Downtown St. Paul Voice Apriil 2021 by St. Paul Publishing Co.

Downtown St. Paul

Downtown author releases ‘Singing All the Verses’ Page 3

Volume 27 | Number 4

Theatre for Life launches this spring Tara Flaherty Guy Contributor

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April 2021

Fate of St. Paul Athletic Club hangs in the balance Owner wants to convert building to community center, seeks support

long with warm spring breezes, other gentle winds of change are blowing through downtown St. Paul, as a long-discussed partnership of two beloved St. Paul theaters comes to fruition. SteppingStone Theatre for Youth, founded in 1987, and Park Square Theatre, founded in 1972, have partnered together to form a new venture. Known unofficially as “Theatre for Life,” the joint company will launch this spring, featuring programming packed with activities, classes, summer camps and performances by both theaters. The theater’s first offering will happen in April, when SteppingStone stages a virtual performance of “I and You,” a timely and moving young adult play by Lauren Gunderson. The partnership has progressed in fits and starts over several years. It was originally broached by SteppingStone’s executive director Mark Ferraro-Hauck to Michael-jon Pease, then executive director of Park Square. Already a complex undertaking given its two governing boards, separate finances, and disparate staffs, the venture was further complicated—like everything—by COVID-19, which plunged many struggling art venues into near ruin, and threatened the sustainability of both theaters.

Theatre for Life / Page 4

“I haven’t taken a penny from it for 25 years,” said owner John Rupp. “I’ve invested it all back in the building and more. It’s time for the community at large to step up and vote to see if they want to save it, if we want this to continue to be part of the community.’” Tim Spitzack Editor

ongtime St. Paul developer and businessman John Rupp is facing a hard decision in the coming months, one that ultimately will determine the fate of the century-old St. Paul Athletic Club and perhaps destroy one the most promising prospects for a downtown community center,

a concept that has been bandied about in recent years. The pandemic has been especially hard on the club, a St. Paul institution built at 340 Cedar St. at the height of World War I. According to Rupp, membership has plummeted by two-thirds this past year, and the club’s future hangs in the balance. If things don’t improve soon, he’ll be forced to close Athletic Club / Page 6

Spring without The Crawl Tim Spitzack Editor

or more than four decades artists in Lowertown and throughout the city have opened their studios to the public each April to share their work and discuss their artistic talents and techniques during the St. Paul Art Crawl, but that isn’t happening this year, not even virtually as was attempted last fall. However, the Crawl is not dead—it’s merely changing and adjusting to the realities of the day, according to David Evans, president of the St. Paul Art Collective, which has produced the event since 1977. Historically, approximately 300 artists participated in the spring Crawl, attracting an estimated 20,000 visitors. But the pandemic drastically changed that last year and has forced the Collective’s all-volunteer board to explore new ways to promote its member artists. In the past year, the board itself has shrunk to just four members. Normally it has at least seven people lending a hand. Recent discussions have centered on changing the Crawl from its traditional format of being a 3-day event in both the spring and fall to something that is more specific to the various art coops around the city. “We think it will be more spread out,” said Evans. “It could be a weekend event. A one-day event. A pop-up gallery. What we envision is that we (the Collective) develop the media around these events. The artists direct Art Crawl / Page 3

For the love of it

Successful restaurateur still pitching in after nearly 50 years Tim Spitzack Editor

fter nearly a half-century in the restaurant industry, one might think enough is enough. But not Barbara Hunn, who helped start Keys Café and Bakery in St. Paul in 1973 and watched it grow into a chain of nine restaurants in the

metro area, all now owned by her four children. At 83, you’ll still find her in one of the kitchens chopping vegetables and making soup, or out front at the host stand. “I like people,” said the entrepreneur during a recent interview at the downtown St. Paul café. “When I’m working, I feel good. I really feel alive. I have a purpose.”

Hunn learned her strong work ethic from her parents, Stanley and Margaret Whitson, while growing up in various homes on the West Side, but she never thought she would apply it to the hospitality industry. After graduating from Henry Sibley High School, she earned a nursing degree and worked in healthcare for a

dozen-plus years as a licensed practical nurse. During that time, she married Roy Hunn and the couple started their family. Carol came first, followed by Jean, Celine and Roy, named after his father. In the early 1970s, a chance encounter with Beverly Oien altered the course Keys Café / Page 2

Key’s Café founder Barbara Hunn with her daughter Carol, who owns the downtown café.

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Keys Café from page 1

of Hunn’s life. Oien, who owned a Dairy Queen, hired Hunn to work there during the summer as counter help. At the time, Hunn was working other retail jobs as well. The two became friends, and when Oien branched out and purchased a restaurant on Raymond Avenue in St. Paul in 1973, she turned to Hunn for help. “She bought it for $12,000 and asked me to run it,” said Hunn. Meanwhile, Oien was spending much of her time in the Florida Keys, which sparked the name of the fledgling restaurant. “It was the closest I ever got to the Keys,” quipped Hunn, who would arrive at the restaurant by 5 a.m. and work the long hours needed to get the business off the ground. When Oien decided to move to Florida permanently in 1975, Hunn agreed to buy the restaurant. She had no business plan, just a deep commitment to offering great food—made from scratch—and friendly service. In 1982, she expand-

ed to New Brighton and every few years added another location. The properties just seemed to fall in her lap. “Mostly, other restaurants would contact me and see if I wanted to buy theirs,” said Hunn, who had developed a strong reputation as a successful restaurateur. “I’d ask one of my kids if they wanted to run it and if they said ‘yes,’ I’d buy it.” Daughter Carol owns the downtown St. Paul café on Robert Street and the one in downtown Minneapolis. The other cafés are in the suburbs. The newest one opened in 2008 in Hudson, Wis., and is run by son Roy. The original Keys Café on Raymond Avenue is still going strong. Hunn’s husband was supportive of his wife’s endeavor but was never involved in the business itself. He was a lithographer by trade and passed away in 1982 at age 51. Barbara, now remarried, has 18 grandchildren—13 of whom work in the restaurants—and 8 great-

grandchildren. Together, the restaurants employ around 500. Barbara’s business acumen led to her 2018 induction into the Minnesota Restaurant Association Hall of Fame. The honor speaks to her innate talent for hospitality. “It was natural,” she said. “I didn’t think about it, I just did it. I loved the interaction with my customers.” Treating all customers with respect and dignity were hallmarks of her career and have rubbed off on her children, each of whom is known for helping those in need. On the day of our interview, a slightly disheveled man was sitting in a corner of the café, head down. After finishing his meal, he rose and walked past us. Carol warmly smiled at him and greeted him by name. He barely acknowledged her. Instead, he paced around and then walked over to view colorful tiles on a nearby wall. Eventually, he left. “That’s T—,” she said, identifying the man who is homeless and lives with mental illness. She went on to humbly say that she of-

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ten gives him a meal and has even allowed him to sleep in a back room. And, he’s not the only one she helps. “They don’t need much,” she said of the homeless people who find their way into her café. “I give them soup—and compassion.” Suddenly, she paused and became teary-eyed. “That’s what I learned from her—compassion,” she said, pointing to her mother. “All my kids have that,” said Barbara, who went on to list examples of her other children who offer similar acts of kindness to their patrons. “That’s what makes us stand out as a family restaurant,” said Carol. “Ever had a problem?” I asked, referring to their efforts to help. “Never,” Carol replied, emphatically. When asked what inspires this compassion, Barbara revealed her spiritual side. “I truly believe in God. He’s guided me,” she said. “I enjoy taking care of people. You learn something from all these people. What you get is far more than what you give.” The family’s commitment

to the less fortunate is also seen through the Keys golf tournament, first held in 2002. To date it has raised more than a half million dollars for individuals in need and local charities. Canceled last year and this year due to the pandemic, the most recent tourney raised funds for a 9-year-old girl with two potentially life-threatening disorders affecting the kidneys, liver and nervous system. Keys is also a longtime participant in the Union Gospel Mission-Twin Cities annual Soup for the Homeless Soul fundraiser by offering free soup. Nearly 50 years in the restaurant industry has not been without its challenges. Barbara said the most difficult one has always been finding people to give the level of customer service she requires. But she and Carol quickly praised their staff, many of whom have been with their company for ages. Carol said one employee has worked at the downtown café for 31 years. Typically, she employs about 30, although that number is lower now during the pandemic. Mother and daughter agree that their success stems

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partly from a willingness to drop all pretensions, roll up their sleeves and do whatever is needed. “We have no job titles,” said Carol. “We are all crosstrained.” That commitment has seen Barbara and her children through a wide array of economic challenges, including soaring inflation rates in the 1970s, the Great Recession of 2008, and now a global pandemic that has been especially hard on the restaurant industry. Yet they always seem to come out on top. As for the future, neither was certain if the next generation wants the headaches that come with ownership. “This is hard work and mentally draining,” confessed Carol, who at 62 is starting to think about retirement. Three of her five children work at the restaurant, so the opportunity is there. Two were working the day of our interview and, after clocking out, stopped by to hug their mom and grandma before leaving. The warm exchange revealed the deep love within the family. After posing for a photo in front of a painting of the Smith Avenue High Bridge that Carol commissioned for the restaurant—a symbolic link to the family’s roots on the West Side and their business success across the river—the rigors of running a restaurant quickly returned. The phone was ringing, take-out orders were piling up and a waitress informed Carol and Barbara that there was a problem with the dishwasher behind the bar. As I left, all three were stooped over the machine, looking for a solution. It’s all in a day’s work.

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Downtown author releases ‘Singing All the Verses’ Tim Spitzack Editor

hose interested in powerful personal stories written with wit, humor and compassion will want to pick up a copy of Peg Guilfoyle’s latest work, “Singing All the Verses: Essays from a Mid-American.” Guilfoyle loves theater, horses and sacred music, for which she believes one should sing all the verses. The reason, she writes, is that “music itself gathers power as it continues and extends.” Cutting out verses, she adds, causes one to miss the full “beauty and power” of the song. Exploring beauty is the prevalent theme of the 25 essays in her latest book.

Peg Guilfoyle Using poetic language and thoughtful prose, Guilfoyle reveals the broad landscape of her heart and welcomes the reader into her world. You’ll see her seated at her vintage piano in her downtown St. Paul apartment pounding out an old opera score, as a way to navigate

the pandemic. “Good thing my husband is not at home when I play this,” she writes. “Good thing the apartment building has concrete walls.” She is an andante player, “which means a tempo that has something to do with walking, which I think of as related to rhythmic ease and steadiness and grace. It does not mean hurry.” Her andante pace carries through to other areas of her life, allowing her to observe the world around. “The premise of the book is that every life is full of moments that are magical, resonant, and full of joy,” she said when introducing the book to me. “It is wideranging and full of humor.” Guilfoyle’s own journey has introduced her to many

{ THE FULLER FILES } St. Paul Downtown Alliance has been tracking retail activity during the pandemic and estimates that 11% of downtown businesses don’t plan to reopen. This includes bars, restaurants, convenience stores and other retailers. St. Paul Parks and Recreation has reopened the Great River Water Park at Oxford Community Center and will open its outdoor pools this summer. The City is also accepting reservations for picnic shelters. Reservations can be made in blocks of two hours or more by contacting www.stpaul.gov, ParksCustomerService@ci.stpaul. mn.us, or 651-266-6400. The Great River Road, which travels through St. Paul on its way from the headwaters of the Mississippi River in northern Minnesota to the river’s mouth in

Louisiana, has been named an All American Road by the Federal Highway Administration. The designation recognizes the road for its vast cultural, historical, archeological and recreational amenities. The Minnesota Book Awards will be held virtually on Wednesday, April 28. The categories are: children’s literature, general nonfiction, genre fiction, middle grade literature, the Emilie Buchwald Award for Minnesota nonfiction, novel and short story, poetry and young adult literature. To register for the event, visit https:// thefriends.org. Two new housing developments are on the drawing board for the proposed Gold Line rapid bus line between downtown St. Paul and Woodbury. A 131-unit building by Presbyterian

by Roger Fuller

Homes and a 70- to 122unit building by Reuter Walton are both planned for Oakdale. A group of about 20 landlords have filed a suit challenging a new St. Paul ordinance that provides protections for apartment renters. The group says sections of the ordinance, which prevents eviction of tenants are unconstitutional. Gov. Tim Walz included $10 million in the recent $518 million capital investment bonding proposal for the Twin Cities-MilwaukeeChicago (TCMC) Second Train, which would add a second round-trip passenger train between St. Paul and Chicago, complementing the current Amtrak Empire Builder service. The proposed service would use existing tracks, carry about 124,000 trips annually, and

The Downtown St. Paul Voice is published monthly and delivered to every apartment, condominium and skyway drop in St. Paul’s historic urban village, as well as other locations throughout downtown St. Paul. Publisher & Editor: Tim Spitzack Copy Editor: Leslie Martin Staff Writer: John E. Ahlstrom

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worlds and vast experiences. She spent 10 years as a production manager at the Guthrie Theatre, was the producing director for the University of Minnesota’s Department of Theatre Arts and Dance, and has lent her talents to many other theaters, including the Ordway Center for Performing Arts. She managed the Poets in the Schools program for COMPAS (Community Programs in the Arts and Sciences) in St. Paul and has long been an active volunteer devoted to improving life in her community. In the book, Guilfoyle takes us backstage at the old Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis and shares stories of how her love of theater shaped her life, offering a serve 13 stations, including St. Paul, Red Wing and Winona. Depending on when funding is received, it could be operational by 2023 or 2024. Total project cost is around $53 million. The funds would provide a local match for a $32 million federal grant awarded last year. The $10 million would be used for infrastructure improvements. The same request was made last year. It was supported by the governor and the House but failed in the Senate. The St. Paul Farmers’ Market, 290 Fifth St. E., will end its winter season on Saturday, April 17, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., and open the summer market the weekend of April 24-25. Pothole reporting - Residents are encouraged to report major street potholes to Public Works at 651-2669700 (24-hour hotline) or publicworksinfo@ci.stpaul. mn.us

glimpse of what goes on behind the scenes in the artistic world. Guilfoyle is also the author of “The Guthrie Theater: Images, History and Inside Stories,” for which she won the Midwest Book Award. In “Singing All the Verses,” you’ll also see Guilfoyle seated atop a Tennessee Walker that became entangled in a submerged log in the middle of stream. The man who rescued her and the horse eventually proposed. Today, the now married couple owns Cedar Pet Clinic in Lake Elmo. They live in Kellogg Square in downtown St. Paul, where she serves on the Skyway Governance Advisory Committee for the CapitolRiver Council, the Lowertown Fu-

ture Fund Advisory Board, and the Friends of the University Libraries Board. Guilfoyle also owns her own publishing company that specializes in regional histories of organizations, including YMCA’s Camp du Nord, Northern Star Boy Scout Council, Gustavus Adolphus College and others. Of all her writings, she said her newest title is the one that is most dear to her heart. “Singing All the Verses” is available at www.pegguilfoyle.com, at SubText Bookseller downtown, and on Amazon. Cost is $19.95. She also is available for Zoom meetings with book groups. Contact her at 651271-5904 or pegguilfoyle@ gmail.com.

Art Crawl from page 1

what it is going to be. Our role is how we present these events to the public. It’s branding and the dissemination of information.” To make this happen, the artists from each particular art coop will need to band together to organize the logistics of any event happening in their own building or zone. In recent years, the Crawl grew to include more than three dozen buildings across the city. The original five buildings—the Jax, 262 Studios, Lowertown Lofts Artist Cooperative, the Tilsner Artists’ Cooperative and the Northern Warehouse Artists’ Cooperative— were all in Lowertown. “The Collective isn’t a business. The Collective is the artists themselves,” said Evans. “The board, we try to listen to what the artists want, what they want us to do. The grassroots organizing needs to be done by the artists.” The Collective will continue to support artists by promoting them through its member directory, available at https://stpaulartcollective.org, and other publicity. Additionally, Evans said his group has been applying for grants to support planning efforts. He is hopeful that by this fall more art events will begin to spring up around the city.

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Theatre for Life from page 1

Ferraro-Hauck, who was appointed as interim executive director of the new partnership, said SteppingStone was already in financial crisis when he became its executive director in 2016. He was hired to manage the outsized building, oversized debt, and undersized bank account. He saw immediately that its building in the SummitUniversity neighborhood—a massive former church built in 1908 in Greek Revival style—needed to be sold. “As the theater’s home for some 13 years, it was terribly hard to say that as the new director, but it was critical,” said Ferraro-Hauck. The building, he said, was inadequate for classes, summer camps and other activities, and suitable only for the performances, a proportionately small part of the overall programming. “Theaters always want their own home, and here I was, the new guy, saying, ‘But we need to no longer have this home,’” said Ferraro-Hauck. The building was listed for sale and Ferraro-Hauck began searching for places for their already-scheduled season to land. When he eventually approached Park Square about leasing space for their shows, Pease was immediately interested. Now serving as the execu-

tive director of the St. Paul Parks Conservancy, Pease remains in a consulting role with both theaters. “Park Square had done a series of theater-in-residence partnerships, with three theaters each doing one show a year, but with a lean staff it was difficult having so many groups cycle through in a year—it tripled our workload,” he said. “As a business, we really needed an anchor theater tenant that would do their whole season there—three or four shows a year—and help beef up our financial sustainability.” Both directors saw possibilities for a deeper partnership, and perhaps an eventual merger, and began discussions. A seamless transition, however, wasn’t in the cards for the nascent venture. Despite a hopeful start with an early purchase offer on the SteppingStone property, the ensuing months waxed chaotic. The pandemic exploded, bringing with it growing troubles: the failure of the property sale, cancellation of performances, mounting debt, then the dismissal of Park Square’s artistic director Flordelino Lagundino, along with the elimination of that position and restructuring of Park Square’s artistic team. “To be honest, it was nerve-wracking,” said Ferraro-Hauck, yet he never lost

Ferraro-Hauck said the new partnership’s informal working name, “Theatre for Life,” reflects their goal of presenting theater that appeals across generations, from youth to seniors. sight of their youth-serving mission. “At our very best we are about empowering young people as artists, makers and doers. We want them to have a voice, and share that voice, not just as consumers of culture, but contributors to culture as well.” To that end, both directors saw SteppingStone’s focus on children as a perfect complement to Park Square’s already robust programming for high school

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students. In addition, the youth programming would wrap conveniently around Park Square’s customary evening performances. The complicated planning began to inch ahead and resulted in SteppingStone’s debut performance at Park Square on Aug. 1, Disney’s “Little Mermaid JR.” A native Minnesotan, Ferraro-Hauck has degrees in education and theater and his skills were first put to use in Colorado when he was hired by the Episcopal Church to coordinate outreach to at-risk youth through an arts-centered latchkey program. He went

on to lead a federal study of the role of the arts in building resiliency in traumatized youth, based on a highly successful program he had designed in association with the Colorado Department of Education. “There’s a government white paper on it floating around out there somewhere, but I’ve lost track of it in my many moves,” he said with a laugh. Ferraro-Hauck’s own theater background is equally impressive. After interning under Josie Abady at the Berkshire Theatre and studying arts festivals at venues like Tanglewood and Jacob’s Pillow, he returned home to Minnesota and founded the celebrated Great River Shakespeare Festival in Winona. He also created the Public Theatre of Minnesota, which focused on professional Shakespeare productions featuring young actors. He subsequently designed and directed more than 60 plays throughout the Midwest, in both professional and educational theater settings. Along the way, Ferraro-Hauck and his husband Tim also raised three kids while operating Bluestem, a construction company. Ferraro-Hauck’s passion has always been creating community and fostering a deep sense of belonging in the youth and families. He does that through his commitment to equity, inclusion and diversity—perhaps the most emblematic feature of his work. He recently received certification in diversity and inclusion from Cornell University. “What makes me hap-

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piest in my work is something I hear over and over again from the kids…‘I know when I walk through the door that I will be totally welcome, and seen, and heard.’ That, to me, is the best gift that we can give young people.” The new partnership’s informal working name, “Theatre for Life,” reflects their goal of presenting theater that appeals across generations, from youth to seniors. “We love the idea of providing a downtown place where people can spend seven or eight decades of their lives in a continuum, so no matter what phase of life they’re in, or what kind of theater they’re seeking, they’re always going to find it in the same place,” said Pease. Ferraro-Hauck agrees, saying, “When we separate kids in one place, adults in another, and seniors in theirs, there are very few gathering spaces for all of us. There’s something really exciting about building connectivity in the community…If I can hear a story from somebody who’s of a different age or culture than me, it helps me understand the human story.” No official name change for the theaters is planned at present. “Familiarity will be comforting after the chaos and confusion of the pandemic—we need to get back to stuff we know for a while,” said Ferraro-Hauck. As the merger moves toward completion, Pease is happy that Ferraro-Hauck is at the helm. “Mark understands who both theaters have been, and who they can be together,” he said. “He has exactly the finely-tuned emotional intelligence needed to broker this partnership…He is the very person we need at this time.” For more details, visit www. SteppingStonetheatre.org or www.parksquaretheatre.org.

Virtual Companion Volunteers Needed

Trusted support - Ongoing, friendly phone or video visits with a trained companion can help in this time of social distancing. Volunteer opportunities - Make a difference from home via phone or video chat by providing companionship. Support kids who have fallen behind next school year, in person or virtually. Earn a stipend, plus mileage. Virtual training is provided. To learn more, contact Jacqueline James at 651.310.9455, Jacqueline.James@lssmn.org.

S ample St. Paul Landmark Center Landmark Center is hosting a virtual travel experience in April. Urban Expedition: Laos begins at 1 p.m., Sunday, April 11 and will be available for 30 days. The free program introduces viewers to the culture and traditions of the people of Laos. View it at www.landmarkcenter.org/ urban-expedition/. Ballet Co.Laboratory will stream a free lunch-hour performance at noon, Tuesday, April 13. View it at www. landmarkcenter.org/ballettuesdays. The Schubert Club is presenting its popular Courtroom Concert series online this year featuring a mix of full video concerts of new programs as well as archival audio recordings of past concerts held in the historic Landmark Center’s Courtroom 317. The following performances are free and may be viewed at https:// schubert.org: Jeffrey Van’s “A Ring of Birds” April 1; PaviElle French April 8; Artaria String Quartet May 6.

History Center “Sinclair Lewis: 100 Years of Main Street” opens April 10. On the centen-

nial of Lewis’s seminal novel “Main Street,” discover the legacy of this author from Minnesota, whose literary works and social critiques of American life ring true today. The exhibit presents Lewis’s life in Minnesota and how he shaped—and was shaped by—the state he loved. Extra Ordinary Women – Learn the stories of Minnesota women who changed their communities, including Sarah Burger Stearns, who petitioned legislators to have the word “male” struck from the state constitution’s definition of eligible voters; Clara Ueland of the suffrage party; Ruth Tanbara, who had a lifelong commitment to combating anti-Japanese discrimination following WWII; Anna Arnold Hedgeman, who helped plan the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom; and Katie McWatt, whose 1964 campaign for St. Paul City Council broke barriers for Black political candidates. Other exhibits include Our Home Native Minnesota, Minnesota’s Greatest Generation, Then Now Wow and Weather Permitting. The museum is located at 345 W. Kellogg Blvd., St.

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The Minnesota History Center is presenting “Extra Ordinary Women,” a new exhibit that tells the stories of several Minnesota women who changed their communities. Paul. Tickets are $12 for adults, $10 for seniors and college students, and $6 for children ages 5-17. To order tickets or for more information, call 651-259-3015 or visit www.mnhs.org.

History Theatre Radio Hour The History Theatre is streaming two shows through June at www.historytheatre. com. “All the Way with LBJ” is a 30-minute audio segment of the full-length play “Favorite Son: The Humphrey Perspectives,” based on

the 1968 meeting between Vice President Hubert H. Humphrey and President Lyndon B. Johnson just before the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Ill. The recording includes a short interview with playwright Jeffrey Hatcher and a 20-minute post-show discussion with former Vice President Walter Mondale, historian Hy Berman and Hubert’s son “Skip” Humphrey. The play was first produced at the History Theatre in 1997. “Beyond the Rainbow”

includes more than a dozen songs and scenes from the original production of History Theatre’s “Beyond the Rainbow,” starring Ivey Award winner Jody Briskey and Norah Long. The recording includes interviews with playwright William Randall Beard, Artistic Director Ron Peluso, Judy Garland’s daughter Lorna Luft, legendary actor Mickey Rooney and John Kelsch, executive director of the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids, Minn.

Mysterious Old Radio Listening Society Mysterious Old Radio Listening Society will present radio shows via Zoom at 7:30 p.m., Monday, April 19 and May 24. The April performance features two ghost stories inspired by the works of Montague Rhodes James. “He Who Follows Me” is a chilling tale of an innocent couple tormented by a relentless ghost. “Runestones are a Girl’s Best Friend” tells of a gorgeous alchemist who puts a spell on Jimmy…or is it a curse? The May show has two tales of crime and punish-

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ment. “A Shroud for Sarah” is about an unlikely criminal mastermind who plays friend and foe in an ambitious game of murder and political intrigue. “A Guy Like Me,” is of man hoping to abandon his life of crime. Each evening includes live trivia-worthy introductions by the company and two pre-recorded half-hour radio dramas, followed by a live chat Q & A with the cast. Tickets are $18 per household. To order, visit www. parksquaretheatre.org or email tickets@parksquaretheatre.org.

Science Museum The Science Museum of Minnesota, 120 W. Kellogg Blvd, St. Paul, has reopened on the weekends. This includes the Omnitheatre. Hours are 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets must be ordered in advance. Order online at https://new.smm.org. New exhibits this spring are centered on race and identity. They include “Race: Are We So Different,” “The Bias Inside Us,” “Skin: Living Armor, Evolving Identity,” “Green Card STEM Voices,” and “Colorism.”

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B usiness

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Athletic Club from page 1

the club for good and sell the historic building that houses it. “The lender of the building is working with me to give us some time,” said Rupp, “but I’ve got to come up with a viable plan by the end of the year. We need help. We can’t do it alone. It’s too big. It’s effectively bankrupt now.” This isn’t the first time the building has been in financial straits. Once the pride of downtown St. Paul, the Athletic Club opened in 1917 with a host of amenities—bowling alley, barber shop, billiard room, sleeping rooms, squash courts, sun deck and more—and thrived for more than 70 years. The building was designed in the English Renaissance style by renowned architect Allen Stem, who created other notable buildings near and far, including New York City’s Grand Central Station and the University Club of St. Paul, also now owned by Rupp. In 1959, the building was renovated to add penthouse

dining to the 14th floor, and in 1980 was upgraded again to accommodate more athletic facilities. Those renovations proved too aggressive and forced the then-member-owned club into bankruptcy. It closed abruptly in late 1989 and soon after everything inside was set for auction, including valuable structural elements such as the marble columns, carved stone banisters and English oak paneling. Just one hour before the auction was to begin, a Minneapolis developer that once had been a joint-venture partner with Rupp, purchased an option to buy the building, saving it from the wrecking ball. He changed his mind, however, and the building sat vacant for five years, slowly slipping into disrepair. In the meantime, Rupp, who saw the value of the Athletic Club and the building itself, was working on a rescue plan. In 1995, he purchased it with the goal of restoring it to its former glory. He recalled the state of the building in those days.

Rupp will convert 15,000 square-feet of space that was formerly occupied by the College of St. Scholastica into a new co-working office center with 40 private offices available for rent by the hour, half day, day, week, month or year. The fee includes high-speed internet, conference room, commercial copiers and printers, and use of the athletic club. “The roof leaked. The heat had been off for five years. The pipes had burst. There was ice in the lobby,” he said. “It was in terrible shape.” In 2008, Rupp added yet another twist to the building’s storied past by establishing within its walls the

Join our Tribe... Support Your Community Newspaper! A tribe is defined as a group of people having a common character or interest. In today’s day and age it has also come to mean supporters and we invite you to be one of ours. Since 1966, we’ve proudly and effectively covered the issues most important to our community. We ask our loyal readers to consider donating a small amount to help us continue publishing community news that informs, entertains and inspires. Could you send $10 a year...or more? Every dollar helps. To contribute, mail your check to St. Paul Publishing Co., 1643 S. Robert St., Suite 60B, West St. Paul, MN 55118, or call us at 651-457-1177 with your credit card number. Mailed subscriptions are available for $21.50 per year.

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first boutique hotel in St. Paul: Hotel 340. The 56room hotel currently occupies floors 10, 11 and 12. Rupp also fully restored the beautiful third floor ballroom, which has hosted weddings and celebrations over the last two decades.

Like all other hotels, the property has struggled during the pandemic, putting even more financial strain on Rupp. While scrambling to find a way to keep it afloat, he landed on a partnership that helped cover a portion of the building’s operating

costs and provided comfortable temporary living space for homeless people. Since last spring he has been leasing the rooms in the hotel to the nonprofit Interfaith St. Paul, which received funds from Ramsey County to operate a temporary shelter

B usiness

Losing tenants

Community center concept In the past several years, Rupp has envisioned this property becoming a community center. In 2019, he and his wife Stephanie, who is a partner in the building and heavily involved in its operations, traveled to New York City to tour the renowned 92nd Street Y, which bills itself as “New York City’s premier cultural and community organization.” Rupp believes their building could host a similar concept. For 145 years, the 92nd Street Y has hosted performing and visual arts; literature and cultural programs; adult and children’s education; talks on a wide range of topics; health and fitness activities; and civic events. Thus far, Rupp has been unsuccessful in finding a key nonprofit to assume ownership of the entire building. A current marketing initiative is offering sections of the building for sale or lease to for-profit and nonprofit tenants. Such a center could fill a void in downtown resulting from the exit of two longtime health and wellness institutions: HealthEast’s City Passport senior center, which left the Alliance Bank Center in 2016, and the YMCA at Cray Plaza, which departed last year. Rupp believes his space could be used by multiple nonprofits and run as a sort of cultural incubator. He envisions it as “A Home for Social Enterprises,” open to any organization or company that sells products or

services to solve an environmental or social problem. Earlier this year, CapitolRiver Council (CRC) Board Chair Shevek McKee told the St. Paul Voice that his group endorses Rupp’s concept and has written a letter of support to the City. CRC is the district planning council for the downtown area. “Our perspective is that this idea resurfaces regularly because there is a clear need for community spaces and social activities,” said McKee. “CRC believes it is time for St. Paul to develop a plan for a downtown community center. Although public/ private partnerships may enhance the vision and spread the capital and operating funding requirements, City commitment and resources will still be needed. CRC will continue to work with our city council member to explore how best to start and accelerate the right processes with the City to get something done.” Rebecca Noecker, city council representative for Ward 2, which includes downtown St. Paul, confirmed there has been much consternation in the community over the closing of City Passport and the downtown Y, and that downtown residents do indeed want a community center. “I strongly support the concept of a downtown community center,” she said. “Downtown is one of the only communities that is not within a half-mile of a rec center.” The City currently has 13 recreational centers but none downtown. Those centers offer educational programs, after-school activities, open gym, family events, fitness center memberships, youth and adult athletics, rental space for parties, meetings and events, and more. The Y has been searching

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for a new downtown site— and funding to support it— but nothing has materialized thus far. It recently provided the following notice on its website: “We wanted to share an update with you regarding the Downtown St. Paul YMCA fitness and wellbeing center. We will not be reopening our current fitness and wellbeing center. We are exploring how best we can serve as a community hub focused on youth.” Noecker said that the City has had discussions with the Y regarding a programming partnership, and she welcomes future discussions to see if Rupp’s plan and those of the Y can be melded. “I’m very open to talking with him (Rupp) more in detail,” said Noecker. “I’m always interested in projects that support our downtown.” Rupp, too, said he looks forward to further discussions with the Y and the City as his plan unfolds. Rupp knows first-hand the social value his club offers. After graduating from law school some 40-plus years ago, he landed a job with a firm in downtown St. Paul. The first thing he did was join the St. Paul Athletic Club because he knew it was a place to meet people of all different backgrounds, including the movers-andshakers of the city. Now he is appealing to people with means large and small to get involved. He said he’s worked hard for several de-

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cades to save the building and the club, but, at age 72, he is running out of time. While he remains passionate about saving the building, he is near the end of his rope. “I haven’t taken a penny from it for 25 years,” he said. “I’ve invested it all back in the building and more. It’s time for the community at large to step up and vote to see if they want to save it, if we want this to continue to be part of the community. It is hard to imagine that, once lost, the city will ever again see such a fantastic building as this one. Its loss will be mourned for years to come.” The building itself is on the market and Rupp has received offers from some investment firms—“Not very good ones because these firms will abandon the current uses in the building,” he said—but he hopes he won’t have go that route, knowing they will likely let it slide into disrepair and demolish it to make way for new development, or significantly alter the interior space. “It would make me sick to see it purchased with vulture funds, then destroyed,” he added. Rupp is in the process of turning the Athletic Club into a Public Benefit Cor-

poration, a for-profit corporation that commits to a higher purpose that benefits the public. This, he said, will demonstrate his commitment to the community center concept and, he hopes, make the property more attractive to philanthropists willing to financially support the project. His biggest need right now is attracting new members to the club, and this is where he is hoping downtown residents will help. According to Rupp, if he can keep the club viable this year it will prove to his bank that the community supports the club and will send a strong message to other potential funders that the community values it. He believes there is a great benefit for downtowners to join, other than improving one’s health. “It’s social. It’s part of your life,” he said. “It’s great for people who are saying, ‘I want to get out of my apartment and see some people!’” To offer feedback on the community center, call Rupp at 651-492-2646 or jrrupp@cwcos.com. For information on the club, visit www.thespac.com or call 651-291-7722. Memberships begin at $89 a year.

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When Rupp bought the building, his first order of business was to find someone to operate the 68,000 square-feet of athletic space, about 40% of the building’s total space. He signed a deal with Lifetime Fitness and that company spent millions renovating the club’s internal infrastructure and adding new athletic equipment. Lifetime moved out in 2010 and the building once again fell into bankruptcy. It was then that Rupp made the decision to restore it to its original grandeur. Following a 3-year, $2-plus million renovation by Rupp, the St. Paul Athletic Club reopened in February 2013 under his ownership, affiliated with the University Club. Over the years, Rupp made the ballroom and penthouse available for events, and has leased space on other floors to various commercial tenants, including the College of St. Scholastica, which recently moved out. It was a big blow when the college informed him last year that, after 20 years, it would not be renewing its lease. They left on Dec. 31, leaving 15,000 square-feet of vacant space. Now, Rupp plans to use that space for a new coworking office center with

40 private offices available for rent by the hour, half day, day, week, month or year. The fee includes high-speed internet, large conference room, commercial copiers and printers, and use of the athletic club.

Free e-filing with return preparation

there for women and children. That agreement is set to expire soon. “It was a one-year lease,” said Rupp. “They must give us a two-month notice, which I expect to receive anytime soon.” Discussions are underway with the Union Gospel Mission to move its East Ninth Street Naomi Center shelter to the building, should Interfaith move out. He is also considering reopening the hotel this summer for both short-term and monthly rental.

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Downtown St. Paul Voice - April 2021 - Page 7

Destination: Downtown & Lowertown A Guide to Shopping, Services and Entertainment

A12

Penfield/Lunds

The Chiropractor

St. Paul Dental Center

Lancer Service

F17

F Atlas Staffing

G16

G14

Kat Keys

G PARK SQUARE

I US BANK CENTER

J12 K

Great River Dental

K LOWERTOWN LOFTS & APTS.

Subtext Bookstore

CHS Field

WALL

SIBLEY

ROBERT

WACOUTA

M16 Master Framers

Shop locally and support the businesses that support our community

Atlas Staffing G14 189 7th Place E., 651-222-5894 atlasstaffinginc.com Providing the BEST employees

Great River Dental J12 375 Jackson St. Ste. 200 651-222-0983 greatriverdental.com Providing complete dental care, including implants

Master Framers M16 262 E. 4th St., 651-291-8820 www.masterframers.com www.facebook.com/MASTERFRAMERS Custom picture framing and restoration since 1959 Subtext Bookstore K6 6 5th St. W. 651-493-2791 subtextbooks.com St. Paul’s independent bookstore

Kat-Key’s Lock & Safe St. Paul G16 249 E. 7th St. 651-292-1124, www.katkeys.com Repairs, replacements, safe sales, safe moving/delivering, rekeying, master key systems, door hardware/door closer installation and more.

The Chiropractor A12 523 Jackson Street, Suite 105 St. Paul, MN 55101 | 651-287-0935 www.thechiropractormn.com Chiropractic Adjustments Acupuncture | RockTape Techniques Massage Therapy

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Page 8 - Downtown St. Paul Voice - April 2021

Lancer Service F17 270 E. 8th St. 651-224-0267 www.lancerservice.com

Our promise is simple - continuously provide every customer with exceptional auto repair & maintenance solutions.

St. Paul Dental Center E7 30 E. 7th St., Ste. 101 651-227-6646 www.stpauldentalcenter.com We provide comprehensive family dentistry. Map Map base base courtesy courtesy of of the the Capitol Capitol River River Council Council