The century-old James J. Hill Reference Library that looms over Rice Park in downtown St. Paul is back in business, just not as a hushed research haven. The landmark reopened this week as Avalon, an event center that shows off the building’s marble pillars and soaring reading room while serving as a backdrop for weddings, galas and performances. Developer Peter Remes and his Minneapolis-based firm First & First steered the conversion after years of planning and historic approvals, ending a long quiet stretch that began when the library closed to the public in 2019.
Renovation built around systems and events
Work on the building began in spring 2025 and focused first on the unglamorous necessities: upgraded HVAC, electrical and accessibility systems so the 100-year-old shell can reliably handle modern productions and big receptions. Designers converted former office spaces into green rooms for bridal parties and corporate clients while keeping the reading room’s historic finishes intact. The project team includes RoehrSchmitt Architecture and Mission Construction, according to Avalon, and the conversion was previewed in local coverage last year by the Business Journal.
A developer with a local track record
After the library closed, the Hill Center’s board put the property on the market, and First & First purchased the landmark in 2021. The developer then spent years working through historic-preservation approvals to make the adaptive reuse possible, the Star Tribune reports. Remes, known around the Twin Cities for breathing new life into older buildings and plazas, has cast Avalon as a way to keep the architecture intact while giving it a sustainable new role. The sale left out the neighboring George Latimer Central Library, which remains open to the public.
Books, preservation and what’s inside now
Remes says the building still houses more than 500,000 books, though a small slice of the collection was transferred to preservation partners that include a Texas railroad museum, the Minnesota Historical Society and the University of Minnesota. Most of the roughly $5 million renovation budget went into mechanical systems and infrastructure, an investment he describes as essential for making the venue safe and dependable for large contemporary events while preserving historic finishes. Avalon has already lined up private and public gatherings and has hosted events in the weeks after reopening, as reported by Axios.
What it means for Rice Park and downtown
The reopening gives Rice Park a visually dramatic, revenue-generating venue that preservation advocates and developers hope will support the building without stripping out what makes it special. In its public materials, Avalon describes the project as "a bridge between eras," with the aim of preserving the Hill Center’s civic architecture while programming it for today’s events, according to Avalon.
