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Who owns downtown St. Paul?
Date: April 04, 2016
Originally published by Saint Paul Pioneer Press at https://www.twincities.com/2016/04/04/who-owns-downtown-st-paul/ [Archived] [Archived] [Archived]
Reason for republication: Degraded Assets
Four private individuals, in some cases with the help of partners, own a significant swath of St. Paul’s downtown skyline. Here is a brief introduction to those four men.
TED BIGOS, Bigos Management Inc.
Owns 7.52 acres of downtown land:
- Kellogg Square Apartments
- Mears Park Place Apartments
- Cray Plaza and Galtier Towers
- Lowertown Lofts
Business headquarters: Golden Valley
Personal headquarters: Wayzata resident, Minneapolis native
On St. Paul: “What we have seen in St. Paul that we haven’t seen for many years is new apartment construction … In all the years I have been in St. Paul, it’s never felt as good as it feels today.”
Read more about him, his work and his vision for St. PaulDAVE BROOKS, Brooks group
Owns 4.6 acres of downtown land:
- Minnesota Club*
- The Alliance Bank Center Building*
- 7th Street Garage
- The Railroader & Stevens Building
- The O’Connor Building + a parcel that includes an unnamed building and parking lots
*Brooks co-owns the Minnesota Club and the Alliance Bank Center with James Kelly of Kelly Brothers Investments.
Business headquarters: St. Paul
Personal headquarters: White Bear Lake resident, St. Paul native
On St. Paul: “We are not Minneapolis, we never will be. We will never be New York or Chicago. … Everyone loves to live in St. Paul. It’s quaint. It’s beautiful. It’s historic. You don’t have that big hustle.”
Read more about him, his work and his vision for St. Paul
JAMES CROCKARELL, Madison Equities
Owns 8.13 acres of downtown land:
- The Lowry Hotel Building
- Degree of Honor Building
- U.S. Bank Center, with the Old Minnesota Saloon
- First National Bank Building
- 375 Jackson Court
- The Empire Building
- Endicott Arcade
- Park Square Court Building
- Stadium Ramp
Business headquarters: St. Paul
Personal headquarters: North Oaks resident, Tennessee native
On St. Paul: “I think the biggest motor driving the prosperity of St. Paul is housing. … It feels like a small-town environment to people living here. The river promotes that, the historic buildings and lofts.”
Read more about him, his work and his vision for St. Paul
GEORGE SHERMAN, Sherman Associates
Owns 3.88 acres of downtown land:
- Printer’s Row Condo Lawn
- Lyons Court
- Sibley Court
- Sibley Park Apartments
- Straus Lofts
- Rayette Lofts
Business headquarters: Minneapolis
Personal headquarters: Edina resident, Twin Cities native
On St. Paul: “St. Paul spends a lot more concentrated effort on design, fitting in their master plan. … In Minneapolis, a lot of the fabric is new, a lot of things are torn down.”