Saint Paul Housing & Redevelopment Authority Meeting Summary – September 23, 2026

The Saint Paul Housing and Redevelopment Authority (HRA) Board of Commissioners met Wednesday, September 23, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. in Council Chambers, City Hall, with all seven commissioners present. The board adopted five resolutions by unanimous 7-0 votes, held public hearings on The Hamm Building and Village on Rivoli, and received a staff report on an HRA fund transfer to the Department of Human Rights & Equal Economic Opportunity. The HRA recessed until 2:30 p.m.; Commissioner Saura Jost was absent at reconvening and arrived at 2:32 p.m. The meeting adjourned at 2:57 p.m.

Discussion Items

• RES 26-1536 – Tentative developer designation for 0 Jackson Street (District 6, Ward 5): Commissioner HwaJeong Kim moved approval to designate DC Commercial and JB Vang, or an affiliated entity controlled by them, as tentative developer of 0 Jackson Street. The resolution was adopted 7-0.
• RES 26-1604 – 2027 maximum HRA property tax levy (citywide): Director McMahon reported that Minnesota law allows the HRA to levy up to 0.0185% of the city's total estimated market value. The 2026 levy was the maximum allowed; the 2027 action continues that maximum, resulting in a 1.2% HRA levy increase with a total dollar increase stated as approximately $77,000 (the transcript garbles the cents as '$27 and $21'). Commissioner Saura Jost moved approval; the resolution was adopted 7-0.
• RES 26-1606 – Downtown Vitality Fund investment in Endicott Arcade (District 17, Ward 2): Chair Johnson said the item invests $2 million in downtown through economic development funds for the Endicott Arcade restoration and first-floor buildout and activation projects. Commissioner Rebecca Noecker expressed strong support and connected the investment to downtown momentum, including upcoming openings at Aldi, Stella, and Wabasha Park. Commissioner Molly Coleman also thanked staff and applicants. The resolution was adopted 7-0.

Public Comments & Testimony

• RES PH 26-270 – Conduit multifamily housing revenue bonds for The Hamm Building (408 St. Peter Street, District 17, Ward 2): Chair Johnson opened the public hearing. Joe Spencer, President of the Saint Paul Downtown Alliance, testified in support, calling the project a critical location and a signature building important to downtown St. Paul's population and housing goals. Commissioner Noecker also expressed support, saying the bond authorization means more people will live in downtown St. Paul and helps interweave residential, commercial, and entertainment uses. The board closed the hearing and adopted the resolution 7-0.
• RES PH 26-271 – Sale/conveyance to Dayton's Bluff Neighborhood Housing Services for Village on Rivoli (District 5, Ward 2): No public testimony was offered. The board closed the hearing and approved the property sale/conveyance and development agreement amendment 7-0. Chair Johnson thanked Dayton's Bluff Neighborhood Housing Services for years of work on the project.

Staff Report: HRA Fund Transfer to HREEO

• SR 26-202 – Presentation on the HRA-to-HREEO transfer: Director Ledger presented on the recurring transfer supporting small business contracting with the city. She described procurement and contract compliance work, including prevailing wage, HUD Section 3, vendor outreach/subcontracting goals for small, minority, and women-owned businesses, affirmative action/equal economic opportunity compliance, CERT certification, and the B2G Now database. Past uses included a disparity study conducted with the state of Minnesota.
• She reported that 61% of city contract dollars over the past seven years went to small businesses, totaling $1.42 billion; the vendor outreach program has a 25% subcontracting goal; and the number of CERT-certified firms grew by 40% in 2025. The transfer has existed since about 2009 and was discussed as roughly $539,000 per year, funding mostly personnel (3.25 FTE, partially) plus CERT dues and database expenses.
• Chair Johnson questioned whether this is a city operations expense that should move to the general fund; Director Ledger said a significant portion of the work is HRA-related but could not exactly quantify the split. Deputy Director Green said most of the funding comes from the HRA general fund.
• Commissioner Noecker asked about tracking St. Paul-based businesses. Director Ledger said state law prevents extra local preference on construction projects, but the city is exploring other options and can work on tracking/reporting.
• Commissioner Bowie asked about metrics and program outcomes. Director Ledger said the coordinator role has been in place about eight months, the city has not reached its ceiling, and future options include sheltered market programs and state legislative changes. Chair Johnson requested a more detailed breakdown of the $539,000 and quarterly budget-to-actuals reporting; Director Ledger agreed to provide the breakdown and coordinate with Planning and Economic Development.

Key Outcomes

• All five resolutions (RES 26-1536, RES 26-1604, RES 26-1606, RES PH 26-270, and RES PH 26-271) were adopted unanimously, 7-0.
• Staff report SR 26-202 was received and filed.
• The next HRA meeting is scheduled for October 7, 2026 at 2:00 p.m.; there will be no meeting on September 30, 2026 because it is a fifth Wednesday.
• The meeting recessed until 2:30 p.m., reconvened, and adjourned at 2:57 p.m.