Check out our latest e-newsletter here.
2024 Summit Hill House Tour - sponsorships available, tickets on sale
Grand Avenue Working Group update
Reimagine Linwood - capital campaign and youth volunteers needed
Update from Rich Segar, SHA board member - Chair of Grand Avenue Working Group
Summit Hill Association and Grand Avenue Business Association (GABA) are partnering to create unique Grand Avenue experiences which build on the tradition of our walkable community avenue. The organizations are teamed up to promote Grand Avenue, improve the streetscape, develop business-community oriented programming, showcase our businesses, and establish relationships with city leaders to continue investment in Grand Avenue.
Grand Old Day, Grand Avenue’s showcase event, brought over 200,000 visitors to our St. Paul avenue to enjoy the parade, food, and music. Significant appreciation to GABA Board members Chris Jensen (President), Kim O’Brien (Executive Director), Holly Weinkauf (Treasurer), and a host of GABA board and community volunteers who contributed over 10,000 hours to make this event a success.
Circus Juventas and the property management group representing the State Teachers Retirement System of Ohio celebrated the 30th anniversary of Circus Juventas with a “Window Gallery Walk” at 860 Grand Avenue, across from Bread and Chocolate. Elaborate multi-window displays showcase the costumes and stage designs. Mayor Melvin Carter and Ward 2 Council Member Rebecca Noecker spoke at the unveiling of the Circus Juventas window displays. These displays will run from May 29 through July 15. Circus Juventas tickets for the July/August show of Jangala are on sale now.
We’re all excited to see the business community prospering post-Covid. This month, new businesses were welcomed to our community including Mick’s Bottle Shop - Stitch and Styles Vintage - Razava Bread - NikoNiko Boba. And there are more new restaurants coming including Russell's Bar & Grill (Tavern on Grand location) and Gather Eatery & Bar (Billy’s on Grand location). GABA has been striving to promote and unify community businesses which saw a growth from 40 to over 70 members in the last month.
GABA and SHA submitted a Neighborhood STAR grant application to the City of St Paul for funding of a small business capital development budget managed by GABA. Small businesses are the cornerstone of our economic community and often need support funding to improve and sustain their operations. Grants are in the review process. The 2024 Neighborhood STAR program contributes funding to neighborhood-based projects to address problems, needs, and opportunities in Saint Paul.
Pedestrian safety and beautification are essential to Grand Avenue street life and top of mind for many of us in the community. SHA and GABA are meeting with City leaders in June to discuss street maintenance, pedestrian safety, and future vision of Grand Ave which aligns to the St Paul 2040 Comprehensive Plan.
The East Grand Avenue Overlay City Council public hearing is scheduled for July 10, 2024. The East Grand Avenue Overlay District (Oakland Ave to Ayd Mill Road) establishes regulatory standards for building size, height, and design for all new development. The St Paul Planning Commission has recommended approval of the amendments submitted by the Comprehensive and Neighborhood Planning Committee. The next step is the July public hearing by the St Paul City Council.
“I Love Grand” t-shirts have hit the streets and are all the fad! Support Grand Avenue buy purchasing and wearing a Grand Avenue shirt proudly. T-Shirts can be purchased through the SHA website and proceeds go to support programming on Grand Avenue.
Grand Avenue is full of energy with upcoming events including: Paws on Grand (Sept 8), Halloween Boo-Fest (Oct 26), Grand Meander (Dec 7), and holiday lights street decorations. We are looking for community leaders and volunteers to coordinate and plan for these Grand Avenue events. If you are interested in meeting new neighbors, while bringing energy and experiences to Grand Avenue, please reach to info@summithillassociation.org.
Shop till you drop this weekend! Click here to see the interactive map.
Read our latest e-newsletter here.
Highlights:
Show your view from Summit Hill
Spring Fling and Puppet Show coming up
Ward 2 Annual Meeting
Neighborhood Garage Sale details
On April 23rd at 7:00, the Zoning and Land Use Committee will meet via Zoom to discuss three issues:
On-sale liquor license application for cafe and bakery on main level of 695 Grand Avenue.
Potential angled parking pilot on Grand Avenue.
Citywide drive through amendments (tentative).
A Zoom link and final agenda will be posted here the day of the meeting.
Following a multi-year study and advisory committee process, the Planning Commission opened a public comment period on proposed amendments to the East Grand Avenue Overlay District. The Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on the changes on April 12, 2024. Pending Planning Commission action, the City Council will also hear the changes before the amendments are finalized.
The Summit Hill Association held a Zoning and Land Use Committee meeting on this topic on February 20th from 7:00-8:30pm. At the meeting, city staff presented an overview of the amendments and the committee received public comment and discussed possible board comments or recommendations to the City. The full SHA board voted on a motion and letter (below) regarding the amendments on March 14th, 2024. Any additional public comments on the amendments should be submitted directly to the Planning Commission.
Read our latest e-newsletter here.
Highlights:
Last call for plant sales
Update on Linwood Park
Earth Day clean-up coming up April 20
Summit Hill garage sale returns in June
Grand Old Day 2024: Waiver Of Block Party Petition Requirement
The Grand Avenue Business Association (GABA) attended the February 8th Summit Hill Association (SHA) Board Meeting to present initial plans for Grand Old Days 2024. As part of their permits for the event, GABA sought SHA’s support for their event permits. SHA voted to support the event which means GABA does not need to gather petition signatures to close Grand Avenue for that day.
The 2024 event will be held on June 2nd, 2024 and will extend from Dale to Snelling Avenue. More details are included in the letter below. GABA will also mail information about the event to neighbors in late May. SHA will post maps, event details and contact information for Grand Old Day as we receive it.
Letter from GABA
February 8, 2024
Executive Directors of Macalester Groveland Community Council and Summit Hill Association, The Grand Avenue Business Association has hosted Grand Old Day since 1973. In 2024 it is our intent to host a celebration of our 51st year of a kick‐off to Summer for our community. The one‐day celebration has attracted up to 200 thousand people which has enhanced our commercial corridor and helps solidify the Grand Avenue brand of a corridor which brings unique dining, retail and experiences. We are hopeful to plan and implement a Grand Old Day which is reminiscent of past events while making the event more family friendly. We intend to bring back some aspects of the event which have been absent from our more recent activations including a fun run, a car show, along with a maker's market and non‐profit corridor which will serve as a service‐learning corridor for residents and their families.
Grand Old Day is Scheduled for June 2, 2024. GABA respectfully requests Macalester Groveland Community Council and Summit Hill Association support of a waiver for required block party petition.
Footprint in 2024 is Snelling to Dale.
8:00 a.m. Fun run – to begin at St Albans and end at Saratoga St.
9:30 a.m. Parade from Dale to Saratoga St.
11:00 a.m. street Festival and tentative stages at the same spaces as 2023; Billy’s, Red Rabbit. We will also have GABA stages at additional locations in past they have included the Walgreens, Grand Experience, US Bank parking lots.
Gardens sponsored by businesses will close at 7:00 p.m.
GABA stages plan to close at 5:00 p.m.
All vendors west of Victoria to Fairview cease business at 6:00 p.m.
Safety is one of our greatest concerns for Grand Old Day. The Grand Old Day Committee is working with the Saint Paul Police Department to have the same level of safety equipment that was used in 2023 to reduce the potential of a high‐speed vehicle impacting the event. The safety equipment will take a considerable amount of me to install and remove. There may be some intersections closing earlier and opening later due to the installation and removal of safety barriers due to the request of the Saint Paul Police Department. Funds collected from Grand Old Day have always been the primary funding source for the Grand Avenue Business Association budget. Funds will be allocated to advance the interests of this vital and important corridor. We plan on increasing our investment in the beautification of our corridor and increasing the collaboration and marketing of our member businesses.
Respectfully submitted,
Chris Jensen
President, Grand Avenue Business Association
Letter of support from SHA
February 8, 2024
To: Department of Safety and Inspections
CC: Grand Avenue Business Association
Re: Grand Old Days Block Party Petition Waiver
The Application
The Grand Avenue Business Association plans to hold Grand Old Days on June 2, 2024 and close Grand Avenue for the event from Snelling Avenue to Dale Avenue. GABA presented the plan for the event at the Summit Hill Association’s February 8th, 2024 Board Meeting.
SHA Board Recommendations
Having hosted a public meeting and evaluated the application, the Summit Hill Association supports the waiver of the block party petition for Grand Old Days 2024. Please let us know if you have any further questions.
Kind regards,
Monica Haas Simon Taghioff
Executive Director President
Materials: