10-18-1990 PTRC Meeting Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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a2 OM The proposed St. Paul Charter amendment requires an appraisal prior to any sale or diversion with funds from the sale placed in a fund for future park acquisition. Commitment to protections With the St.Paul charter amendment in the works,the Council faced two opportunities tested to apply the principals of the amendment even though they were not yet bound by it. The two situations involved park land in Highland Park which had already been diverted for a nonpark use and the proposed transfer of park lands to the League of Minnesota Cities for their planned expansion. In both instances the Council cast their vote as the charter amendment would have required. Money for Highland Park Councilmen Bill Wilson and Bob Long authored a resolution requiring the City of St. Paul to put$185,000,the appraised value of the parcel of land in Highland Park which was diverted from park use to the new team police building,in a special fund for future park acquisition. The$185,000 will come from the sale of other city owned land, or street or alley vacations. The City receives about$40,000 a year in this way so the total amount will be made up in about five years. The resolution may receive council action in November. League faces choice Following a storm of protest over the proposal to sell the League of Minnesota Cities a parcel of park land for$1500,the St.Paul City Council voted to vacate the property making it available for purchase,but charge the League fair market value for it. Any proceeds from the sale would be placed in the newly established fund for use in park land • acquisition. The City gave the League 60 days to determine if they would expand at their present site or move to a site at Rice and University where land was available which was not park land and which was suitable for building. If the League elects not to use the vacated park land,it will revert to its former status. The current League site was also park land and was purchased for$1 in 1980. The need for expanded facilities and parking led to the request for the City to sell them additional land at the bargain basement price of$1500. The appraised value is$55,000. Cost of Team Police Concern over the loss of open space and the appropriation of park land for non park use building soars was the primary concern when the Team Police proposed building in the middle of Highland Park last winter. Perhaps the cost of the project would have been a more persuasive argument. Construction on the building started in the summer after architectural drawings and soil borings were completed. The borings failed to disclose that the property had been used as a land fill. Removal of the fill material added an additional$104,000 for preparation of the site. Construction of the police building is now at$616,000 plus the$185,000 the City will now need to divert from City funds to reimburse the parks for the land. This building could go down in history as one of the most expensive ever built. The cost for the 3000 square foot building is now at$267 per square foot. Office space in downtown St.Paul typically costs$60 to$100 per square foot. Last issue of Park Notes quoted an area architect as saying,"For this(Team Police Building)to cost$170(the cost before • the recent problems were discovered)per square foot either they were gilding the lily or they should have done more work on site selection." Park Notes is published quarterly by the Friends of St. Paul and Ramsey County Parks. Editors are Peggy Lynch and Jeanne Weigum. For additional information call (612)698-4543.