The St. Paul Downtown Improvement District — which is on the verge of expanding across downtown in January — has hired a new general manager.

Kris Zagyva, who has more than 20 years of experience in downtown improvement initiatives in other states, will manage the broad new district, overseeing its Clean and Safe street ambassador program and other new or enhanced public safety initiatives.

Zagyva previously held leadership roles with the improvement program Block by Block in Hollywood, West Hollywood and Beverly Hills, Calif., as well as a similar program in Houston, where he managed a team of 120 employees.

Launched in 2021 and funded by fees on private property owners, the St. Paul Downtown Improvement District employs street teams to assist with graffiti and litter pickup, offer visitors directions and serve as a second set of eyes on the ground for the purpose of public safety. The district also supports a downtown information collaboration center known as the Safety Communications Center, or fusion center, which shares information between the street team, St. Paul police, nonprofit street outreach workers and private building security teams.

The district will expand on Jan. 1 to include all of downtown from the Xcel Energy Center to CHS Field and from the Mississippi River to Interstate 94. Also new next year, it will tap both commercial and residential properties, instead of just commercial ones, for funding.

Zagyva will work with John Bandemer, the district’s director of safety strategies, who spent 32 years with the St. Paul Police Department, retiring about four years ago as senior commander.

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