West 7th Neighbors Oppose New Garbage Truck Depot
The facility on Randolph near West 7th runs afoul of long-standing City plans, according to the West 7th / Fort Road Federation.
West End residents are pushing back on a proposed plan that would see garbage trucks rolling through the heart of the neighborhood on a regular basis.
On January 21, the Fort Road Federation made an appeal to the St. Paul Zoning Commision about a proposed plan for a garbage truck depot to be built at 560 Randolph Avenue.
The five-acre site, along with the adjacent 540 Randolph Ave., was purchased by FCC Environmental, the City of St. Paul’s new garbage hauler, last year with the intent of being their primary storage and refueling facility.

FCC plans a $25 million investment of the site to house their 30 initial garbage trucks, which could increase to as many as 80, a dispatch facility and a compressed natural gas fueling station.
Not so fast though, say the West 7th/Fort Road Federation. According to their appeal to the zoning commission, long-range plans conflict with current zoning of the site, which has long been a part of the City’s plan to build new housing and connections to the river.
In addition to finding the proposed use of the site to be in conflict with long-standing City plans, the Federation has also expressed concerns about noise, air pollution, increased traffic, and threats to the Mississippi River corridor.
According to Meg Duhr, President of the West 7th/Fort Road Federation, FCC purchased the site in August of 2024 for $4.65 million in an off-market sale.
“We do not know if other industrial sites in the City were considered,” Duhr said in an email. “During the Dec. 4th meeting, an FCC representative claimed that other sites were explored but nothing else ‘was on the market.’ We now know that the 560 Randolph site was not on the market either.”
The site had previously been sold in 2021 to a developer called Optimistic Partners with the intent of building mixed-use housing. Those plans were put on hold by the developer in 2022, along with many other proposed housing projects in the city, when the City Council passed a rent control measure.
The site has been used by a towing company for the past few years prior to the sale.
FCC Environmental was awarded the City of St. Paul’s trash collection contract last spring, replacing the multiple carriers serving St. Paul in the first iteration of City’s garbage collection contract. They will provide garbage collection service to 90% of the city’s 1-4 unit housing, including residential trash, bulky items and yard waste.
A global company based in Spain, the proposed depot is a major piece of FCC’s expansion to St. Paul.

The site is currently zoned for light industrial uses, which FCC contends their depot and refueling station falls within the definition of.
However, according to the West 7th/Fort Road Federation, the current zoning conflicts with over 20 years of City planning, including the 2040 Comprehensive Plan, which calls for the parcel to be rezoned for mixed-use development and every version of the Great River Passage Plan, which calls for “river-oriented redevelopment opportunities.”
The West 7th / Fort Road Federation is awaiting word on their appeal, including if they will be given a public hearing.
FCC’s service in St. Paul is planned to begin in April.
The West 7th / Fort Road Federation will be hosting a rally on February 6 at 4:30 p.m. at the Schmidt Artist Lofts in opposition of the project. Learn more at fortroadfed.org/fcc-trash-truck-site.