ST. PAUL, MINN. — Sept. 30, 2015 — The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation today announced 12 projects as winners of the 2015 Knight Green Line Challenge. The winners proposed a range of ideas to tap into the potential of the Green Line to make surrounding neighborhoods in St. Paul more vibrant places to live and work.

The contest drew 358 applicants, from which a panel of community readers and Knight Foundation representatives selected the winning projects. Winners will share $574,000.

“This group of winners represents an exciting group of civic innovators working to make their city more successful,” said George Abbott, Knight Foundation interim program director for St. Paul. “We look forward to learning alongside them as they undertake this diverse list of projects.”

With challenge funding, the 2015 winners will:

Excite current residents and attract newcomers by prototyping snap-together urban street furniture that can help transform a neighborhood, installing a bike maintenance and repair station at a key intersection, strengthening the connection between downtown and the Mississippi River and transforming a parking lot into relaxing green space;

Expand economic opportunity and break down divides, by creating a shared vision and action plan for the Little Africa corridor, offering community-led walking tours of Green Line neighborhoods, and promoting public interaction through a traveling bistro that roves through downtown and invites friends and strangers to talk over a meal;

Strengthen a culture of civic engagement by connecting a diverse group of residents in planting 500 trees along the Green Line, bringing fresh ideas to transportation planning through youth-led activities in Frogtown, and engaging the community in a protoyping festival to develop a vibrant public life on St. Paul’s River Balcony.

The list of winning projects is below and at KnightGreenLineChallenge.org.

Open to any individual, business, nonprofit or public entity, the Knight Green Line Challenge is a $1.5 million commitment from Knight Foundation to continue growth in St. Paul’s Central Corridor. This is the second year of the challenge. The Saint Paul Foundation is administering the challenge.

Proposed projects must take place in and benefit at least one of six St. Paul neighborhoods along the Green Line: Downtown St. Paul, Frogtown/Thomas-Dale, Hamline Midway, St. Anthony Park, Summit-University or Union Park. They should also tap into the potential of the Green Line to create impact in one or more of three key areas: 1) exciting current residents and attracting newcomers to the Central Corridor; 2) expanding economic opportunity and breaking down divides; 3) strengthening a culture of civic engagement.

The Knight Green Line Challenge is part of Knight Foundation’s efforts in St. Paul to attract and keep talented people, expand economic opportunity and create a culture of engagement. Knight has provided more than $64 million in support to the St. Paul community since 1977. In January 2014 Knight also announced major new funding for the arts in St. Paul, including an expansion of the Knight Arts Challenge. Knight will also launch the second year of its Knight Cities Challenge this fall calling for ideas that make the 26 cities where Knight invests, including St. Paul, more successful.

About the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation

Knight Foundation supports transformational ideas that promote quality journalism, advance media innovation, engage communities and foster the arts. We believe that democracy thrives when people and communities are informed and engaged. Learn more at knightfoundation.org

About the Saint Paul Foundation
Since 1940, thousands of generous individuals committed to the Saint Paul area have made charitable gifts to The Saint Paul Foundation. Today, the Foundation is the state’s largest community foundation. Guided by the legacy of its earliest donors, the Foundation helps donors achieve their charitable giving goals and have long-lasting impact in the community. The Foundation is an affiliate of Minnesota Philanthropy Partners. Learn more at saintpaulfoundation.org and mnpartners.org.

#  #  #

Knight Green Line Challenge Winners 2015

Charles and Griggs Bikeway Tool Station

Erin Pavlica, $4,410

To install a bike tool station at the intersection between the Charles Avenue and Griggs Avenue bikeways where riders and residents can stop, connect and learn more about bike maintenance

E=MC2

We Lighting LLC, $45,000

To strengthen the connection between downtown and the Mississippi River by creatively lighting the Sibley underpass

Friendship Forest

Amanda Lovelee, $43,000

To catalyze civic involvement by engaging a diverse group of residents in the planting of 500 trees in a new ‘friendship forest’

Improved Walkability through Signage

Matt Privratsky, $23,250

To encourage neighborhood exploration by installing new, more engaging wayfinding signs

Johnny Baby’s Rondo Park

Johnny Baby’s, $60,000

To transform an underutilized parking lot into a relaxing, green gathering space for Rondo residents, bikers and Green Line riders

Little Africa Cultural Corridor

African Economic Development Solutions, $60,000

To create a shared vision, action plan and design standards for the Little Africa corridor

Living Landmarks

Minnesota Historical Society, $35,723

To offer a series of new, community-led walking tours highlighting the unique strengths and qualities of Green Line neighborhoods

Mind if I Sit Here?

Heather Cole, $8,000

To promote interaction between friends and strangers by inviting people to take part in brown-bag conversations at roving bistro tables throughout downtown St. Paul

River Balcony Prototyping Festival

Saint Paul Riverfront Corporation, $100,000

To engage the community in a prototyping festival that helps develop a vibrant public life on St. Paul’s River Balcony

Rock the Public Meeting

St Paul Smart Trips, $45,000

To bring fresh ideas to transportation planning along the Green Line through creative, youth-led Frogtown neighborhood engagement activities

Rondo Commemorative Plaza and Garden

Rondo Ave, Inc., $75,000

To install technology designed to harvest and retell residents’ oral histories in this new public space

St. Paul Better Block Wiki-Block

Team Better Block, $75,000

To develop, prototype and open-source templates for snap-together urban street furniture that can be produced by anyone to transform a street or neighborhood

###

CONTACTS:

Kathy Graves, Parenteau Graves, 612-242-3184, [email protected]

Anusha Alikhan, Director of Communications, Knight Foundation, 305-908-2677, [email protected]