Almost 100 years ago, Henry Ford stood on 130 acres overlooking the Mississippi River in Saint Paul and saw a world of potential. Today, we as a city stand in that same place, but with a much different vision. As Mayor and lifelong resident of Saint Paul, it is both my duty and my desire to engage our community and lay a strong foundation for this once-in-a-lifetime development opportunity for our region.
I am deeply grateful for the large number of Saint Paul residents, business owners, artists and activists who have come out in droves to each community meeting, providing input and helping to shape our vision for the Ford site thus far. In just the past year, we have honed in on key principles and areas of focus for that vision: housing variety, jobs and tax base, energy and sustainability, varied transportation options, parks and amenities, and mixed uses and activities.
Next, we must engage in the hard work of ensuring that our aspirations around transportation, sustainability and quality of life can become market realities. To do so, a group of Saint Paul leaders and I are embarking on a trip to Berlin, Copenhagen, Malmo and Stockholm to look beyond the borders of Saint Paul and into cutting edge, urban developments across Europe – places that have figured out how to implement big ideas.
Aerial view of Copenhagen
Business representatives from the Saint Paul Area Chamber of Commerce, Greater MSP and the Saint Paul Port Authority will explore how job creation factored into successful mixed-use sites such as Adlershof Science and Technology Park (pictured on the right), a 1,000-acre site that’s home to 450 companies and sustains 15,000 jobs.
Leaders from Xcel Energy and Saint Paul District Energy will
speak with their counterparts about cutting-edge sustainability practices at
places like Feldheim, a site that is completely self-sufficient when it comes
to energy.
City and county leaders, along with representatives from
Ford, will see what accessible green space, varied housing and public
transportation can look like in Malmo, where in the "City of Tomorrow" (pictured on the left) no residence exists more than ¼ of
a mile from a bus stop. And all along the way, members of our partner organizations
such as the Saint Paul and McKnight Foundations will be inspired by how each
site evokes culture and community.
The importance of this trip cannot be understated. As we get
closer to the “For Sale” sign going up on the historic Ford site, one thing has
become increasingly clear: just as it is necessary for us to learn from each
other about what we aspire to as a community, it is equally necessary that we
learn from those who have made their vision come to life – and build upon the
work they’ve already done.
As we move ever closer to placing this site on the market,
we must continue to engage locally. I ask that each and every one of you whose
lives are intertwined with the future of Saint Paul get involved. Follow the
hashtag #FordSiteFuture on Twitter and Facebook to see updates from
our trip. Attend one of the monthly community meetings we have planned through
the next six months, sign up for the newsletter and engage in content and
updates on the project website, www.stpaul.gov/fordsite. Make sure your voice is heard
as we go forth with one of the most exciting, impactful opportunities in Saint
Paul.
If done right, what was once home to Ford Motor Company can
become one of the most sustainable, accessible communities in the world – a
place where people, businesses and organizations across the globe will want to
call home.
