St. Paul has re-invented itself at least three times before, and now is the time to do so again, responding to the needs and opportunities of a post-industrial, globalized, AI-proficient America.

This will not be easy.

In downtown, The Alliance Bank Center building has shut off its water and electricity, emptying its skyway of stores. Lunds & Byerly’s on Robert Street is closing. Restaurants have abandoned Lowertown

Re-invention in the 21st Century calls for a new narrative – what is it that makes St Paul special, important, a destination, a place people care about?

Therefore, St. Paul might capitalize on its having one of the greatest number of college students per capita of any American city, and having some of the greatest amount of empty and underutilized space in its downtown core. Building on the St. Paul Downtown Alliance’s campaign of “Let’s Grow,” the city could leverage those assets to encourage its thousands of college students, once they graduate, to stay in the city and grow their careers and their lives here.

This could take the form of an investment fund, we might call “The St. Paul Prize,” in which students, in their final year of college in one of St. Paul’s higher education institutions, could pitch an entrepreneurial idea of starting a business or non-profit to a group of local leaders and investors. Those who have the best ideas and win one of the prizes would be set up with start-up funding to launch their enterprise, space in one of the under-utilized buildings downtown in which they could live and work, and mentorship from experienced business and civic leaders.

Such a re-invention would give an attractive and enticing answer to the questions: “Why come to St Paul?” and “Why go to school here?” The answer would be: Come here and we will help you launch your career and grow your future. The city’s colleges and universities would benefit from such a re-invention as a way to recruit students and attract high quality professors. And since a majority of college graduates find their first jobs in proximity to where they earned their highest degrees, this program would help the city keep its most talented youth. Downtown buildings could also be reconfigured for residence for students coupled with internships; for start-up workspaces funded with grants or loans from local foundations and companies; and for reasonably priced apartments or condominiums for young professionals. Empty downtown buildings could also easily become live-work space for artists or cohousing for seniors, a growing trend around the country.

Re-invention comes from building on the assets of a place, and St. Paul has so many assets to work with. It’s time, now, to act.

Tom Fisher holds the Dayton Hudson Chair in Urban Design, College of Design, University of Minnesota. Stephen Young is global executive director, the Caux Round Table for Moral Capitalism, St. Paul.

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