Dear Neighbors, Thank you to everyone who joined our recent community town hall on revitalization initiatives for our downtown St. Paul area and greater communities. It was a powerful session filled with both raw honesty and a shared vision for what our downtown can become. We heard you loud and clear. Many residents expressed deep frustration regarding overdue building repairs, public safety concerns, and the ongoing opioid crisis. Your safety and quality of life are not negotiable, and the lack of immediate action from the city on these fronts is felt by us all. - Lowertown, Downtown Skyway, Parks and Storefront Safety: a major point of concern is the safety and accessibility of our overall skyway system as well as several pockets of Lowertown and overall downtown businesses wanting more safety initiatives with action follow up due to the growing opioid using population and drug crimes in the neighborhood. I am taking this feedback directly to Mayor Her for a definitive timeline and overall plan for the city’s action to include community and behavioral health outreach, alongside public safety and law enforcement’s direction. I will be in touch with updates.
- Take Action: If you want to see the skyway rebuilt and secured, we need to work collectively to join our voices and move forward with an action plan so we can have all the stakeholders to be a part of the decision-making. I am looking for residents to sign a letter of support to pressure the city and county to move from "waiting" to "acting." Please reach out to my office if you need assistance or if you are interested in leading the organizing efforts around this issue.
I am grateful we were blessed to have the St. Paul Art Collective share exciting updates on their new coloring book project; as someone who was raised, educated and worked in the Lowertown Arts Community as a musician and cultural artist, I couldn’t be a bigger advocate for investing in creative efforts to bring more entertainment, family celebrations, and community events centered around the magic of art and culture to our area. When addressing the vital question of how we draw people into our downtown, it is clear that we need a smooth transportation system that connects transit hubs with vibrant public spaces, supports local vendors through family-friendly events, and ultimately drives housing development and overall neighborhood vitality and safety.  We had a lot of questions around the mental health and drug crisis that is impacting our downtown areas. At the Legislature, we are funding programs that prioritize technical job training for youth and collaborating with the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Department to provide help and resources rather than a criminal record. While the broken elevators are a city issue and the post office is a federal concern, I am pushing for accountability across all levels to ensure these repairs are no longer ignored. Additionally, we recognize that many individuals come from Greater Minnesota because they lack local resources, so we are working closely with the county to ensure our city has the capacity to support them effectively while revitalizing our downtown through public safety and community events. As your state representative, I am working to ensure we create an ecosystem where the arts, residents, businesses, and public safety work in tandem. Let’s keep pushing for a downtown that is safe, beautiful, and thriving. I know we can achieve this by working together with shared values and an outlook that will benefit Minnesotans and our visitors for generations to come. ¡Pa’lante siempre!  Keep in Touch Please continue to reach out anytime if you need assistance or have questions at rep.maria.isa.perez-vega@house.mn.gov or 651-296-9714. You can also follow my official Facebook page. Muchísimas Gracias, Rep. María Isa Pérez-Vega Minnesota House of Representatives |