st. paul

Gennadiy Yermolenko bought an old St. Paul auto salvage yard with the hope of transforming it into a thriving repair facility.

He purchased the property, razed the old building and cleaned up the land.

But an unusual thing happened when he applied for a permit to rebuild: The city's Planning Commission said yes, but the Public Works Department appealed that decision.

It wants the property, and another a few blocks east, for a $52 million road extension.

So today the City Council gets to decide two things: whether to allow Public Works to spend $5 million to acquire the two properties and, depending on that decision, whether to allow Yermolenko to move ahead with his plans to build Capitol Car Co.

Either way, some resolution should be reached in what has been several months of tension in Frogtown.

"The city has been playing a weird game," said Tait Danielson Castillo, executive director of the District 7 Planning Council.

He was referring to the atypical way in which Public Works went about trying to acquire Super Foods and Golden Globe Mall, and the proposed Capitol Car Co. Usually the city wouldn't try to acquire land until an environmental assessment worksheet was made public. Also, there was conflict over the route and lack of public input early in the process.

Project manager Eriks Ludins said the out-of-sequence process was because the city didn't want to let Yermolenko spend more money building when it would end up trying to take the property anyway. That would drive up the cost.

The project is a 2-mile eastward extension of Pierce Butler Route from N. Grotto Street to Interstate 35E. It would be a four-lane road with a shoulder for bicycles and a separate trail.

Officials say the project will reduce truck traffic on neighborhood streets, improve storm water management and would fit with long-term plans.

Right now the extension is split into two phases. The first, with a cost of $10 million, ends at Arundel Street. The second, with a cost of $42 million, goes from Arundel to connect with Phalen Boulevard at I-35E.

The city plans to begin construction on the first phase in 2011 and on the second phase in 2012. Aside from $5 million for property acquisition, there's no money for the project. However, Ludins said the department has applied for federal money as well as city capital improvement funding. He expects money to be available.

Council Member Melvin Carter, whose ward includes Frogtown, supports the extension and had delayed the council action two months ago to allow for public input and to explore alternatives. A community vote last week favored the extension and the city's preferred route.

If the council decides to go through with trying to acquire the properties, Yermolenko, at least, will put up a fight, according to one of his attorneys, Harry Frankman.

"Our concern is the city is stockpiling the properties one by one and keeping them for a rainy day," Frankman said. He said unless the project is funded and ready to go, the city can't go after Yermolenko's property, which would be used in the second phase.

Chris Havens • 612-673-4148