Build a bridge
to equitable
development success

ReConnect Rondo News

Find out what ReConnect Rondo has been up to lately. See what progress has been made in our collective efforts to reverse racial disparities in Minnesota. Think about how you can support this restorative movement in the Rondo community.

For the latest updates, view our CONNECTIONS Newsletter.

Rondo Land Bridge makes $6 million pitch to Legislature for pre-design

by Frederick Melo, Pioneer Press. Originally published February 2, 2021. A lifetime ago, construction of Interstate 94 carved a deep trench through a historically middle-class Black neighborhood in St. Paul, destroying properties by the hundreds. More than 600 Black families were forced to relocate, and many never saw just compensation for

Read More »

Minn. House committee hears proposal for Rondo land bridge

Architectural renderings courtesy Design by Melo and Visuals by James. interview by Cathy Wurzer, MPR. Originally broadcast February 2, 2021 A proposal to reconnect St. Paul’s fractured Rondo neighborhood gets a hearing Tuesday before the state House Transportation Finance and Policy Committee. The Rondo land bridge would span I-94 between

Read More »

Reconnection, Revitalization, and Restitution for I-94 Communities

by Emilie Wille, streets.mn. Originally published December 10, 2020. Saint Paul’s historic Rondo neighborhood is a thriving, diverse community and home to many immigrant families and Black-owned businesses. It’s situated between University Avenue and the METRO Green Line to the north and Selby Avenue to the south. Black churches, businesses,

Read More »

Three U.S. “Highway Cap” Projects Reckoning with Urban Inequity

By Adina Solomon, ULI. Originally published October 7, 2020. Beginning in the 1950s, the Interstate Highway System began to span the continent, connecting cities across the United States and driving suburban development. But in many cities, these highway projects also physically divided communities and paved over neighborhoods. New infrastructure projects

Read More »

The Minnesota Paradox

by Professor Samuel L, Myers Jr, University of Minnesota. On May 25, 2020, George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, was killed by a Minneapolis police officer during an arrest. The officer pressed his knee to Floyd’s neck for several minutes while Floyd was handcuffed face down in the street. Two other officers further

Read More »

Marvin Anderson: Rondo and the many stories of ‘One Minnesota’

I was delighted to hear Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz mention the Rondo neighborhood of St. Paul during his inaugural address in January. While elaborating on his vision for One Minnesota, he mentioned the importance of establishing good relationships between state government and local leaders to help their communities thrive. He

Read More »
Marvin Anderson, chairman of ReConnectRondo, at left, introduces ULI’s Advisory Services panel as they present their findings in St. Paul

Reconnecting a Bisected Neighborhood in St. Paul, Minnesota

by Beth Mattson-Teig, ULI. Originally published March 29, 2018. ULI Advisory Services has presented their recommendations on a proposed Rondo Community Land Bridge in St. Paul—a project that is intended to build both a physical and symbolic bridge for the Rondo neighborhood. The proposed land bridge would cap Interstate 94 for

Read More »

Together, we will create an African American cultural enterprise district connected by a community land bridge.​

ReConnect Rondo Technical Advisory Team:

  • David Juliff, Be Civil, Inc.
  • Khani Sahebjam, SRF Consulting Group
  • John Maczko, SRF Consulting Group
  • Kent Arhenholtz, Kaskaskia Engineering Group
  • Brenda Thomas, KLJ, Inc
  • Marcus Thomas, Bolton & Menk
  • Scott McBride, Bolton & Menk
  • Marcell Walker, Bolton & Menk
  • Veronica Burt, 600 Strategies, Inc.
  • Björgvin Sævarsson, YORTH Group
  • Katie Eggers, YORTH Group
  • Jim Erkel, Retired Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy (MCEA)
  • Brian Isaacson, Ramsey County
  • Diem Van Groth, Strategic Consultant