Sponsor: Community & Economic Development
Public Works
Title
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Fund Balance Transfer for Completion of Land Survey, Title Work and Legal Assistance for RiversEdge
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Recommendation
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1. Authorize the County Manager to transfer up to $2,500,000 from Ramsey County Regional Railroad Authority fund balance to the Ramsey County Regional Railroad Authority capital fund for completion of land title survey, title insurance commitment and title abstracts, and legal assistance related to property ownership for the RiversEdge Project in downtown Saint Paul.
2. Authorize the County Manager to account for the $2,500,000 fund balance transfer in the Riverfront Redevelopment project budget established by the County Board.
3. Authorize the County Manager to enter into agreements and execute amendments to agreements in accordance with the county’s procurement policies and procedures provided the amounts are within the limits of the funding.
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Background and Rationale
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Ramsey County owns property in downtown Saint Paul, roughly bound by Kellogg Boulevard to the north, Wabasha Street to the east, railroad tracks to the south, and District Energy to the west. This property is commonly referred to as RiversEdge, a transformative redevelopment project in the capitol city. The project is part of the county’s Building Stronger Together initiative to reduce the property tax burden on residents and promote long-term financial stability and wealth building across generations. Building Stronger Together is a key component of advancing the county’s Intergenerational Wealth and Economic Justice Strategic Priority.
RiversEdge location in the heart of downtown Saint Paul, along the river and adjacent to multiple railroads leads to multiple complexities in determining property ownership and property lines (property record). Staff have worked with the railroads and analyzed current and historic property records to best determine the status of property in the RiversEdge area. Through this work, staff identified inconsistencies, which are not uncommon, as the property records span more than 100 years, allowing for multiple owners and railroads bankruptcies, reorganizations, and acquisitions without all these changes making their way into the recorded property records.
The lack of clear ownership and property lines within the property records is an impediment to RiversEdge and if not addressed, will delay its development. To properly address the issues with property records impacting the RiversEdge Project, Ramsey County will need to obtain a title insurance commitment and title abstracts, complete a land title survey, retain outside legal counsel, and work with impacted property owners to record changes identified from this work into current property records.
Ramsey County has reached out to Canadian Pacific Kansas City Railway (CPKC) and Union Pacific Railroad (UP) to discuss property records and both railroads are interested in the completion of the work needed to clarify ownership and property lines. This is a critical step in their review of Ramsey County’s request to utilize their property for the public realm structure above their tracks and Shepard Road.
Ramsey County Regional Railroad Authority approval of the use of $2,500,000 in fund balance will provide funding for the completion of the necessary property records work including the procurement of firms to complete the title commitments, property survey and legal assistance to determine property ownership and recording of updated property records. Completing this work will provide the clarity on property records that is needed to allow negotiations to continue with the railroads on use of their property and to provide assurance about land ownership to private developers.
RiversEdge represents an opportunity to improve access between existing transportation assets and address accessibility deficiencies in the downtown pedestrian network. It will significantly bolster downtown’s contribution to the overall tax capacity, foster economic opportunities, and contribute to sustaining and enhancing vitality for the county.
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County Goals (Check those advanced by Action)
X Well-being X Prosperity X Opportunity X Accountability
Racial Equity Impact
The Ramsey County Board has adopted the Economic Competitiveness and Inclusion Plan that provides a guide for comprehensive economic development strategy centered on equitable growth and strengthening economic competitiveness. The county also has an Equitable Development Framework to guide any redevelopment project with county participation. These strategies prioritize inclusion in future investments and other actions related to housing, job creation, workforce development and place-based investments.
The overall project is being guided by these strategies whose impacts will be seen and felt most strongly with future phases.
Community Participation Level and Impact
The RiversEdge Project is informed by years of shared community engagement and stated city and county goals. County staff met regularly throughout 2019 with staff from the City of Saint Paul in the City-County Working Group, which provided the basis of integration of the RiversEdge Project with the city’s River Balcony Master Plan. County staff have also been present at several public gatherings focused on the city’s River Balcony initiative.
The community continues to be engaged, most recently through an open artist call which will temporarily activate and beautify the site with a series of artworks until construction begins.
X Inform X Consult X Involve __ Collaborate __ Empower
Fiscal Impact
The funding for this request is coming from the Ramsey County Regional Railroad Authority tax levy fund balance. Adequate fund balance is available to accommodate this request. The requested amount of $2,500,000 will be budgeted utilizing the existing Riverfront Redevelopment project ID but will remain in the Ramsey County Regional Railroad Authority capital projects fund for tracking and reporting purposes.
Last Previous Action
On May 19, 2026, Ramsey County Regional Railroad Authority approved fund balance transfer and engineering agreements in the amount of $350,000 (Resolution R2026-009).
Attachments
None.