West Side Awards 2025: Nominees and Winners!
At this year’s WSCO Annual Meeting, we took a moment to celebrate the people and businesses who make the West Side shine. From passionate teachers and dedicated neighbors to thriving local businesses, the West Side Awards honor those who go above and beyond to build a stronger, more connected, and more loving community.
Below you’ll find all the nominees and winners recognized at the 2025 Annual Meeting – each one a reminder of the creativity, care, and commitment that make the West Side the best side.
Nominees
Capital Deals Bike Shop
Capital Deals keeps the West Side rolling — from late-night rescue repairs to hosting neighborhood rides and scavenger hunts, Alex and his team go above and beyond to keep people moving and connected.
Icy Cup
A true neighborhood staple, Icy Cup brings people together with warmth and kindness — a place where everyone is welcome, and every visit feels like catching up with friends.
Beautiful Laundrette
More than a laundromat, Beautiful Laundrette is a hub for creativity, compassion, and justice — showcasing local artists, hosting free legal clinics, and supporting those in need with open hearts and open doors.
Backstory Coffee
Backstory Coffee reflects the true spirit of the West Side — welcoming, down-to-earth, and community-centered, serving great coffee with even greater connection.
Fox Face Studio / HealHouse
Fox Face Studio and HealHouse offer more than beauty and wellness — they create space for healing, growth, and community, where everyone is celebrated for showing up as their full selves.
And the 2025 West Side Business of the Year goes to…
Crasqui Restaurant
Crasqui is more than a restaurant – it’s a gathering place, a cultural bridge, and a beacon of community pride. Chef Soleil Ramírez has created a space that celebrates Venezuelan heritage through extraordinary food, while using her platform to uplift the Latin community across the West Side. Throughout 2025, Crasqui has raised funds for local nonprofits, hosted collaborations that spark dialogue around immigration, and provided a safe, welcoming space for neighbors, leaders, and friends to connect. Chef Soleil’s dedication, creativity, and heart embody the values of the West Side – where good food, good people, and shared purpose come together to build something beautiful.
Nominees
Julieta Guerrero
With quiet dedication and boundless heart, Julieta tends the gardens that make our neighborhood bloom. Whether she’s caring for plants or people, she gives freely of her time and love — a humble, steady presence who makes the West Side more beautiful every day.
Irmaris Benitez
As a kindergarten teacher at Riverview Immersion School, Irmaris brings patience, joy, and warmth to the very start of our children’s learning journeys — shaping futures with care and helping each student feel seen and capable.
Emma Hohlen
A teacher and advocate at Humboldt High, Ms. Emma leads with energy, compassion, and commitment. She shows up for her students in the classroom and beyond — supporting athletes, families, and our community’s future leaders with unwavering dedication.
Robert Cruz
Robert puts his heart into the West Side — showing up, speaking up, and putting action behind his love for this community. His energy and commitment reflect the best of what it means to be a West Sider.
Caprice Glaser
An artist, organizer, and advocate, Caprice uses creativity to strengthen our neighborhood’s identity — from shaping public art to standing up for its preservation. Her dedication ensures the West Side’s beauty, history, and voices continue to shine.
Sebastian Gonzalez Navarro (ineligible this year due to being a current Board Member, but still recognized)
Sebastian’s leadership and passion for connection are unmatched — from organizing with neighbors to protecting our schools, he pours his energy into building a stronger, more united West Side for everyone.
And the 2025 West Sider of the Year goes to…
Toni Molinar
Toni Molinar is the West Side. A lifelong neighbor, organizer, and mentor, she’s the driving force behind so many of the events and traditions that bring our community together — from Cinco de Mayo to Dia de los Muertos and West Side Boosters games. Toni shows up for her neighbors, especially the youth — making sure kids feel supported, protected, and proud of where they come from. She leads with heart, courage, and love, using her voice to speak up for what’s right and encouraging others to do the same. Toni embodies the true spirit of the West Side: strong, giving, and always ready to lift others higher. Her leadership reminds us that community isn’t just a place — it’s the people who care enough to keep it thriving.
Meet the 2025 WSCO Board of Directors Candidates!
The West Side Community Organization (WSCO) is excited to introduce this year’s candidates for the Board of Directors — community leaders who bring their passion, experience, and vision to the work of building a just, joyful, and thriving West Side. 🏘️
This year, there are seven seats to fill, and the slate of candidates reflects the heart of our neighborhood — educators, artists, organizers, entrepreneurs, and advocates — each deeply committed to uplifting our community.
Raniya Abawari is proud to have spent her formative years living on the West Side. Still a 55107 resident, she currently serves as a temporary youth board member at WSCO and also serves on the Robert Street Accountability Taskforce. As a first-generation student, she is dedicated to breaking cultural barriers and building bridges that foster meaningful, lasting connections within and beyond her community.
Raniya’s interests span global and local economies, law, digital media marketing, artificial intelligence, and systems efficiency. She is passionate about promoting equity and inclusion, and embracing diversity in personhood, presence, and thought. Her leadership reflects a belief in the power of youth and innovation to drive lasting community transformation.
Jazzalyn Baker is a proud mother of three boys, an alumna of Metropolitan State University, and West Side resident. Her passion for community involvement and advocacy shines through her work with the Southport Leadership Committee at WSCO, where she has served since July, helping lead initiatives that inspire growth, connection, and change for Southport residents.
She also participates in local Land Use monthly meetings and recently completed a Raid Response Training co-hosted by WSCO and MIRAC, which strengthened her commitment to education, awareness, and community empowerment. Jazzalyn takes pride in using her voice and leadership to help create spaces where families feel supported, informed, and represented. Grounded, compassionate, and purpose-driven, she is dedicated to advocating for positive change and meaningful progress throughout her community.
Corral Gessner has been passionate about supporting her local community and the work of WSCO since moving to the West Side in 2022. She has served in many both formal and informal roles from serving on the WSCO Advisory Council to helping MC last year's annual meeting. Professionally, Coral has more than a decade of experience advancing equity, access, anti-racism,and belonging and is passionate about building opportunities for community co-creation and coalition building.
She spent the beginning of her career at the Minnesota Historical Society (MNHS) as a member of the team that created the first Department of Inclusion and Community Engagement in 2014, which is nationally recognized as the first department of its kind in the museum field.In May, 2023, Coral joined the leadership of Saint Paul Public Library as the Equity, Inclusion, and Anti-Racism Coordinator where she now leads equity, inclusion, and anti-racism work across 12 locations and a Mobile Library.
She also serves as a member of the City’s Equity Core Team advancing Mayor Melvin Carter's Racial Equity Plans for the City of St. Paul. Coral is excited by the opportunity to serve on the board and deepen her service to WSCO and the Westside community.
Laura Hermer is a professor of law at Mitchell Hamline School of Law. Her research focuses on reproductive rights, health coverage, and care in the United States, particularly for underserved populations. She was one of ten Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Faculty Fellows in the Future of Public Health Law Teaching (2014–2015) and founded Mitchell Hamline’s medical-legal partnership with United Family Medicine.
Before joining Mitchell Hamline, Laura served as an assistant professor in the Department of Preventive Medicine and Community Health and as a member of the Institute for the Medical Humanities at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. There, she developed and directed the School of Medicine’s curriculum in health economics and policy, led a multi-year research project on secondhand smoke ordinances, and directed a required graduate course in scientific integrity.
Laura brings to the WSCO Board a wealth of experience in nonprofit leadership, grant writing, and community engagement. She is eager to contribute her skills and insight to strengthen the West Side community, especially during a time when financial resources may become more limited, requiring us to work harder, think creatively, and seek new funding to sustain ongoing projects and launch new initiatives that will benefit the community.
Ana Perez has deep roots in Saint Paul’s West Side. She attended local schools from Riverview to Humboldt, was an active member of the Boys and Girls Club, and has continuously given back to the community that shaped her. Though she left in 2006 to pursue higher education, her commitment to the neighborhood has never wavered. She currently works in social services within a nursing facility where she continues to serve others with compassion and dedication. As Board Chair of Neighborhood STAR Board, she has played a vital role in providing funding and opportunities for small businesses and entrepreneurs in Saint Paul.
She is a partner of Project Reach within the Saint Paul School District and serves as the Volunteer Coordinator for the Saint Paul West Side Fiestas, is a Cultural Steward and demonstrates that through preserving The Mexica Aztec Culture Through Danza and other Ceremonies offered to the Community for future generations to come. Ana brings her passion, energy, and advocacy for the West Side to the WSCO Board of Directors.
Soleil Ramirez was born and raised in Caracas, Venezuela, where her love for food began in her family’s kitchen. After earning a degree in business administration and working in corporate finance, she followed her passion into the culinary world—quickly transforming a struggling restaurant into a thriving success and becoming a business partner at just 26 years old. When political corruption forced her to flee Venezuela, Soleil arrived in the U.S. with only $300 and a week’s worth of clothes, determined to rebuild her life through resilience and hard work.
Since then, she has become a celebrated chef and entrepreneur, founding Arepa Bar and later Crasqui Restaurant on the West Side—one of the few Venezuelan fine-dining experiences in the country. Her restaurant has been widely recognized, earning mentions in the Star Tribune, Pioneer Press, Minnesota Monthly, and Minneapolis/St. Paul Magazine as one of the 50 best restaurants in 2023. Soleil has been an active participant in the West Side Business Coalition, contributing her voice and experience to discussions about strengthening local businesses and creating opportunities for residents. If elected to the board, she plans to continue that work by supporting small business growth, economic empowerment, and community collaboration on the West Side.
Electra Skrzydlewski serves as the Director of Shared Ownership at the Metropolitan Consortium of Community Developers (MCCD), where she advances shared ownership models that promote collective self-determination, racial and economic justice, economic growth, and community wealth-building for BIPOC and low-wealth individuals and communities.
Prior to joining MCCD, Electra managed programs at the Cooperative Development Foundation, supporting low-income and historically marginalized communities in establishing cooperatives and community land trusts.With expertise in capacity building, resource development, program management, and business development, Electra is deeply committed to exploring alternative approaches to care for communities and challenge harmful systems. Her visionary approach and dedication to collective care make her a powerful advocate for the West Side.
Vote at the Annual Meeting!
Join us this Saturday, November 1, 10 am - 12 pm at the Harriet Island Pavillion to help shape the future of the West Side by casting your vote for the 2025 WSCO Board of Directors!
RSVP HERE
WSCO Annual Meeting and Nominations 2025!
A Gathering of Radical Love for Our Community and Vision for Our Future
Every year, WSCO’s Annual Meeting is a time for our community to come together, reflect on the work of the past year, and envision what’s ahead for the West Side. It’s where neighbors, business owners, teachers, faith leaders, and community builders of every kind gather to celebrate our shared accomplishments and honor those who make them possible. This year, we felt it was especially fitting to frame our gathering as A Love Letter to the West Side: a celebration of the people, places, and dreams that make our neighborhood home.
This year’s Annual Meeting will also feature a collective art activity, inspiring guest speakers, coffee and pastries, and plenty of opportunities to connect with the people and stories that make the West Side so special. You can find more details about the event and RSVP here.
This gathering is not just about reflection—it’s about lifting one another up.
Nominate West Side Leaders, Businesses, and Board Members!
West Sider of the Year
Each year, WSCO Board of Directors honors a West Side resident whose spirit and dedication reflect the best of our community. The West Sider of the Year award celebrates those who:
⏵ Volunteers their time, talents, and resources to benefit the West Side community
⏵ Promotes justice and equity in their daily life
⏵ Acts with a neighborly spirit and goes out of their way connect with others
The 2025 West Sider of the Year is nominated by community members and will be announced at WSCO’s Annual Meeting on Nov 1.
Please note: past recipients, current WSCO staff, and board members are not eligible. The award is given to an individual, not a business or organization.
West Side Business of the Year
New this year, the WSCO Board of Directors will also recognize a local business whose commitment to community reflects the heart of the West Side. More than just a place of business, this institution reflects the mission of WSCO by building collective power, advancing justice, and promoting equity for all people in our community. Through their leadership, dedication, and pride in our community, they show what it truly means to be West Side Strong.
The “West Side Business of the Year” celebrates establishments that:
⏵ Uplift the West Side by aligning its work with family and community values
⏵ Invests in community well-being through charitable initiatives and partnerships with other neighborhood institutions
⏵ Creates opportunities for connection and growth through mentorship, employment, and community engagement
The 2025 West Side Business of the Year is nominated by community members and will be announced at WSCO’s Annual Meeting on Nov 1.
Board of Directors Nominations
Another way to honor our love for the West Side is by helping lead its future. There are 4 open seats for WSCO’s Board of Directors beginning in 2026. If you know a neighbor who is innovative, passionate, and ready to serve our community, nominate them today! Feeling called yourself? Don’t wait for someone else to notice! Nominate yourself and step into leadership.
A WSCO Board Member:
⏵ Attends monthly board meetings consistently and makes time to participate in WSCO campaign gatherings and events when possible
⏵ Brings creative ideas and thoughtful input on how to strengthen our community
⏵ Demonstrates natural leadership by listening and collaborating with respect and integrity
Nominations will be accepted through Nov 1! WSCO Board Members are self or community nominated, and then elected by attendees of WSCO’s Annual Meeting on Nov 1.
Robert Street Accountability Taskforce kicks off next week!
We all know that Robert Street’s renewal is long overdue. Instead of speeding traffic and crumbling pavement, we deserve a safe and vibrant street that boosts our local businesses and makes it easy for all of us to get around.
After years of community engagement, the Minnesota Department of Transportation is about to begin a major reconstruction of Robert Street. We support investments to transform this dangerous thoroughfare into a multimodal corridor that improves safety, connectivity, and quality of life. But, without intentional safeguards and strong accountability to community, this project could displace the very people and businesses that sustain the West Side.
That’s why WSCO created the Robert Street Accountability Taskforce: to make sure our voices and our interests are included before, during and after construction. With government and project leaders at the table with community, we’ll make sure information is shared and problems are solved so a revitalized Robert Street benefits the people here now and generations of West Siders to come.
In August, we made it clear at the public hearing that the taskforce needs to be included in the City of Saint Paul’s resolution for municipal consent — and we got public support from key leaders. But we’re not waiting for the vote to begin to take action together. Our first meeting is coming up this month and we’re committed to keeping you up-to-date!
Why do we need a taskforce?
“For so long in this neighborhood, it’s felt like people come in with special dollars and nothing happens,” says Monica Bravo, WSCO’s Executive Director. “This is an opportunity that will bring something tangible to life so people can see results.”
“Too often, public dollars don’t benefit the people most impacted by the projects being thought of,” adds Joy Sorensen Navarre, a West Side business owner. “Having lived here for 30 years, I really want to see dollars invested benefit our community.”
How do we ensure those public dollars have a tangible benefit for those of us who call the West Side home now? We need the community infrastructure to hold the process accountable.
“It’s clear that WSCO residents and businesses alike agree that infrastructure improvements are sorely needed on Robert Street,” says E. Coco, WSCO’s Interim Associate Director. “The Robert Street Accountability Taskforce builds a different kind of infrastructure — community infrastructure — a container to hold and lift West Siders' concerns, dreams and priorities. This can be a blueprint for future projects and other communities who will face similar displacement concerns.”
For instance, studies have shown that transportation improvements cause significant declines in revenue for the businesses along the route. One study in Houston reported a 37% decline in sales for food service businesses during a roadway rehabilitation project. We need concrete commitments and financial resources to ensure that disruption doesn’t lead to the displacement of our neighbors who live and own businesses along Robert Street.
We’ve seen that happen just across the river already. With the construction of the Green Line Light Rail, government, nonprofit and philanthropic organizations came together to create a Catalyst Fund, which provided flexible grantmaking to ensure “stable, thriving neighborhoods throughout the corridor that reflect community identities.” That fund made more than 160 grants, totaling nearly $12 million and leveraging more than $54 million of additional investment. Just this year, the Minnesota legislature allocated a $250,000 grant to distribute up to $5,000 to local businesses along Arcade Street to offset their losses during reconstruction of that East Side corridor.
We need those types of financial resources — but we also need better communication and collaboration than East Side residents have received on the Arcade Street Project. At a recent public hearing, Chris Bowers from MnDOT suggested the Robert Street Accountability Taskforce can be a pathway to better outcomes for West Siders.
“I want to acknowledge that another project MnDOT did this year on Arcade has not gone well,” Bowers said. “We need to learn some lessons from that and apply them to this project to do better. [The] accountability task force [can] help us figure out how to address some of these challenges.”
What will the taskforce do?
Our first meeting is coming up next Monday, September 29, and our vision is to meet at least twice per month over the next several years in order to:
▪️Create an ongoing space to share important information with other stakeholders and the community
▪️Cultivate accountable relationships to ensure problems are solved quickly as issues arise
▪️Advise and consent on major decisions throughout construction —like selecting a contractor
▪️Hold the project accountable to community demands, leveraging Equitable Development Scorecard as a guiding approach and values
The work will look different as the project progresses. In 2025, for instance, we’ll continue to provide input on MnDOT’s plan and advocate for an agenda for small business displacement mitigation strategies. Once construction begins in 2026, we’ll provide oversight of the Transportation Management Plan and engage in active problem solving and develop strategies to minimize disruptions and support businesses and residents.
Who’s on the taskforce?
For the taskforce to be effective, we need to bridge different stakeholders, while holding community leadership at the center. That’s why the taskforce includes:
▪️Monica Bravo, WSCO Executive Director
▪️E. Coco, WSCO Interim Associate Director
▪️Nan Kafka, West Side resident
▪️Raniya Z. Abawari, West Side resident
▪️Jose Rojas, West Side business owner
▪️Joy Sorensen Navarre, West Side business owner
▪️Chris Bower, Minnesota Department of Transportation
▪️Rebecca Noecker, Saint Paul City Council President, Ward 2 City Councilmember
▪️Rep. Maria Isa Perez Vega, Minnesota State Representative District 65B
▪️Daniela Lorenz, City of Saint Paul Planning and Economic Development Department
▪️Reuben Collins, City of Saint Paul Department of Public Works
▪️General contractor (TBD)
▪️Philanthropic Representative (TBD)
The West Siders stepping up to serve also see the promise of this project and the critical importance of getting it right — for West Siders.
"I joined the taskforce because, as a young person growing up in the West Side along the Robert Street corridor, I have seen the need for this project for a very long time,” Raniya Z. Abawari says. “My friends and I have often felt unsafe, and I recognize the importance of a project like this, particularly ensuring that a youth voice is present so that young people have a say in the decisions that will permanently impact us."
“Robert Street is part of my life on the West Side,” Nan Kafka says. “I walk to West Side Hair Care, Michael’s Pizza, St. Paul Flatbread, the Post Office on Eva, and across the Robert and Wabasha Street bridges to enjoy downtown activities. The reconstruction of Robert Street is a once in a lifetime opportunity to remake a streetscape in the image of our community. I want to contribute to the wellbeing of the West Side!”
“Robert Street is more than just a corridor — it supports the daily lives of residents, students, the elderly, and surrounding neighbors,” says Jose Rojas, a Robert Street business owner. “Ensuring their safety through clear traffic signs, proper pedestrian crossings, and accessible routes is critical during construction. At the same time, small businesses along Robert Street depend on the community and on visitors from surrounding areas who rely on safe and open road access, by maintaining safety and accessibility.”
We’re excited to kick off the taskforce next week and we’re committed to keeping West Siders informed.
West Siders Get Strong Commitments at Public Hearing for Robert Street Reconstruction
We showed up in numbers to demand accountability — and our decision makers made public commitments. That’s the power of putting our ideas on the record and making our voices heard.
Yesterday, West Siders testified at the public hearing on the Robert Street Reconstruction Plan that the Minnesota Department of Transportation submitted to the City of Saint Paul last month. The plan for a multi-modal transformation of the dangerous and deteriorating thoroughfare has been a years-long process, not just by MnDOT but by WSCO staff and volunteers who have connected with hundreds of West Siders about the $50 million project.
This week, the clock started ticking on 90 days for the city to pass a resolution of municipal consent for the project — or let it move forward as proposed by MnDOT. While we deserve the investment and the improvements it will bring, without intentional safeguards, this project could displace the very people that it's intended to benefit. So WSCO created the Robert Street Accountability Taskforce to ensure that our voices and our priorities are included before, during and after construction.
We know that taskforce will be all the more powerful if it’s explicitly included in the city’s resolution for municipal consent. And, thanks to our collective action, multiple councilmembers went on the record with their support, including City Council President and Ward 2 Councilmember, Rebecca Noecker.
“This is the kind of investment that we desperately need and have needed and we also need to make sure that this investment is done right,” Noecker said. “As a neighbor, I know: We need to make it safer and more accessible for people in all forms of transit crossing the street. And we need to make sure that this work benefits the businesses and the neighbors who are there now, not just the businesses and neighbors who will hopefully come to our community in the future. So I fully support the concept of the Robert Street accountability task force. I'm committing again publicly today to be part of that taskforce, my office and me personally, and to continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with the community as this work moves forward.”
Noecker also acknowledged that years of construction will cause disruptions to our daily lives and potentially threaten the sustainability of local businesses. Fortunately, in addition to city leaders, we also got a strong public commitment from MnDOT to be an active member of the Robert Street Accountability Taskforce.
“This is a huge project replacing all the infrastructure,” said Chris Bowers, study manager at MnDOT and leader on the Robert Street Project. “It has a huge impact on the community, and that's something we want to work to try to get right. I want to acknowledge that another project MnDOT did this year on Arcade has not gone well. We need to learn some lessons from that and apply them to this project to do better. One idea the West Side Community Organization had was developing an accountability task force to help us figure out how to address some of these challenges. We're here for that. We're going to commit to that. We're excited to be a part of that. I think that's one of the ways we can do better on Robert Street.”
So what exactly will the Taskforce do? We envision this group meeting at least twice per month to:
> Create an ongoing space to share important information with other stakeholders and the community
> Create accountable relationships to ensure problems are solved quickly as issues arise
> Advise and consent on major decisions throughout construction —like selecting a contractor
> Hold the project accountable to community demands, leveraging Equitable Development Scorecard as a guiding approach and values
Several of the taskforce members attended the hearing and shared why this project is so important to them, including youth leader Raniya Abawari. “I’ve been living on the corridor of Robert street for the past 18 years as a resident in Common Bond’s Torre De San Miguel housing,” Raniya told the council. “Across Robert Street lies key youth establishments, like Neighborhood House and local corner shops. My friends and I often fear for our safety crossing these streets due to the unsafe roads and lack of pedestrian infrastructure. I’m just here to speak to the importance of having this specific taskforce so we can ensure we create a safer West Side for the future.”
A business owner on Robert Street and accountability taskforce member, Jose Rojas said he’s supportive of the project and the needed safety improvements. But construction could be a barrier to his customers. “We do provide services to the Latino community in Wisconsin, the metro, the state,” he said, ”so accessibility [with the construction] will create some uncertainty about how they can get there.”
Joy Sorensen Navarre, another Robert Street business owner and taskforce member, emphasized the need for continued conversation as the plan is finalized. “There’s a real desire from the businesses and the community to have a both/and solution [that includes] wider sidewalks for people in wheelchairs and families with strollers and kids — and bike lanes,” she said. “Both of those are important to us and that design hasn’t been completed yet. That’s still an open decision and we’ll be working together to find a both/and solution to that.”
Nan Kafka, a taskforce member who’s been involved in the Destination Robert Street campaign since January 2024, shared her experiences on the street — and West Siders’ hopes for the project.
“I've experienced Metro Transit and school bus drivers ignoring me crossing the street in a crosswalk. They seem to be on autopilot, racing to get to the next light as if the street is an unpopulated moonscape,” she said. “West Siders want a project that makes Robert Street safe and more beautiful, a place to enjoy, not just pass through. I strongly urge the city council to craft a municipal consent resolution that officially recognizes the Roberts Street Accountability Taskforce that will make sure information is shared and problems are solved so the revitalization of Robert Street benefits the people here now and generations of the West Siders to come.”
So what’s next for municipal consent? City staff said they would bring a resolution before the city council in several weeks. We’ll be ready to show up again — and we’ll make sure you are, too!
Consent with Accountability: First City Hearing for Robert Street Reconstruction!
Our tax dollars should be invested where we live and work—here on the West Side! But it’s been nearly 100 years since Robert Street was significantly updated. We deserve safe and vibrant streets that boost our local businesses and make it easy for all of us to get around.
That’s why WSCO has engaged hundreds of neighbors around the proposed Robert Street reconstruction project—and now is a critical moment to make YOUR voice heard.
In 2020, the Minnesota Department of Transportation started a process to update Robert Street, rated one of the most deteriorated roads in the metro area. With $32 million in additional funding from regional and federal grants, the project was upgraded from simply resurfacing the crumbling pavement to “reconstructing the road, upgrading pedestrian crossings, improving sidewalks and pathways, managing speed, expanding multimodal options, and improving transit access.”
WSCO has been engaged every step of the way, keeping West Siders informed and making sure our voices are part of the process. Over the past two years, our Destination Robert Street campaign came together to identify a strong vision for a vibrant cultural and commercial destination that represents and serves us. In late 2024, MnDOT released a proposed final design for this critical corridor that includes big changes, including wider sidewalks, safer bike infrastructure and a roundabout at the intersection of State and Sydney streets. At WSCO, we believe that we build the West Side so we took that proposed plan to the people, getting your feedback through events and a survey completed by hundreds of people impacted by the project.
Now, the final design is going before the City Council for Municipal Consent—and they need to hear from YOU!
Municipal consent is a process required for many big projects on major state roads. On June 23, MnDOT submitted a letter to the City of Saint Paul requesting municipal consent for the Robert Street project. The first step in that process is a public hearing on August 13, which will include a presentation of the final design from MnDOT and an opportunity to share your input on the proposal. There won't be a vote but the city council WILL take our input into consideration as they begin to draft the resolution for municipal consent that they must pass by mid-November.
As we outlined in our letter to city leaders, we support MnDOT’s articulated goal to “transform Robert St from a vehicle-centric road to a multimodal transportation corridor that enhances safety, connectivity, and quality of life for the Saint Paul West Side neighborhood.” AND we are urging the City Council to adopt a resolution for municipal consent that creates a roadmap for accountability before, during and after construction—and proactively commits to secure resources to prevent the displacement of local businesses.
Read more in our letter here and mark your calendar to join us at Saint Paul City Hall on Wednesday, August 13, at 3:30 p.m.
Robert Street Final Layout sent to City Council
MnDOT's Robert Street Design submitted to City Council for Public Hearing on 8/13/2025
The next stage in the Robert Street reconstruction process requires a proposed Final Layout review and public comment process at the City Council. That meeting is scheduled for 3:30 PM August 13th at the City Council Chambers.
Written public comment on public hearing items can be submitted to:
[email protected], [email protected], or by voicemail at
651-266-6805. Live testimony will be taken in person in the Council Chambers, and by
telephone by registering to speak by noon on the day before the meeting. Refer to "Layout No. 1, S.P. 6217-50" in your comments.
The design layout is available as a download from the MnDOT project website - click here to access.
MnDOT's submission letter and project summary can be viewed here
Minnesota Statues 161.162 - 161.167 governing Final Layout Review
Cesar Chavez and Robert Street Intersection
Community Voices on Robert Street: Final Survey Report Now Available
WSCO has heard from hundreds of West Side residents, workers, and community members about the future of Robert Street. We’re proud to release the Robert Street Survey Report, a community-driven effort that captures the priorities, concerns, and everyday experiences of those who live and work along this vital corridor. With 226 responses collected between January and May 2025, this report reflects the voices of people who use Robert Street every day—for commuting, shopping, school drop-offs, and more.
CLICK ON THE IMAGE BELOW FOR THE FULL REPORT