South St. Paul City Council highlights: April 2026
City debates bingo hall, play center and housing ordinance; Northview Pool closed
South St. Paul City Council highlights: April 2026By Jake Spitzack | Staff Writer | April 2026Bingo hallAMVETS Post 1 based in Mendota is seeking to open a bingo hall with pull tabs and electronic pull tabs in the space of Family Dollar, which closed late last year in the Southview Shopping Center at 1209 Southview Blvd. The Post currently operates the Bingo Palace in West St. Paul, but its landlord plans to repurpose the building and is not renewing the lease. To accommodate the move, the South St. Paul City Council must amend its lawful gambling ordinance to allow lawful gambling to take place in a business that does not have a liquor license and is owned by an entity that does not regularly meet or own property in the city. The Post would lease the 9,000-square-foot space. Preliminary plans call for the bingo hall to be open daily, with a 2 p.m. matinee session most days and a 7 p.m. evening session daily. It’s expected to employ 25 people and attract 30-55 patrons per session. The city council is expected to review the ordinance at its April 6 and 20 meetings. Notably, the City requires that 55% of a nonprofit’s lawful gambling revenue be donated to an entity in the city’s trade area (South St. Paul, West St. Paul, Inver Grove Heights and Newport). According to city documents, AMVETS Post 1already donates substantial funds to Neighbors Inc. and is committed to meeting the requirement.Indoor family play centerPublic hearings are expected to be held in April regarding the sale of the former city library building to Minneapolis Gymnastics, which plans to convert it into an indoor family play center. The developer proposes to buy the property for $250,000 this summer and complete the core renovation work laid out in the city’s 2025 library study, estimated at $2.3 million and including things such as boiler and roof replacement, mechanical system upgrades, significant exterior brick restoration and accessibility improvements. The city had planned to complete those improvements but the developer has agreed to take it on with the understanding that if the project comes in under budget any remaining funds can be used as a forgivable loan to complete additional improvements.Another new business centerEndeavor Development is seeking to build a 60,000-square-foot business center on the city-owned block at 316 Malden St., near Concord Street South and Richmond Street East. The western quarter of the property was sold in December to Fury Motors for continued use as employee parking. The remainder of the block is expected to be sold to Endeavor by the end of the year. Notably, the 80,000 square-foot Wakota Business Park being built at 843 Hardman Ave., spearheaded by Danner Inc., is expected to be completed by the end of the year.Housing conversionThe South St. Paul City Council is considering making zoning changes to make it easier for residents to convert a single-family home to a duplex and vice versa. Currently, converting a duplex into a single-family home would dramatically reduce the resale value of the property, according to city staff. Likewise, due to city code, unless a single family home is on a large enough lot (60 feet wide or 7,200 square-feet large) it isn’t eligible for conversion into a duplex. City documents say at least one duplex owner approaches city staff every year inquiring about conversion but most back off after learning about the restrictions – a significant number of duplexes in the city are located on small lots which were “grandfathered in” when the lot-size required for a duplex was increased. Amending the zoning code would allow property owners to toggle back and forth between housing types as their life circumstances change. For instance, the building could be used as a single-family home when parents have young children and then turned into a duplex if their children want to continue living there as adults. Adding this type of flexibility to the City’s housing stock is consistent with the City’s 2040 Comprehensive Plan’s goal of promoting lifecycle housing and helping residents age in place.Northview Pool closed this summerNorthview Pool is officially closed and work will begin this summer to create a new outdoor pool in its footprint. Planned is a 6,026 square foot pool (about 1,000 square-feet larger than the current pool) with beach entry, lap lanes, play structure, diving board and two water slides, and a new pool building with changing rooms, concessions and staff space. Construction cost is estimated at $7 million but amenities and other fees are expected to push the total to $8.5 million. City staff are hopeful the City will receive funds from the State Legislature this year to help soften the blow – they expect to know by June. The city will also likely use tax abatement bonds to cover project costs.Lorraine Park Splash Pool will be open this summer for swimming and lessons. That facility is also nearing the end of its useful life, and the new pool will incorporate its elements, effectively creating a single aquatics facility that will be able to serve the city for years to come. Tentative plans call for the new pool to be complete in July 2027. Northview Pool is nearly 70 years old and a feasibility and design study by JLG Architects found it could become inoperable at any time due to failing mechanical equipment.
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