The team behind St. Paul’s United Village project is asking the city for permission to dial back the amount of glass along University Avenue, arguing that fewer ground-floor windows will actually help get the long-planned hotel and parking ramp built. The requested zoning relief would let both buildings come in under Saint Paul’s window requirements on the busy corridor, which the developers say reflects late-stage design choices and a push to finally get shovels in the ground.
What The Developer Is Asking For
The development team has filed two variance requests that would cut the minimum window openings on the University Avenue facades. The hotel’s ground floor would provide 43.1% glazing, where the city code calls for 50%, and the parking ramp would have 23.3% glazing, where a 30% minimum is required, according to MyVillager. Project adviser Mike Hahm told the outlet that the need for variances "came up in final design" and that the tweaks are key to keeping construction on schedule this year. Hahm also said the team would rather invest in higher-quality wall materials than rely on opaque spandrel glass, sometimes nicknamed "Walgreens windows."
Project Background And Timeline
United Village is the multi-building redevelopment around Allianz Field led by Minnesota United owner Bill McGuire, where plans have long shown an eight-story, roughly 160-room hotel next to restaurants and an office building, as reported by the Pioneer Press. The broader buildout has been pitched as more than $200 million in private investment, with restaurant pavilions and an office building already underway, according to Bring Me The News. Supporters say the project will finally fill long-empty parcels around the stadium, while opponents have questioned its timing and the level of community engagement.
Neighbors And The Review Process
The Union Park District Council's land-use committee narrowly backed the window variances on Jan. 26, voting 5-3 in favor of the requests, according to MyVillager. The St. Paul Board of Zoning Appeals is scheduled to take up the filings next Monday, Feb. 16. The reporting notes that the ground floors of both the hotel and ramp are planned to include retail space and a community room, and that the main stairwell of the ramp is being designed as the backdrop for a large mural. If the BZA signs off, MyVillager reports, these would be the ninth and tenth variances granted for United Village as the plans have evolved.
Why It Matters For University Avenue
Saint Paul’s glazing rules are not just about aesthetics. Ground-floor windows and active storefronts are a standard planning tool for keeping University Avenue walkable, lively, and safe, which is why glazing percentages tend to draw close scrutiny from neighbors and city staff. Supporters of the variances argue the developer can still hit those goals with careful material choices and active uses inside, even with somewhat less glass. Critics worry that shrinking the window area risks turning long stretches into blank walls that deaden the street experience, a tension that has already surfaced in earlier city council and neighborhood meetings reported by the Pioneer Press. The Board of Zoning Appeals' decision next week will offer a clear signal about how much design flexibility the city is willing to grant as United Village tries to move from plans to construction.
