Star Tribune
Catholic church opposes plan for supportive housing complex in downtown St. Paul
A Catholic church in downtown St. Paul is objecting to a nonprofit developer’s plan to convert a historic dormitory into an 88-unit supportive housing complex, citing an increase in crime tied to a concentration of homeless shelters in the area.
Minneapolis-based Aeon sought a variance from the city to convert the vacant Mary Hall property at 438 Dorothy Day Place into affordable apartments, some of which would become permanent housing for recently homeless individuals.
The city’s zoning code requires such facilities to be at least 600 feet away from other overnight shelters and supportive housing, but Aeon’s project would be 60 feet from Catholic Charities’ downtown St. Paul campus that was completed in 2019.
The Church of the Assumption, located a block away, appealed the variance to the City Council, which will hold a hearing on the decision at its Aug. 7 meeting.
The church’s pastor, the Rev. Paul Treacy, said in a statement that over the last few years, the parish has seen “a dramatic increase in crime, illegal drug sales and use, and other problematic behavior on our streets and campus.”
“To be clear — Assumption does not oppose supportive and affordable housing,” Treacy wrote. “Our decision to appeal this variance approval was driven by a desire for a pause, even if just to allow this and other parts of our city to stabilize.”
Treacy wrote that he and church leaders are concerned about the precedent the variance sets at a time when downtown St. Paul has several vacant buildings, including the former St. Joseph’s Hospital nearby.
He wrote that downtown’s problems have been compounded “by the pattern of other communities around the metro, the state, and beyond sending more of their vulnerable residents to St. Paul or Minneapolis.”
Juan Torres, Aeon’s director of housing development, said the nonprofit plans to continue its conversations with Assumption.
“We share some of the concerns that they have,” Torres said. “We hope that we can work collaboratively with all our neighbors to be able to create a more safe environment in that area.”
Torres said the Mary Hall project has been in the works for many years and received support from the state, county and city.
“This is a really important stepping stone for individuals coming out of homelessness,” he said. “We’re excited to be able to provide permanent supportive housing at a time when there’s such a dramatic need for housing in our region.”
Mary Hall was built in the 1920s as a dorm for student nurses and served a variety of uses over the years. Most recently, it was an emergency homeless shelter following the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020.
Aeon is working to complete its financing this year and aims to start a 16-month construction schedule in the fall or winter, Torres said. The project will cost an estimated $30 million to $34 million.
The nonprofit will partner with Ramsey County and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to provide housing for formerly homeless people. Other units would be reserved for tenants earning less than 30% of the area median income.
While the services Aeon provides will not overlap with Catholic Charities’ programs at the two-building Dorothy Day Place campus, Torres said he expects the pair will collaborate on efforts to keep the neighborhood safe. Aeon plans to invest a “significant amount” in security, he said.
Star Tribune
Special counsel Smith asks court to pause appeal seeking to revive Trump’s classified documents case
WASHINGTON — Special counsel Jack Smith asked a court Wednesday to pause prosecutors’ appeal seeking to revive the classified documents case against President-elect Donald Trump in light of the Republican’s presidential victory.
Smith’s team has been evaluating how to wind down the classified documents and the federal 2020 election interference case in Washington before Trump takes office because of longstanding Justice Department policy that says sitting presidents cannot be prosecuted.
The case accusing Trump of hoarding classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate had been seen as the most legally clear-cut of the four indictments against Trump, given the breadth of evidence that prosecutors say they had accumulated. That included the testimony of close aides and former lawyers, and because the conduct at issue occurred after Trump left the White House in 2021 and lost the powers of the presidency.
But U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon dismissed the case in July, ruling that Smith was illegally appointed by the Justice Department. Smith had appealed her ruling to the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals before Trump’s presidential win last week over Vice President Kamala Harris.
Prosecutors asked the 11th Circuit in a court filing Wednesday to pause the appeal to ”afford the Government time to assess this unprecedented circumstance and determine the appropriate course going forward consistent with Department of Justice policy.” Smith’s team said it would ”inform the Court of the result of its deliberations” no later than Dec. 2.
The judge overseeing the federal case in Washington accusing Trump of conspiring to overturn the 2020 election canceled all upcoming deadlines in the case last week after Smith’s team made a similar request.
Smith is expected to leave his post before Trump takes office, but special counsels are expected to produce reports on their work that historically are made public, and it remains unclear when such a document might be released.
First, they must live in St. Paul. Then, their incomes must be no more than 400% of current Federal Poverty Guidelines — about $120,000/year for a family of four — or their medical debt must be 5% or more of their annual income. Also, only debt owed to participating providers like hospitals will qualify for the program.
“Health is not only about buildings, hospitals, or clinics — health care is about meeting the needs of patients where they are and doing whatever we can to improve health outcomes and decrease cost,” Fairview Health Services President and CEO James Hereford said in a statement.
Undue Medical Debt CEO and President Allison Sesso also issued a statement, which read, in part: “Medical debt is a psychological burden, in addition to a financial one, that can cause patients to avoid necessary care.”
She added: “Simply having medical debt creates stress which undermines people’s health.”
Officials said national medical debt has reached about $220 billion and affects more than 100 million Americans. About 54% of insured adults carry medical debt, officials said, while 41% of people without insurance face even greater challenges, often delaying necessary care in order to pay for food and housing.
In Minnesota, the Medical Debt Fairness Act that recently went into effect bans medical debt from being reported to credit reporting agencies. It also ensures medical providers cannot withhold medical care despite unpaid debt. St. Paul and Undue Medical Debt officials said they hope to partner with the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office to explore ways to build on the Debt Fairness Act.
Orono City Council Member Matt Johnson resigned Tuesday, putting the city on track to replace four of its five elected leaders in 2025.
Johnson, who had two more years left in his term, submitted a one-sentence letter to the city Tuesday asking that his resignation be accepted that day. Reached by the Star Tribune Wednesday, Johnson declined to comment on why he chose to resign.
His departure comes one week after local elections, in which voters selected a new mayor and two new council members to take over next year. Former Orono School Board Chair Bob Tunheim will replace Dennis Walsh as mayor in January. New Council Members Steve Persian and Jacqueline Ricks will replace Council Members Richard Crosby and Maria Veach.
City leaders will need to hold a special election next year to fill Johnson’s seat and will need to figure out how to fill the vacancy until then, Orono City Administrator/City Engineer Adam Edwards said during Tuesday’s council meeting. He said more details on that process will be presented at a meeting later this month.
The political turnover is happening at a time when Orono is grappling with contentious issues, including the future of its fire department.
Orono is home to about 8,000 people. It borders a portion of Lake Minnetonka and surrounds the city of Long Lake. The two cities are locked in a lawsuit and face a trial next year, as Long Lake officials accuse Orono of trying to poach their firefighters after Orono broke off to form its own department.
In a court filing this week, attorneys representing Long Lake asked a judge to postpone some court dates, writing “we are cautiously optimistic that the parties may be able to reach resolution of their dispute in the new year, once the new Council is in place.”
