News from the Downtown Alliance
November 1, 2018
A note from the president
Greetings friends,

A small group of us had the opportunity to attend a conference of downtown organizations from across North America, and we learned a ton! One of my biggest takeaways is that the opportunities and challenges we face in Saint Paul are not unique, but rather they are ubiquitous in cities around the country. It is an exciting time for downtown’s everywhere right now as we try to keep up with and harness new technologies, and as we all try to manage unprecedented demand for downtown living. One of our best competitive advantages is our foundation of cross-sector partnerships in downtown which will serve us well as we navigate these opportunities. Before I close, I want to remind those of you who haven’t voted to make sure you cast your ballot by Tuesday – it is imperative that we continue to lead in this most basic level of civic participation. 


See you all around (down)town,

Joe Spencer
President
The Saint Paul Downtown Alliance
Changes underway on Exchange Street
Earlier this week we had the opportunity to tour the former Saint Agatha's Conservatory of Music and Art, future home of Celeste Saint Paul boutique hotel. Renovations have begun and the hotel is scheduled to open Fall 2019 and will boast 71 rooms, including seven "Celestial" top-floor suites, and a bar. Many of the original features of the building will be preserved and we're excited to see this beautiful gem in the heart of downtown restored to her former glory.

Hundreds of positions to be hired
This Saturday the City of Saint Paul and the State of Minnesota will be hosting a job fair at the Rivercentre. This will surely be an incredible event not only for individuals currently seeking employment but for anyone interested in learning more about the array of opportunities both at the state and local level.

A wrap on a great season
As this season of programming at Central Station has come to an end, we would like to thank each and every one of you that may have sung along, learned a new dance, painted, tossed bags, check-mated or in any other way engaged with your neighbors downtown. More than 40 live performances took place over the last three months and hundreds of people were able to contribute to the vitality of one of our busiest spaces. Please consider taking a few moments to fill out the survey below with your feedback about the 2018 Pop Ups at Central Station season. Thank you!

Downtown Saint Paul in the news