Rondo Anti-Displacement and Community Investment Strategy

Rondo is one of the Twin Cities' oldest African-American communities and was the heart of St Paul’s Black commerical district. In the 50s and 60s the neighborhood was targeted with the construction of Interstate 94, despite the presence of an alternative route which would have caused almost no direct displacement. Over 700 homes and 300 businesses were ultimately demolished, with inadequate compensation, to make way for the expressway. The spirit of Rondo remained harder to remove. Rondo Days, a community reunion, started in 1983, and displaced residents and their descendants have kept the story of Rondo in public knowledge. 

As Interstate 94 nears the end of it’s functional life, necessitating a full reconstruction, a community driven vision to develop a land bridge as a catalyst for an African-American Cultural Enterprise District has gained momentum, with numerous studies speaking to the project’s feasibility. State funding has enabled the project to move forward with several concurrent studies, including a neighborhood master plan, that will work with the community to create a multipronged approach to making the community’s vision a reality. 

Working closely with our visionary client, ReConnect Rondo, and the full master planning team, we are leading the work of developing an anti-displacement and community investment strategy. Our work will seek to identify opportunities to generate revenue that can be utilized for community benefits, while also identifying protections for existing community members. Our team includes the wonderful housing experts Alexandra Miller Consulting and The Housing Workshop. ReConnect Rondo is leading a deep and thorough engagement process  for community members and organizations for all the plans, with weekly events.