Saint Paul Condos Prepare for Spring Floods

Posted by scottf

March 17, 2010

Up until the 1960’s this part of Saint Paul was called “Little Italy” and was mostly home to poor immigrants. The homes in this area, known as the Upper Levee, flooded almost yearly. In fact history has it that residents would hang their furniture by hooks in the ceilings to prevent water damage!

Fast forward over 40 years and those old homes have been replaced by new condos starting in 2003. The area is now called Upper Landing neighborhood and is home to upscale condos and brightly colored apartment buildings. It also has miles of paved trails for walking and having great views of the Mississippi River. Over the past 15 years, St. Paul Riverfront Corporation has championed the revitalization of the city’s riverfront.

Today’s West Side homeowners are still watching the river closely, as the river is estimated to crest at 5 feet above flood stage as early as the end of this week. When this revitalized part of Saint Paul was developed, over 33,000 loads of dirt were hauled in to raise the entire area above its previous level. Now the streets are set higher than the 100 year flood mark. Additionally, all the living space are sitting on top of garages putting the first floor living spaces above the 500 year high water mark.

Despite these significant improvements, property managers have alerted residents of possible seepage in the garages, some of which sit below grade level. Additionally, homeowners are being advised that they may need to move their vehicles out of the garages if the waters begin to overflow the river banks. The neighborhood residents could be required to evacuate even if the river level is not affecting their living space because when the river hits 11 feet above flood stage, this height could force the city to close its sanitary lift station. Some lower lying Saint Paul streets could also be closed temporarily.