Residents of St. Paul’s West Side Flats neighborhood are seeking an apology and financial reparations from the city for a decades-long issue of property loss.

Between 1960 and 1962, the city of St. Paul and the Port Authority bulldozed homes, businesses and churches to make way for a new industrial park and flood wall along the Mississippi River in a neighborhood area called the West Side Flats, which was made up of many African-American and Mexican-American residents.

Now, some of those residents, along with the West Side Community Organization (WSCO), are seeking an apology from the city and financial reparations for the property loss their families endured more than 60 years ago.

Former West Flat resident Linda Castillo told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS she saw her family’s house get bulldozed and said her family was not compensated for the forced move to another neighborhood.

“My mom and dad went down to the house one day and the bulldozer was already through our porch and our dining room,” said Castillo. “It was terrible. My dad used to cry, my mom used to cry.”

Larry Lucio was a neighbor who told KSTP he also saw his house destroyed by the city and said if his parents were compensated, it was “not for the full value of the property.”

“I watched the cranes tear down the houses and it was emotional, it was anger, frustration,” said Lucio. “Yeah, I remember when the crane hit our house and it collapsed. Memories and history.”

West Side Community Organization member Elsa Vega-Perez said WSCO would like to see the city apologize and financially compensate surviving members of families that were displaced without proper reimbursement.

“And, I want to see that further develop. I want to see families that were hurt and displaced… and make sure that doesn’t happen again,” said Vega-Perez.

A spokesperson for Mayor Melvin Carter’s office said the city and its leaders are in discussions with the West Side residents and considers this an important issue, with details being shared as they develop in the coming weeks.