Stillwater plans to use eminent domain to add downtown parking

Stillwater officials want to raze a dry cleaning shop a block off Main Street to add more downtown parking.

Officials have started the process to acquire Shorty Dry Cleaner at 121 E. Chestnut St. in order to expand an adjacent city-owned surface lot, adding 37 parking spaces to the existing 47.

The need for additional downtown parking has become more acute since the opening of the St. Croix River bridge, which eliminated the clog of commuter traffic on Main Street and ushered in a new wave of visitors to downtown.

The city's 2040 comprehensive plan also calls for a municipal parking ramp at the site.

The dry cleaners property has been for sale for two years and the city has made multiple offers on it, said Bill Turnblad, Stillwater's community development director. Owners of Shorty did not return phone calls seeking comment.

"The city very sparingly uses [eminent domain]," Turnblad said. "The city doesn't want to use it. If property is needed for a public purpose, we do want the process to be amicable."

The location is ideal because it's a short — and flat — walk to Main Street.

Because of the steep hill on Nelson Street, the walk between that lot and downtown "is tough, especially in the winter," Turnblad said.

Long-term plans for downtown parking initially limited plans for the historic National Guard Armory building, bordered by 2nd, 3rd, Chestnut and Olive streets.

The armory was purchased last year by CVII Holdings of Woodbury, which is planning to convert the building into eight luxury apartments and up to 13,600 square feet of space for either offices or a brewery or distillery.

"The city has stated a concern for downtown parking since very early in our redevelopment process for the Armory, which led us away from the idea of using the Armory for an event center or another use with high parking demand," said Matt Wolf, president of CVII Holdings, in an e-mail.

While the armory will have ample parking on site and not likely need additional spaces from a future municipal ramp, Wolf said a ramp would benefit downtown, particularly during the summer evenings and weekends when Main Street is a hot destination.