St. Paul City Council passes $45.1M for street, parks and recreation center projects funded by new sales tax

The St. Paul City Council on Wednesday passed $45.1 million for streets and parks and recreation center projects. The projects will be paid for using the city’s new 1% sales tax.

Parks and recreation projects included in the budget will include $31.4 million to address maintenance of park buildings, athletics fields and downtown parks. It will also include design work for future projects, such as the East Side Community Center and the River Balcony.

The breakdown for the $31.4 million is as follows:

• $10.4 million to revitalize fields, play areas, courts, parking lots, trails, water features and sidewalks across the park system
• $10.4 million for critical deferred capital maintenance needs including HVAC, roofs, doors, windows, gyms, lighting and building/park needs
• $7 million for implementing the first phase of Como Park Zoo and Conservatory to geothermal
• $3.2 million to revitalize downtown parks
• $410,000 to advance design work for the River Learning Center, River Balcony, park/green space at Hillcrest and other projects

The city also shared that the remaining $13.7 million will leverage 1% sales tax funding to support the Department of Public Works improvements, including:

• The Grand Avenue-Snelling to Fairview Project
• Grand at Fairview Signal Project
• Grand/Snelling Intersection Improvement Project

“With support from our Council, legislative leaders, and voters, we’re ready to improve the safety and sustainability of our roads, and invest in the nationally-acclaimed Parks amenities that our residents enjoy every day,” Mayor Melvin Carter said in a statement. “I am thrilled to finally transform this long-awaited investment into reality.”

The sales tax was approved in November. The city says the tax will generate nearly $1 billion over 20 years; $738 million of this will go to streets and $246 million will go to parks.