St. Paul’s downtown is under construction, and so is its reputation.
The city's Downtown Improvement District is marking a successful year, with downtown ambassadors removing over 350,000 pieces of litter and conducting nearly 600 welfare checks.
However, their progress is being bogged down by multiple road construction projects, including a stubborn sinkhole that has left residents frustrated.
Despite these issues, Mayor Melvin Carter remains optimistic.
"So when we establish high quality, brand-new looking, state-of-the-art infrastructure downtown, whether that's our streets, our parks, our bike lanes, then that invites investment," Carter said.
He says while the "dust" of investment will continue to linger for a little while, a number of major projects will be wrapped up in the "next couple of weeks."
But the mayor also adds the city's downtown real estate crisis has become a catalyst for new investment. Carter is framing the recent collapse of Madison Equities, formerly the largest property owner downtown, not as a setback but as a chance for something new.
He says buildings are changing owners faster than they have in decades, and many new firms from across the state and country are interested in taking over.
"And that's where we're seeing firms out of Chicago, we're seeing firms from around the country and around the world, we're seeing firms from around Minnesota say, 'hey, there seems to be a really strong value proposition downtown', which is one of the reasons we're seeing so many buildings sell," Carter explains.
Even with the challenges of ongoing construction and public safety, Carter believes the city is at the forefront of attracting billions of dollars in new economic development.