City and business leaders prep skyways for office workers to return in St. Paul

For two years, the skyways in St. Paul have been fairly empty. It’s led to business closures and some unwanted behavior like loitering or property damage.

Now a team of city officials and business leaders are working to take back the 47 blocks of St. Paul skyway. They are adding extra security with city and metro transit police. They are also hoping to fill the empty skyways with life: for example, outside the skyway-level of the St. Paul Athletic Club, city officials have started working from one of the empty office spaces.

“It’s just to light up some of these spaces, to have eyes in the skyways and create safer spaces by having those spaces activated,” said St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter.

Three major employers: Ecolab, Securian and Travelers Insurance are bringing employees back in waves over the next few weeks which will result in about 5,700 more people in downtown by mid-April.