New Report Reveals Impact of West Side Flats Displacement, Outlines Recommendations for Redress
For immediate release
West Side, Saint Paul, Minnesota
Over 2,000 people were displaced from one of Saint Paul’s most diverse neighborhoods when the City of Saint Paul and the Saint Paul Port Authority demolished the West Side Flats to build the Riverview Industrial Park in the 1960s. These families often faced financial hardship and discrimination as they were forced to find housing elsewhere, and the economic and cultural impact of that displacement is still felt today.
On July 18th, a public event will be held near the Robert Street bridge to share an extensive report on the impact of past displacement on the West Side Flats, as well as current displacement threats due to gentrification. The report concludes an 18-month process of community engagement by publishing key recommendations for how the City of Saint Paul and the Saint Paul Port Authority can repair and redress the harm caused on the West Side. Local officials have suggested that they would support financial redress, though an official acknowledgement has not yet been issued.
The report was created by Research in Action through a partnership with the West Side Community Organization (WSCO), which will continue to organize West Siders who were displaced from the Flats, their descendants, and other community members impacted by displacement.
WSCO invites the public to hear from the research team and take action to demand justice for the West Side at the upcoming release of this groundbreaking report.
Contact: Genevieve Roudané, Communications Manager, West Side Community Organization [email protected], (651) 243-1357
Additional information: https://www.wsco.org/westsideflats
Click here to download a PDF of the full report
Images available on request