Renews Its Commitment to the Capital City". PRNewsWire. October 18, 2001. Retrieved April 20, 2017.
  7. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on April 22, 2017. Retrieved April 21, 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  8. ^ "Downtown St. Paul's oldest, tallest and most expensive". April 4, 2016.
  9. ^ "Downtown St. Paul's oldest, tallest and most expensive". April 4, 2016.
  10. ^ Baier, Elizabeth (July 21, 2009). "Cray, Inc. signs lease to move to downtown St. Paul". Minnesota Public Radio. Retrieved March 10, 2017.
  11. ^ "Downtown St. Paul has been declared 'dead' before". Yahoo News. June 8, 2025. Retrieved December 16, 2025.
  12. ^ Lindeke, Bill (April 2, 2025). "What most people don't realize about downtown St. Paul's woes". MinnPost. Retrieved December 16, 2025.
  13. ^ "Two downtown St. Paul medical office buildings go to auction in October". Yahoo News. October 1, 2024. Retrieved December 16, 2025.
  14. ^ Murphy, Patricia; Susan Granger (November 30, 1981). "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Lowertown Historic District" (PDF). National Park Service. Retrieved April 27, 2013. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  15. ^ Bos, Mecca (September 9, 2015). "St. Paul's Lowertown is one of the hottest hoods in the Twin Cities". City Pages. Retrieved April 21, 2017.
  16. ^ Melo, Fredrick (November 25, 2016). "In St. Paul's Lowertown, artists react to changes with unease". Pioneer Press. Retrieved April 21, 2017.
  17. ^ "Tour of St. Paul - East Side to Lowertown" (PDF). Historic Saint Paul.
  18. ^ "Rice Park: St. Paul, Minnesota". American Planning Association. 2017. Retrieved April 21, 2017.
  19. ^ "History of the Saint Paul Winter Carnival". Saint Paul Winter Carnival. 2017. Retrieved April 21, 2017.
  20. ^ "St. Paul Public Library: Many Happy Returns", St. Paul Pioneer Press, September 29, 2002
  21. ^ "Grand Casino Arena". SportsEngine. 2017.
  22. ^ Gilbert, Curtis (May 18, 2015). "Saints to play ball for first time at CHS Field". MPR News. Retrieved April 20, 2017.
  23. ^ Reichard, Kevin (September 19, 2016). "2016 MiLB/SC/Indy Attendance by Average". Ballpark Digest. Retrieved April 20, 2017.
  24. ^ Venzer, Tad (May 16, 2015). "A look at St. Paul ballparks through history". Pioneer Press. Retrieved April 20, 2017.
  25. ^ Hennagir, Tim (February 10, 2017). "Monticello skater recaps Red Bull Crashed Ice experience". Monticello Times. Retrieved April 21, 2017.
  26. ^ Lindeke, Bill (February 3, 2017). "St. Paul's skyway issues are ongoing and unsolved". MinnPost. Retrieved April 21, 2017.
  27. ^ Chappell, Bill (December 19, 2017). "Minnesota Music College Closes Abruptly, and Students Scramble to Find Schools". NPR.

44°56′50″N 93°5′30″W / 44.94722°N 93.09167°W / 44.94722; -93.09167

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