St. Anthony Park Community Council

Our Cause Is St. Anthony Park

In our 50th year, the St. Anthony Park Community Council (SAPCC) is still the district council for District 12 in Saint Paul, serving North and South St. Anthony Park. We're where neighbors come together to shape the place we share. We host the events that bring people out, care for our parks and ponds, and make sure neighbors have a real say on transit, development, and City decisions.

Much of this work is led by volunteers on our four standing committees (Equity, Environment, Land Use, and Transportation), with a small staff keeping it all connected. Here's a look at our ongoing work, with highlights from January 1 to October 15, 2026:

BRINGING NEIGHBORS TOGETHER

• Nearly 300 neighbors at the Hampden Park Ice Cream Social, with Parkview Ice Cream
• Ongoing community meals at Seal Hi-Rise and the Legends at Berry, including a Winter Community Meal at Seal Hi-Rise with 49 neighbors registered in advance plus more who walked in
• Our ongoing Westgate Commons Summer Program
• National Night Out at Seal Hi-Rise, Yoga in the Park at College Park, Movies in the Park at Hampden Park, and the Fourth in the Park parade
• Helped secure a City Council proclamation for Seal Hi-Rise's 50th anniversary
• A Community Garage Sale with about 15 households hosting sales

CARING FOR PARKS, PONDS & GARDENS

• More than 100 bags of litter and debris removed in two spring cleanups at Kasota Ponds and South St. Anthony Park, not counting loose items
• Buckthorn removal at Greater Kasota Ponds and on SAPCC land along Robbins Street, funded by a $5,000 MWMO grant, with volunteer and Avalon School student workdays
• 12 new trees at Westgate Commons Park, and season-long care of the Raymond Avenue rain gardens with Ramsey County Master Gardeners
• At the SAP Community Garden: three plots growing produce for Seal Hi-Rise residents, new accessible raised beds, orchard work, and a prairie prescribed burn

SAFER STREETS & BETTER TRANSIT

• Two METRO H Line meetings (about 50 people in spring, 75+ in person and online in September) and formal comments to Metro Transit on stations and Route 66 service. Final station decisions rest with Metro Transit.
• Walk audits with AARP Minnesota, neighboring district councils, and Ward 4, including a focused look at Vandalia
• Neighbor concerns relayed to MnDOT, the City, and Ramsey County during the Highway 280 closure

A VOICE IN WHAT GETS BUILT

• Ongoing community forums on the Luther Seminary Lower Campus
• Luther Seminary Task Force: a Lower Campus report supported unanimously by our Board, and renewed focus on both campuses as Luther plans to sell its Upper Campus
• 11 recommendations to the City on the new HealthPartners Como Clinic
• Advocated on the 2516 Wabash digital billboard proposal

FREE LEARNING & RESOURCES

• A free, eight-module online Home Energy Course (sapcc.org/hec)
• Ongoing renter resource events, plus a free online Tenant Rights resource, now in pilot (sapcc.org/ten)
• SAP-CAN, a neighborhood resource network in development with the SAP Community Foundation, local churches, and other partners

KEEPING NEIGHBORS INFORMED

• 10 regular Board meetings through October 15, plus public meetings of all four committees
• 11 Park Bugle stories in the August-October issues alone

WHY YOUR GIFT MATTERS

It takes about $30,000 in programming funds every year to do all of this, and we rely on grants and gifts from neighbors to make it happen. Many grants can only be used for one specific project. Our City allocation doesn't fully cover staff and basic operating costs like office rent, internet, and accounting, so unrestricted gifts fill that gap and keep the lights on. Gifts this year also help us rebuild our reserves toward a goal of about $10,000, so the council stays strong as we begin our next 50 years.

You can give where it's needed most, or choose the Community Garden or Renter & Community Programs. A gift of any size goes right to work for St. Anthony Park. Thank you for being part of it.

SAPCC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit (EIN 41-1390942). Donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.