St. Paul City Council, Mayor Melvin Carter at odds over $57 million development plan

Community activists and several St. Paul City Council members criticized Mayor Melvin Carter for his recent veto of the council’s denial of a proposed $57 million apartment complex development on Lexington Parkway just south of University Avenue.

City Council member Dai Thao said the city should not approve the project because it does not include enough affordable housing, even though the developer, Alatus Company, has proposed a minimum of 124 affordable apartment units out of the 288 units in the development project.

“When studio apartments start at $1,000 a month, it is not affordable for people who live in the Midway and Frogtown area,” Thao said. “Why are poor people always being picked on? Why are Black people always being picked on? This policy does not benefit us.”

St. Paul’s Frogtown neighborhood nervous over proposed housing development

Pastor James Thomas of Mt. Olivet Church said it is a moral and ethical issue. Thomas called on Carter to reverse his veto position and go back to the drawing board with city planners and the developer to come up with a plan that benefits the people who live in the neighborhood.

“If this mayor didn’t look like me, I would not be surprised,” Thomas said. “But this mayor knows the struggle of people of color. This mayor understands what needs to happen.”

Alatus spokesperson Chris Osmundson issued this statement regarding Tuesday’s comments from activists and City Council members:

“The Mayor’s veto was to support an entirely un-subsidized mixed-income affordable housing project at a transit-oriented location. This is exactly what the St. Paul 2040 Comprehensive Plan calls for in locations such as this, as well as the 4(d) Affordable Housing Incentive Program, policies which were voted on, and supported by, the two Council members which were present at today’s discussion.”

Carter’s office also issued this statement in response to Tuesday’s criticism:

“Our city’s population is at an all-time high, with two decades of growth still ahead,” Communications Director Peter Leggett said. “Our goals of preventing displacement and ensuring housing for all will require new housing for families along the entire income spectrum.”

The City Council hopes to pass a resolution Wednesday to restore the Council’s denial of the project and prohibit permits from being issued.