Because We're Paying For Enough Grandiose Plans Gone Awry Already
St. Paul mayor Chris Coleman announced in his State of the City address he's got the city's mighty plannin' wheels a'churnin' to get a stadium built downtown for the Saint Paul Saints:
Arguably, the biggest announcement came midway through the mayor's annual State of the City address at the James J. Hill Library: He said the St. Paul Port Authority had secured a land deal with the real estate investment trust that owns the old Diamond Products building off Broadway Street.
Can you imagine the ball park they could build if they tore down all the vacant buildings in downtown Saint Paul? We could put all the professional, amateur, Olympic and Little League teams down there!
I digress:
The vacant building, which is across from the St. Paul Farmer's Market, could become the site of a future regional ballpark for the Saints and amateur baseball leagues.
The Port Authority plans to swap the Lowertown property with the city, and in turn take over the Saints' outdated Midway Stadium site off Energy Park Drive for future business development. Midway Stadium is city-owned.
"We'll own the land," Coleman said. "Now let's build the ballpark."
Sure, Mr. Mayor.
Feel free to get your buddies to pony up for it. I just got my property tax bill. I'm done paying for your plans.
A "handshake deal" has been reached with the Florida owners of the Diamond Products building to buy it for $2.4 million, said Tom Collins, a Port Authority spokesman. Details will be made final when the two sides get together next week.
Every time Chris Coleman shakes someone's hands, he wipes 'em off afterward with a fiver.