State money will help transform Nicollet Mall into 'Nicollet Mile'

Minneapolis and St. Paul each got a boost from the nearly $1 billion public works projects bill passed Friday by the Legislature.

Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis will get a major makeover thanks to $21.5 million in state bonding money approved by the Legislature.

Planning for the renovation is already underway and the goal is to make the street more inviting for pedestrians, Minneapolis Mayor Betsy Hodges said. "I picture a whole lot more people on Nicollet Mall than we have today, in part because we offer them spaces to come to and linger."

Downtown businesses have already committed $25 million to the project. Construction is scheduled to start next year. The new design will also come with a new name. City leaders have started to call it the "Nicollet Mile."

The capitol city also came out a big winner. St. Paul snagged more than $43 million for local projects in a pair of bills that passed the House and Senate on the last day of the session.

Most of the money will go toward renovating buildings in the city's downtown, including the Minnesota Children's Museum, Twin Cities Public Television, The Palace Theatre, the Dorothy Day Center and the Ordway.

The money is a recognition that downtown areas are important, said the city's mayor, Chris Coleman.

"The challenge that a lot of cities faced was that there was a lot of disinvestment over the years," he said. "A lot of the investment in infrastructure and things went out to suburban and exurban communities, and this is an opportunity for us to kind of re-strike the balance."

In addition to the downtown projects, St. Paul received more than $5 million for improvements to Como Park. Rep. Alice Hausman, DFL-St. Paul, chairs the House Capital Investment Committee.