United Villages at Midway

Big things continue at Allianz Field. After opening in 2019, a new project is on the horizon. United Villages at Midway is coming to the spot where Big Top Liquor once stood. It will be a mixed-use development that integrates with the current stadium site. The community can expect a high-density, transit-friendly concept, that includes housing, office space, and retail options.

Environmental Management & Grant Funding

While the Saint Paul Port Authority has no ownership stake in the development, we have been the environmental manager from the beginning. The ownership group has relied on our staff’s expertise in brownfield redevelopment to deal with all soil contamination and ultimately protect the health and wellness of nearby residents.

Today, we applied for three grants, totaling $2 million, to cover remediation costs. The first application went to DEED for $1M. The second and third went to Met Council and Ramsey County for $500K each.  

We need grant funds to cover the cost of removing and/or containing soil contamination. The contamination has been their for decades and stems from buses and streetcars. The Saint Paul Port Authority’s role in the process is to develop a remediation plan, secure funding, hire a team of experts to execute the plan, and manage the process from start to finish.

Only public agencies are eligible to apply competitively for these funds. At the same time, remediation grants have proven to be an essential economic development tool in bringing brownfield properties back on the tax rolls.

Next Steps

Our first goal is to prepare the soil for construction. Even though contamination doesn’t pose a threat right now, disrupting the soil through the construction process would have a negative affect without remediation. Secondly, funds will be used post-construction to install soil vapor mitigation systems to protect the buildings on the site.

Port Consulting is managing this project. Port Consulting falls under Capital City Properties, the Port’s not-for-profit arm. All staff time and administrative costs, up to $21,300, will be reimbursed for this phase.