St. Paul’s downtown leaders released an investment strategy with a goal to revitalize the heart of the city.

“I think it’s coming back,” Wisconsin resident Ann Goodlad said. “I think there’s way more to do than there was a few years ago.”

Some St. Paul visitors see the heart of the city as a destination, whether it’s catching a game at the Xcel Energy Center or seeing a show at the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts.

“It’s quieter than it used to be, I think, you know, the typical 9 to 5 office day is not as common anymore, but it’s fun to be down here,” said Michael Jischke, a Minneapolis resident.

Overall, foot traffic is not what it used to be, so the St. Paul Downtown Alliance is switching gears.

“I think our vision for downtown is an exciting one,” said St. Paul Downtown Alliance President Joe Spencer.

The organization just released an investment strategy to get people back downtown.

The goal is to triple the population by adding 20,000 residents to the area.

“We know that empty nesters love to come and live in downtowns and also young professionals,” Spencer said. “When it comes to housing, it really is true that when you build it, the folks come. They fill up our apartment buildings and that’s why we’re seeing that growth.”

The group is already starting to renovate office spaces into residential areas to make it happen.

“That’s going to add residents that will be around on the nights and the weekends and keep those coffee shops and bars and restaurants full,” Spencer said.

But the downtown visitors are just as important.

The vision also includes making the route to popular areas more walkable by connecting Rice Park to Mears Park and the Xcel Energy Center to CHS Field.

“Make that a wonderful, beautiful space all along there so that people can stroll up and down and along the river,” added Spencer. “I’m hopeful for all of our downtowns. We’re going to continue to see that growth and continue to see that momentum into the future.”

Some downtown visitors told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS they’re hoping to see the lights on in businesses longer, with earlier hours on Sundays and later hours on nights and weekends.

The plan also outlines hopes to create 20,000 more jobs and generate a 20% increase in visitation.

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