St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her highlighted downtown revitalization, public safety coordination and city service improvements during her first State of the City address, delivered April 20 at the International Institute of Minnesota.

In the speech, Her pointed to the city’s response to Operation Metro Surge, including three new ordinances focused on federal enforcement accountability and a $1.4 million reallocation to strengthen emergency rental assistance efforts. City officials also launched a survey to assess economic impacts on workers and businesses, estimating immigrant households lost roughly $118 million in January and February alone.

Downtown redevelopment efforts featured prominently in the address. Her announced plans for an Aldi grocery store in downtown St. Paul scheduled to open in summer 2026, along with Ramsey County’s planned $300 million investment in housing, public spaces and small business development.

The mayor also highlighted a new centralized Safety Communications Center developed in partnership with the Saint Paul Downtown Alliance and efforts to establish long-term funding for renovations at the Grand Casino Arena complex.

On city operations, Her cited a new assistant mayor structure intended to streamline coordination across departments, improvements to StPaul.gov accessibility and ongoing efforts to simplify permitting processes for businesses and developers.

Looking ahead, the administration pointed to continued development at the Heights, Highland Bridge and United Village sites, the opening of the new Hamline Midway Library and infrastructure projects funded through the city’s Common Cent sales tax program.

The full address is available at stpaul.gov/news/mayor-hers-2026-state-city-address.