Court ruling affirms Hamline Midway library demolition, renovation

A court ruling on Thursday declared that the City of St. Paul can move forward with the demolition of the Hamline Midway Library, despite efforts from a community group to stop the plan.

The city says it will now begin construction efforts, which are set to take about 18 months to complete before the library reopens. The demolition is a part of the St. Paul Public Library’s Transforming Libraries initiative, which includes three different libraries.

As previously reported, the community group Renovate 1558 claimed the planned demolition violates the Minnesota Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) and the Minnesota Environmental Rights Act (MERA). A motion filed by Renovate 1558 in May also called for a temporary restraining order to stop the city from demolishing or making preparations to demolish the library.

However, in August, a Ramsey County judge dismissed the case filed against the city of St. Paul and the St. Paul Public Library Agency that claimed they were violating state environmental laws in its effort to demolish the Hamline Midway Library.

On Thursday, District Court Judge Stephen Smith reaffirmed that decision by deciding the city can move forward with its plans to demolish the Hamline Midway Library.

“I applaud this decision and look forward to finally fulfilling our promise of an accessible, safe, and modern public library that all of our Hamline-Midway families can enjoy,” said Mayor Melvin Carter.

“The Midway deserves major city investment in vibrant public spaces for the future of our diverse community,” said Council President Mitra Jalali. “I am thrilled that the Hamline-Midway Library will be rebuilt to better serve our neighborhood. This is a victory for all our residents.” 

For more information on the Hamline Midway Library renovation, CLICK HERE.