Three months into the year, Grand Avenue has welcomed new businesses like cat café Catzen Coffee and bid farewell to others like clothing retailer Poppy. All the while, the building that was once home to Anthropologie and Salut Bar Americain sat mostly empty, save a Park Dental clinic. Formerly kno wn as Milton Mall, the building on the northeast corner of Grand Avenue and Milton Street is undergoing a renovation to attract new tenants and support two restaurants instead of one. The renovation will transform the sprawling spaces — Anthropologie was nearly 10,000 square feet and Salut around 8,500 square feet — into “smaller spaces in line with what retailers are looking for now,” said Sara Martin, broker for the building and executive vice president for JLL. Once a car dealership, the 917 Grand Ave. building has an octagon-shaped skylight in the center that will be reclaimed as part of the design, Martin said. Rendering of the planned octagonal atrium at 917 Grand Ave. in St. Paul, which is undergoing a renovation to welcome new tenants. (Courtesy of JLL) “We are creating a central corridor that didn’t exist before and a beautifully tiled octagon-shaped area with bench seating and greenery,” said Martha Anderson, president of Anderson Property Management, which manages the building. The central corridor will run through the building, linking Grand Avenue to the parking lot in back. Now known as 917 Grand, the building is owned by the State Teachers Retirement System of Ohio, a Columbus-based pension fund that owns other buildings along the avenue. In recent years, STRS Ohio has caught flack for the number of vacancies in its buildings along the corridor. “They are investing a large chunk of money in keeping this building current and creating spaces that we think will be viable in the long term,” Martin said of the pension fund, adding that the goal is for all four of STRS Ohio’s properties to be fully occupied within the next four years. New tenants A rendering shows two neighboring patio spaces at 917 Grand Ave. where the Salut Bar Americain patio was. (Courtesy of JLL) Current floor plans show 917 Grand could be home to two restaurants, each with a 150-seat outdoor patio, Martin said. Salut, which closed January 2024, was known for its spacious 300-seat patio. In addition to restaurateurs, Martin said there are also two retail spaces for lease, one nearing 3,500 square feet and another at 2,200 square feet. The renovation will also see that each tenant is given their own set of restrooms, which Martin said is consistent with what retailers are looking for. “We always look for local tenants whenever we can, that’s always the preference,” Martin said. “But we’re open to talking to anyone with interest in Grand.” Grand and Victoria A rendering of a mixed-use apartment complex planned by Afton Park Development at the corner of Grand Avenue and Victoria Street in St. Paul. The project would include two restaurants and a retail space at street level. (Courtesy of Afton Park Development) Just one block east at Grand Avenue and Victoria Street, local developer Afton Park Development is planning a six-story apartment complex with street-level restaurants and retail. The $40 million project would be built on the site of what is now Victoria Crossing East, which houses a Juut salon and the former Billy’s on Grand space, later known as the Gather Eatery and Watch Bar, among other businesses. The company’s plans call for nearly 90 units of market-rate housing, indoor parking and two 4,000-square-foot restaurants on either side of a retail space. Irish goodbye Related Articles Developer plans six-story, mixed-use project at Grand Avenue and Victoria Street in St. Paul Award worthy: Visiting St. Paul’s three James Beard semifinalist restaurants After anti-LGBTQ+ protest, Grand Avenue music school to offer free classes St. Paul’s Irish on Grand to close after 35 years Photos: St. Paul Winter Carnival Grande Day parade makes Grand Avenue debut Another vacancy will be coming to the avenue soon as Irish on Grand bids farewell to its brick-and-mortar store on Sunday. After 35 years on Grand Avenue, owners Maeve O’Mara and Liam O’Neill will retire and close up the beloved Irish gift shop to give themselves more freedom and be able to travel together. The online store will continue to run at irishongrand.com, where shoppers can buy clothing, gifts and jewelry. Irish on Grand will also continue its booth at the Minnesota State Fair, a tradition the couple adores. As for the building at 1124 Grand Ave., the for sale sign is officially up, O’Mara told the Pioneer Press on Wednesday. The couple hopes to sell the building to another independent retailer. ...read more read less