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Considering the application of Hunter Bradford, Degree of Honor, for an exception to the general hours of skyway operations for pedestrian skyway bridges which would close a door within the walkway of pedestrian skyway bridge #33, a bridge that is between the Degree of Honor Building and the Press House Apartments Building.
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WHEREAS, Hunter Bradford, Degree of Honor, submitted an Application for Exception to General Hours of Operation on July 23, 2025, requesting an exception to the general hours of operation for a door within the walkway of pedestrian skyway bridge #33, which serves the Degree of Honor Building and Press House Apartments Building (Exhibits 1 and 5); and
WHEREAS, pedestrian skyway bridge #33 is partially within the Degree of Honor Building and crosses over 4th Street; and
WHEREAS, the buildings on either side of pedestrian skyway bridge #33 are the Degree of Honor Building, 325 Cedar St., and the Press House Apartments Building, 345 Cedar St.; and
WHEREAS, the portion of pedestrian skyway bridge #33 that is within the Degree of Honor Building includes a door that connects a common area and pedestrian skyway bridge #43 (Exhibit 1); and
WHEREAS, the applicant requests that the door that is within pedestrian skyway bridge #33 inside the Degree of Honor Building, the door that connects to a common area with a hallway that leads to a door into pedestrian skyway bridge #43, have its hours of operation be reduced to zero until pedestrian skyway bridge #43 and the Capital City Parking Ramp are restored and operable (Exhibits 1 and 5); and
WHEREAS, the Application for Exception to General Hours of Operation is supported by the St. Paul Fire Department (Exhibit 2); and
WHEREAS, the Skyway Governance Advisory Committee voted to support the Application for Exception to General Hours of Operation until access to the Capital City Parking Ramp via pedestrian skyway bridge #43 is restored and operable (Exhibit 3); and
WHEREAS, the Department of Safety and Inspections does not object to the Application for Exception to General Hours of Operation and supports the temporary closure of the door within pedestrian skyway bridge #33 until access to the Capital City Parking Ramp via pedestrian skyway bridge #43 is restored and operable (Exhibits 4 and 6); and
WHEREAS, Saint Paul Legislative Code section 140.10(b) states that the Council “shall refer the petition to the skyway governance/advisory committee for a recommendation. The skyway governance/advisory committee shall forward their recommendation to the city council within thirty (30) days. The council shall then hold a public hearing to consider the petition for alternative hours”; and
WHEREAS, section 140.10(b) gives the Council the power to grant such exceptions and lays out the criteria for the Council to consider; and
WHEREAS, the Council held a public hearing on the application on October 15, 2025; and
WHEREAS, consistent with section 140.10(b), the Council considered the following:
(1) Whether the portion of the skyway system petitioning for alternative hours leads to another portion of skyway system that has the general hours of operation;
(2) Whether security such as a metal detector or photo identification is required to gain access to the portion of the skyway system requesting the alternative hours;
(3) Whether there is a contract or other legal document between the property and the city outlining alternative hours that cannot be altered by ordinance;
(4) Whether retail or other business activities take place within the skyway system and the difficulty of closing off those business areas from the ingress/egress area;
(5) The reasonableness of the alternative proposed hours;
(6) Other logistical or financial hardship imposed on the building if it Is not granted alternative hours; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, that the Council hereby finds that there is sufficient basis to support the request of Hunter Bradford to close the door in pedestrian skyway bridge #33 to the public until access to the Capital City Parking Ramp via pedestrian skyway bridge #43 is restored and operable; and be it
FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Council requires information regarding the closure, including a map that indicates the closed portions of the building, to be posted to explain that this portion of the skyway is closed during the closure of the Capital City Parking Ramp; and be it
FINALLY RESOLVED, that the Application for Exception to General Hours of Operation is approved subject to the above conditions.