Saint Paul, Minn. – The Minnesota House Capital Investment Committee continued its statewide tour of Minnesota, visiting sites in the Twin Cities and surrounding suburbs – including three on the East side of Saint Paul – with proposed investments in regional economies. Rep. Jay Xiong (DFL – St. Paul) hosted the committee as they learned about proposals for updates to the Conway Community Center, the East Side Freedom Library, and Metro State University.
“Our East Side is a vibrant, bustling community because of our people and the public services and resources our neighbors can access,” said Rep. Xiong. “Eastsiders deserve strong local infrastructure so we can all thrive and have an opportunity to be successful.”
The Conway Community Center project would provide improvements and expansion to the facility, including roof repairs, main entry upgrades, and security and safety enhancements. The total amount of investment to make these updates a reality is $1.5 million. The committee also stopped to see firsthand the need for state funding to the East Side Freedom Library, which has been serving the community for over 100 years. $500 million would help preserve the building by making overdue updates to improve accessibility and lighting to the structure. Metro State University was another stop on the tour of East Saint Paul. The University has requested nearly $4.3 million to expand its Cyber Security program and address its growing workforce demand in cyber security positions.
The Committee also toured Funny Asian Woman Kollective the Asian American Center for Media and the Arts, and Lower Phalen Creek Project, where a $2.8 million investment would help complete the Wakan Tipi Center construction. Committee members also had the opportunity to see a presentation by 30,000 Feet to learn more about their funding request to build the Black Arts Center for creative learning.
Finally, the committee learned about the Hillcrest Redevelopment project. Ramsey County is seeking funding to add 1,000 housing units and green space with parks and trails with carbon free infrastructure.
The House Capital Investment Committee’s tour concludes today.
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