St. Paul City Council passes $45.1 million for street, parks and recreation center projects
The St. Paul City Council passed $45.1 million for street, parks and recreation center projects funded by the City’s new 1% sales tax on February 28.
St. Paul Parks & Recreation projects included in the first of two resolutions passed total $31.4 million intended to address long-deferred maintenance of parks buildings, athletic fields and downtown parks.
Projects earmarked in this round of funding include $10.4 million for revitalizing amenities across the parks system, another $10.4 million of deferred maintenance on park buildings, $7 million for implementing the first phase of converting Como Park Zoo and Conservatory to geothermal heating, $3.2 million for revitalizing downtown parks and $410,000 for design work for the planned River Learning Center, River Balcony, Hillcrest greenspace and other projects.
The City Council approved an additional $13.7 million in a separate resolution which will leverage 1% sales tax funding to support the Public Works improvements of Grand Ave.
In 2023, St. Paul voters approved a 1% increase to local sales tax to be used for repairs and improvements to streets, bridges, parks and recreational facilities within the city. City leaders say the tax will generate nearly $1 billion over 20 years, of which $738 million of funds must go to streets and $246 million for parks.
