The St. Paul City Council voted this week to support two zoning variances requested by the developer behind a proposed restaurant building within United Village, the development area around Allianz Field.

The single-story “Shops in the Green” building will be located west of Simpson Street, between Spruce Tree Avenue and Shields Avenue, north of a secondary restaurant building, both of which would open onto patios along the Great Lawn. Both zoning variances were previously denied by the city’s Board of Zoning Appeals.

The zoning code requires that 30% of the wall area along the ground floor on all new commercial buildings be covered in window or door openings, but Snelling-Midway Redevelopment LLC requested that requirement be lowered to 19.6% on the northern building’s northern façade along Spruce Tree Avenue.

The city code also requires a primary pedestrian entrance on street-facing facades such as Spruce Tree Avenue.

Mike Hahm, a consultant for the developer, noted that the building will already have two other entrances, making a third entrance redundant and difficult to monitor.

‘Unique circumstances’

Council Member Anika Bowie, who represents the neighborhood, said given the restaurant building’s general orientation toward the Great Lawn, as well as its sizable mural on the northern façade, “unique circumstances” made the added windows and entrance impractical.

“This plan is going to include a large scale art display, green space, and space for … small businesses,” Bowie said. “The architectural design within the Super Block is very comprehensive.”

Council President Mitra Jalali noted the extra 10% of door and window coverage would detract from the mural. The Union Park District Council had opposed the variance request pertaining to the window and door opening requirement, but supported the variance eliminating the primary pedestrian entrance on Spruce Tree Avenue.

The Board of Zoning Appeals had previously approved four other variance requests reducing the required door and window openings on the building’s southern and eastern façades, as well as on the southern restaurant building’s eastern façade.

The council voted 6-0 on Wednesday to support the developer’s appeals. Council Member Nelsie Yang is on maternity leave.

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