St. Paul Planning Commission votes in favor of Dixie s On Grand redevelopment project St. Paul planners approve $32.5M project; council now must OK rezoning. July 23, 2021 6:25pm Text size Copy shortlink:
A project to redevelop Dixie s On Grand into a five-story, mixed-use building with 80 market-rate apartments is one step closer to approval after the St. Paul Planning Commission gave it green lights Friday.
The commission voted 9-1 to approve building variances and a conditional use permit for the project. The City Council will discuss rezoning the site at 695 Grand Av. from a B2 Community Business District to T3 Traditional Neighborhood District over the coming weeks.
Project to replace St. Paul s Dixie s On Grand sparks neighborhood debate Many agree Grand Avenue needs a boost, but neighbors worry five stories is too tall. May 5, 2021 5:53am Text size Copy shortlink:
After 30 years of peddling Southern comfort food in the heart of St. Paul, Dixie s On Grand owner Peter Kenefick is ready to retire the restaurant and put a five-story building in its place.
Kenefick, 64, said if the $32.5 million mixed-use project is approved, it will serve as his legacy. Judging by the reactions of his Summit Hill neighbors, Kenefick s legacy either will spark a resurgence of excitement and commerce along Grand or eclipse the charm of its historic neighborhood.
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First came the business closings. Traditions. Bonfire. D’Amico & Sons. Creative Kidstuff. Then came the near-death of Grand Old Day, the 45-year street festival that was canceled and resuscitated in the span of a week in April.
Now people are talking again about the future of Grand Avenue, St. Paul’s premier commercial corridor. Some worry that Grand’s longtime blend of boutique dining and retail with century-old bungalows and classic apartment buildings may be fading in this time of Amazon and St. Paul’s rising minimum wage.
“We’re trying to get a handle on what the vacancies mean,” said Hayden Howland, president of the Summit Hill Association, the district council that oversees Grand’s eastern half. “People are concerned. If they see empty storefronts, it can be alarming.”