A proposal to turn the “Dixie’s On Grand” building and parking lot into a five-story, mixed-use apartment complex complete with restaurants, underground parking, outdoor patios and 81 residential units is making its way through a neighborhood review.
The $35.5 million redevelopment plan is backed by Dixie’s co-owner Peter Kenefick and officials from the St. Louis-Park based development firm Reuter Walton.
Kenefick, whose family has owned the building for 35 years, said after the first public meeting on the plan, held via Zoom on Thursday night, that the proposed changes are “emotional. But I am super excited because I want to make something that is really great. I will be 65 this June and it makes you reflect on what you want to leave [behind]. And this is a gem” of a plan.
Kenefick wants to tear down his existing single-story building, retire the controversially named Dixie’s on Grand restaurant and to build a larger complex that encompasses the old building’s footprint plus the large adjacent parking lot that sits on the corner of Grand Avenue and St. Albans Street.
Kenefick said he plans to bring back the building’s current businesses — the Emmett’s Public House restaurant that was named after his father, and the long standing Saji-Ya Japanese restaurant. They would go into the first floor of the new building which would offer 10,000 square feet of commercial space.
Kenefick said he and his partners will retire the Dixie’s name because its reference to the civil war South has become a lightning rod of criticism, especially in the wake of George Floyd’s killing and calls for racial equity.
A third retail or restaurant tenant could also go into the first floor, but that decision will require more input from neighbors Kenefick said Friday. The proposal also calls for four stories of apartments above. The top floor would be set back from the street to alleviate initial complaints about the bulk of the proposed structure.
The middle section of the proposed complex would also be set back from Grand Avenue to make way for outdoor seating, public benches and greenery.
If the plan ultimately wins community support and city approval, Reuter Walton CEO and President Nick Walton said he hopes to submit plans to the city of St. Paul’s planning and economic development department this summer. Demolition could start in November.
A second public hearing with the Summit Hill Association is set for April 8.
Thursday’s meeting, conducted virtually, revealed both excitement and dismay over the plan, said Simon Taghioff, chairman of the Summit Hill Association’s zoning and land use committee. Renderings by ESG Architechture were presented at the meeting.
Some nearby residents were put off by the idea of more traffic in the area, while others complained about the project replacing a single story commercial building with one with five stories. Still others have insisted that at least a few of the new apartments offer affordable rents and that the project perhaps offer retail space to a business owner of color, Taghioff said.
On the flip side, many residents on Thursday’s call voiced excitement over such a large investment going into Grand Ave, he said. They also liked that the residential part of the project calls for larger apartments that could cater to older residents who want to stay in their neighborhood when they downsize from their large historic homes.
Kenefick said the apartment units will range from 900 to 1,650 square feet and involve one and two bedrooms units, all with additional den space. The units are larger than what is typically available in the area, he said. Kenefick hopes to build an inset loading dock in the rear of the property that would no longer block the alley when eighteen-wheelers deliver restaurant supplies.
The new project would replace a “tired” 1960s era building that has gone through iterations as a grocery store and later Esteban’s restaurant before turning into Dixie’s and Saji Ya decades ago and more recently Emmett’s Public House, which opened in 2015, Kenefick said.
If approved, the new project would be owned by Kenefick’s family, Reuter Walton and be partly financed with bank loans and investments from friends.
Dee DePass • 612-673-7725