High hopes for high tech

Office space for Cray is being constructed in the formerly named Galtier Plaza in St.

[drew15]

"...supercomputer-maker Cray Inc. has agreed to move its Mendota Heights development and sales office and the 225 employees who work there: Cray will occupy a quarter of Galtier Plaza: Microsoft employees moved into 12,000 square feet, number of employees 26 initially: Lawson Software moved to town in 1999 from Bloomington and many see a high-tech synergy in play."

Yes, the synergy is clearly exploding. Three high-tech companies move downtown over a ten year period and a vacancy rate over 25%; that sure sound like success. If the next mayor has any sort of business acumen, he/she will follow the model that worked for Cray...CUT TAXES. Then you have economic activity downtown, not only from the company itself, but workers spending money. The tax revenue will rise over time. It's not going to happen over night. This is where someone with some political guts is needed to lead.

[YoMammy]

SSP wrote:

Your city is a crap hole. As the sun sets on the capital city, workers head back home to the suburbs and thugs head in by the bus loads. Residents need to do themselves a favor, vote out the liberal morons that have driven this once proud river town to the brink of colapse. Quit catering to the thugs and moochs that contribute nothing but problems to your town.

And MPLS is any better?

[Margie Gunderson]

Perhaps we need a new mayor ... and a new councilmember to represent downtown. That might help get things moving again. The current administration takes a lot of credit for a few companies moving downtown. I hate to tell them: Lawson was ages ago. Cray is nice but that isn't a lot and none are new jobs.

Put a Super Target in that worthless Macy's space, for example. What good does an understocked, under-shopped Macy's do anyone?

Let's get downtown St Paul moving again.

[Bob the Bilderberg]

SSP wrote:

Quit catering to the thugs and moochs that contribute nothing but problems to your town.

It's too late. What you're describing are the people in government.

[Bob the Bilderberg]

Margie Gunderson wrote:

Perhaps we need a new mayor ... and a new councilmember to represent downtown. That might help get things moving again. The current administration takes a lot of credit for a few companies moving downtown. I hate to tell them: Lawson was ages ago. Cray is nice but that isn't a lot and none are new jobs.
Put a Super Target in that worthless Macy's space, for example. What good does an understocked, under-shopped Macy's do anyone?
Let's get downtown St Paul moving again.

I worked for Cray 100 years ago. Their technology is antiquated and has been relegated to shrinking niche markets. Same with Lawson. In a sense, it's kind of poetic justice that the politicians with the tired ideas would rely on companies with the tired products to be their savior.

The biggest mistake Saint Paul made was in giving up so quickly on the Ford plant site.

Rather than immediately looking to another auto maker to build their newest plant on that site, replacing those 1800 good-paying jobs we lost with 1800 new ones, the property tax hungry politicians immediately envisioned a thousand townhomes on that property with a few candle shops thrown in for good measure. And as we all know now, the housing market is saturated and it ain't going to happen.

But it exposed these people and their priorities. Towns prosper when good-paying jobs encourage people to buy homes near their work, send their kids to the neighborhood schools, and patronize the merchants who spring up to service those people's needs.

Given a choice between creating 1800 manfacturing jobs or building 1000 vacant townhomes, they chose the later. Wrong choice.

[Margie Gunderson]

Bob the Bilderberg wrote:

<quoted text>
The biggest mistake Saint Paul made was in giving up so quickly on the Ford plant site.
Rather than immediately looking to another auto maker to build their newest plant on that site, replacing those 1800 good-paying jobs we lost with 1800 new ones, the property tax hungry politicians immediately envisioned a thousand townhomes on that property with a few candle shops thrown in for good measure. And as we all know now, the housing market is saturated and it ain't going to happen.
.

Unfortunately the Ford plant isn't downtown and this article is about downtown ... though I agree: simply residential for the Ford site is crazy when you have that kind of space open up. And yet again, Ford Assembly might hang on longer than any of us expected. We can only hope.

But what can we do for downtown?

I still think we need to change political administrations at City Hall and get a new outlook on Third Floor.

[Bob the Bilderberg]

Margie Gunderson wrote:

<quoted text>
Unfortunately the Ford plant isn't downtown and this article is about downtown ... though I agree: simply residential for the Ford site is crazy when you have that kind of space open up. And yet again, Ford Assembly might hang on longer than any of us expected. We can only hope.
But what can we do for downtown?
I still think we need to change political administrations at City Hall and get a new outlook on Third Floor.

I think downtown will never be the center of commerce again like it was decades ago. The growth of the suburbs and suburban shopping malls with unlimited free parking sealed that fate.

I spent a good portion of my youth downtown, wandering around the department stores, racing my slot racer at Woodcraft hobby, hanging with my friends at the new Daytons that became a teen mecca, eating coney islands, going to Sunday matinees at one of the many movie theaters.

Those days are gone. Downtown is now the center of government. A few bars, restaurants and hotels are needed to accommodate that new reality but that's about it. Attempts at anything beyond that are futile.

[Margie Gunderson]

Bob the Bilderberg wrote:

<quoted text>
I think downtown will never be the center of commerce again like it was decades ago. The growth of the suburbs and suburban shopping malls with unlimited free parking sealed that fate.
I spent a good portion of my youth downtown, wandering around the department stores, racing my slot racer at Woodcraft hobby, hanging with my friends at the new Daytons that became a teen mecca, eating coney islands, going to Sunday matinees at one of the many movie theaters.
Those days are gone. Downtown is now the center of government. A few bars, restaurants and hotels are needed to accommodate that new reality but that's about it. Attempts at anything beyond that are futile.

Good points ...

Remember when downtown StP actually had stores? Nice ones too. Very nice ones. I loved Frank Murphy and Gokey's and my mom loved Peck and Peck. The Emporium, Cardozo's, the Golden Rule, Field-Schlick ... all gone.

I don't ever expect downtown to be what it was. But we don't have to watch it sink any lower either. It can be a destination again ... and already is ... for the museums in particular. The Saints coming to Lowertown is a great idea. Another first-class convention hotel might help but those suckers cost big bucks.

[Margie Gunderson]

And you know what? Downtown St Paul is looking better. Forty years ago, downtown looked like a junk heap. Dirty narrow sidewalks along what was then Seventh. Old flop houses and seedy little hotels around the corner. Litter everywhere. Old, stinky Twin City Lines buses snaking down Seventh. High school hockey teams staying at the old Capp Towers throwing bottles from the balconies. And the old Auditorium was a barn.

No flowers, no benches, no nothing.

[Catcher InTheRye]

Ha! Downtown is 30% vacant. So what companies are going to move to downtown St. Paul? The DFL drove about 30% of the business out of the state with their policies of high taxation now what are they going to do now that they have an nearly half empty city??? Oh I know, it is half full!

[TWT]

Good thing N.Coleman had the foresight, and interest to attract Lawson Software to St. Paul. Otherwise C. Coleman would have gone 4 years with producing or attracting any new businesses to St. Paul.

[TWT]

If you worked there 100 years ago...you are OLD and ANTIQUATED as well!!

Bob the Bilderberg wrote:

<quoted text>
I worked for Cray 100 years ago. Their technology is antiquated and has been relegated to shrinking niche markets. Same with Lawson. In a sense, it's kind of poetic justice that the politicians with the tired ideas would rely on companies with the tired products to be their savior.
The biggest mistake Saint Paul made was in giving up so quickly on the Ford plant site.
Rather than immediately looking to another auto maker to build their newest plant on that site, replacing those 1800 good-paying jobs we lost with 1800 new ones, the property tax hungry politicians immediately envisioned a thousand townhomes on that property with a few candle shops thrown in for good measure. And as we all know now, the housing market is saturated and it ain't going to happen.
But it exposed these people and their priorities. Towns prosper when good-paying jobs encourage people to buy homes near their work, send their kids to the neighborhood schools, and patronize the merchants who spring up to service those people's needs.
Given a choice between creating 1800 manfacturing jobs or building 1000 vacant townhomes, they chose the later. Wrong choice.

[Bob the Bilderberg]

TWT wrote:

If you worked there 100 years ago...you are OLD and ANTIQUATED as well!!
<quoted text>

Nonsense. You can be old without being antiquated. Ask Mrs. Bilderberg

[Bob the Bilderberg]

TWT wrote:

Good thing N.Coleman had the foresight, and interest to attract Lawson Software to St. Paul. Otherwise C. Coleman would have gone 4 years with producing or attracting any new businesses to St. Paul.

I suppose if you don't consider the NHL a business.

[Margie Gunderson]

Bob the Bilderberg wrote:

<quoted text>
Nonsense. You can be old without being antiquated. Ask Mrs. Bilderberg

Tell the Mrs to meet me at Poppin' Fresh on Ford Pkwy. I'd like to ask her several things about you.:)

[I love this suburb]

YoMammy wrote:

<quoted text>
And MPLS is any better?

yes.....read the article. Minneapolis is doing much better.

[Margie Gunderson]

I love this suburb wrote:

<quoted text>
yes.....read the article. Minneapolis is doing much better.

Tell them that at Block E.

[George]

The only way downtown is going to turn around is to cut back on all of the pansy-council inspired rules that say can't-don't-will not=stay away and replace them with shall-can-invite-our pleasure=success. Until the city stops carving 'concessions' out of everyone and everything the palce will continue to die.

[Commonsense Man]

George wrote:

The only way downtown is going to turn around is to cut back on all of the pansy-council inspired rules that say can't-don't-will not=stay away and replace them with shall-can-invite-our pleasure=success. Until the city stops carving 'concessions' out of everyone and everything the palce will continue to die.

It is a self fulfilling prophesy that when you have a more than liberal city council, they will be incapable of seeing the big picture. Thune being a prime example. We have the same in Mpls of course. Remington being a prime example. He had his undies all in a bunch over circus animals and wanted to ban them. This while gangbangers run around with abandon. It is mindboggling, but the goofball residents vote them in.

[Kathy]

Lets face it, Saint Paul has been losing business long before this current recession. The city is known as anti business. We need new leadership badly.