St. Paul City Council passes $45.1 million in street, park improvements through new sales tax
ST. PAUL, Minn. — The St. Paul City Council passed more than $45 million in funds Wednesday to improve streets and parks infrastructure thanks to the city's new 1% sales tax increase.
The city projects the increase will raise a billion dollars for road construction projects over the next 15 to 20 years. Of those funds, $738 million must go to improving streets and $246 million are intended for parks.
"I am thrilled to finally transform this long-awaited investment into reality," Mayor Melvin Carter said.
RELATED: Over 40 miles of St. Paul roads to be re-done through sales tax increase
City officials says $31.4 million will address "long-deferred maintenance of parks buildings, athletic fields and downtown parks." It also includes design work for the East Side Community Center, River Balcony and other projects.
Nearly $14 million is meant to support improvements of Grand Avenue, including the Grand Avenue - Snelling to Fairview Project, Grand at Fairview Signal Project and Grand/Snelling Intersection Improvement Project.
Construction is scheduled to begin in April on Grand Avenue between Fairview and Snelling.
The new sales tax goes into effect on April 1.
The 1% increase brings St. Paul's sales tax to 9.875%, which is the highest in the state.
