Broken streetlights causing frustration for St. Paul business owners

St. Paul, Minnesota, is temporarily pausing many streetlight repairs after spending millions of dollars responding to copper theft vandalism.

The decision comes as business owners along Payne Avenue say dark streets have become an everyday reality, affecting customers and safety. 

"It's pitch black over here," said Bernard Collins, the owner of Burnt Chicken. "There's no lights, no lights by the building, no streetlights, so no one wants to come around here."

A few blocks north of Burnt Chicken, the owner of Eastside Pizzeria said the problem has become an everlasting inconvenience. 

"I feel like our neighborhood gets neglected a lot. Demographically-wise, we are a big chunk of St. Paul and we pay our fair share," said Richard Fitch, owner of Eastside Pizzeria.

According to St. Paul Parks and Recreation, the city has spent $2.5 million over the past few years restoring damaged streetlights, including $1.4 million last year. Before 2024, annual repairs cost the city around $100,000. The costs include labor and staff time.

"Plenty of times, I've seen the city come out, check the lights and not really do anything," said Collins. "It's been six months since then and we still haven't seen any improvement."

City officials said they started to see an increase in lighting outages in 2024, caused by theft and vandalism. In some cases, newly repaired light fixtures were targeted days after crews fixed them.

"You got to figure out a way where the power source is coming up, so if they are going to take the copper, you got to climb a pole. They make it too easy for these guys," said Fitch.

Crews have reduced the number of outages from 2,000 lights to 900, but officials say the current pace at which they are conducting these repairs is no longer financially sustainable. 

"I sympathize knowing there's no money out there, but where is it going?" said Collins. 

The city is temporarily suspending many repairs until it can pursue a long-term funding solution through the proposed 2027 budget.

"I think they got to outsmart the thieves. There are some smart people in office. I think if they cared and put the effort into it, they'll figure it out," said Fitch.

Officials said the hardest hit areas remain in remote areas, including Como Regional Park, Mississippi River Boulevard and Phalen Regional Park.