In downtown St. Paul, a block of mostly-empty land surrounds Metro Transit’s downtown Central Station on all sides. Bounded by Fourth and Fifth streets, as well as Cedar and Minnesota streets, the land is largely owned by the city of St. Paul and the Metropolitan Council, the metro’s regional planning agency.

And in the eyes of both public bodies, it’s ripe for redevelopment.

April 11, 2018 aerial photo of the Green Line Central Station in St. Paul. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)

The city and Met Council are soliciting recommendations from developers who have big ideas for the 1.66-acre site, which hosts a vertical circulation tower from the light rail train platform to a skyway bridge.

Letters of interest are due to the Met Council by 5 p.m. on Jan. 11.

The Met Council intends to use the responses to inform a selection and evaluation process down the line for a formal request for proposals for redevelopment.

Not submitting a letter of interest does not preclude a developer from responding to the request for proposals, according to application materials.

An informational forum will be held online Dec. 20. Questions can be directed to Laron Weddington, the Met Council’s request for proposals administrator, at 651-602-1032.

Also situated on the same block, the historic building at 340 Cedar St. — the Hotel 340 and former St. Paul Athletic Club — is privately-owned and advertised for sale.

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