Housing, hotel development damaged in large downtown St. Paul fire

Rebecca Omastiak

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Cleanup is underway after crews fought a large fire downtown St. Paul Tuesday morning.

A KSTP crew at the scene reported the fire was burning near the Xcel Energy Center. The development site on fire was the Seven Corners Gateway site, which was to include hotel rooms and housing. Kaeding Development Group was leading the project.

Large flames could be seen around 4:30 a.m., the crew reported.

The glow from the fire filled the city’s skyline and could be seen for miles.

[KSTP/ Ben Henry]

KSTP Traffic Reporter Josie Smith said the following ramps have now reopened after being temporarily closed:

  • Eastbound I-94 to Fifth Street
  • Eastbound I-94 to 10th Street
  • Northbound I-35E to Grand Avenue
  • Northbound I-35E to Kellogg Boulevard

KSTP’s Ben Henry said the fire chief at the scene said he believes everyone at the scene is all right. The St. Paul Fire Department confirmed no injuries had been reported.

Authorities are investigating what may have caused the fire.

Kaeding Development Group President Carl Kaeding said, "It’s incredibly sad to see all the construction teams’ hard work get leveled so quickly, but fortunately the first responders were able to contain the blaze quickly. We are focused on securing the site and ensuring the authorities can safely conduct their investigation."

Kaeding said it has invested $68 million in the Seven Corners Gateway area development, which includes a five-story Courtyard by Marriott hotel and a six-story building with apartments. The company said the hotel was damaged the most by the fire.

Stay with 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS and KSTP.com for updates on this developing news. Refresh your page to make sure you are seeing the most current information.

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