by Scott Jensen
In spite of mushrooming residential construction, South St. Anthony Park’s earlier industrial era lingers on in its streets, many of which lack complete sidewalks and safe crosswalks. With the arrival of the Green Line in 2014, Territorial Road became the primary pedestrian path between the Seal Hi-Rise and Raymond Station. While Territorial has a single sidewalk on the south side, it’s more of an industrial afterthought, lacking in any thoughtful pedestrian-friendly design.
As part of St. Paul’s new Capital Improvement Budget process, the city solicited suggestions from the public for new infrastructure projects. The Transportation Committee used this opportunity to propose a new sidewalk on the north side of Territorial between Seal Street and Carleton. Instead of making a difficult crossing at Seal Street to a gritty industrial sidewalk, pedestrians from the Seal Hi-Rise and other neighbors will soon be able to walk along pleasant residential green space to an improved crosswalk at Carleton Street on their way to Raymond Station. The new sidewalk is just the beginning, as it will anchor further place-making efforts by the Transportation Committee, so watch this space!