Sholom Home for sale
The Sholom Home at 1554 Midway Parkway is currently for sale. RS Eden is exploring development of the current Shalom Home building into an affordable, supportive, sober, permanent rental housing option for individuals. The Sholom Home sits across from the State Fair Grounds entry gate on Snelling Ave. and is a few blocks West of Como Park.
RS Eden seeks community partnership
Dan Cain, President of RS Eden, wrote an open letter to the Como community (click link to read entire letter) from which I snipped these quotes.
We asked for a meeting with the community, not to propose a project, but to determine whether or not a project would work in Como and, if so, to solicit a partnership wherein the community would be involved in planning the project. We did not make a purchase offer on the property.
Our projects all had a lease expectation of the tenants that they live sober, both on and off the premises, and that they be productive. For most of them this last means work, for some, who are disabled, this means community volunteerism.
Our projects were developed with the neighborhood as a partner and, as a result, all of them had a covenant with their host neighborhood that there would be NO sex offenders, no arsonists and no predatory drug offenders.
Reaction to RS Eden makes the media
- MN Public Radio – Recovery home protests
- Fox 9 News – Controversy brews over St. Paul Sholom property
- Park Bugle – Debate on Sholom Home site heats up
- Park Bugle – Editorial by Dave Healy
Websites provide information
Several websites hope to help you find information about RS Eden and the Sholom Home proposal. I recommend Sale of Sholom Facts (click link to go to their home page). Their navigation box (upper left) links you to these addition pages
The District 10 Como Community Council website at comopark.org has created a web page titled Sholom Home Reuse Information. This page includes a letter from the Land Use committee chair and the agenda for the land use committee meeting being held Oct 7 (7 pm) at the Street Car Museum located at Horton and Lexington Pkwy N. The process District 10 uses to evaluate land use issues is also explained.
3 replies on “Information about RS Eden and Sholom Home reuse”
John Brewer added his coverage of the Sholom Home reuse by RS Eden in the Pioneer Press Sunday edition. His article titled, Nursing home reuse raises ire can be viewed at TwinCities.com
Minnesota Public Radio has a report on the news “Developer scraps plans for sober housing” (click link to listen or read).
Another letter from Dan Cain:
RS Eden has decided against pursuing a supportive housing development at the site of the Sholom Home in the Como neighborhood. There are many reasons for our decision, but chief among them was a plea from a neighbor to move quickly toward a decision, as the neighborhood was tearing itself apart (their words, not mine).
Coming to the decision we did was a difficult process. First, I believe that the people who are open minded about the possibilities have a right to an informed decision making process. And they have the right to get their information, not from some inflammatory, manipulative and false propaganda, but from the facts, and the people who have experienced them. I know that an affordable housing project, with the support of the neighborhood, can not only be an asset, but can enhance the vitality of an area, increase property tax revenue and augment public safety. And I also know that we operate some of the best, and most accountable, supportive housing in the region.
Other things making the decision more difficult were the tactics of some of those opposed to any project. I never want to give the impression that the people who propagated the falsehoods, and were most rabid in their opposition, somehow scared and swift-boated us away from a project. On the other hand, my overly competitive nature could result in moving ahead with a project just to prove someone else wrong. And that’s not a good reason to do much of anything.
I spent last Tuesday evening with Peter Barry and his wife and family. Pete was opposed to us doing a project at Sholom, and remains opposed even after we talked. But we talked, and that is really all we were ever asking of the community. Pete wanted to educate me about the Como neighborhood. I wanted to educate him about supportive housing. I’m not sure how much either one of us succeeded. But it was worthwhile because we were able to look into each other’s eyes and judge each other’s character.
A lot of people develop something I have heard referred to as e-courage; the tendency to hit the send button with comments and assertions they would never consider making in public. In this case, those who attempted to define other peoples’ character through fear, lies, spin and innuendo really only succeeded in defining, and exposing, their own.
I was particularly surprised at the attacks on Council Member Stark and Luke Kuhl, both for doing nothing beyond saying they would support a fair and open discussion. Then there was the implication that Cecile Bedor had somehow exhibited nepotism because she told a developer, who happened to also be a friend, about the availability of this site, along with 6 others. Council Member Stark, Luke and other neighbors who were verbally attacked for arguing for fairness, did nothing to deserve the response they got, and we are not willing to be the lightening rod for its continuation. They didn’t sign up for this stuff, we did.
The myths and negative stereotypes floating around about homeless people and supportive housing are not new, but they are important to address. Supportive housing is being created across the state in an unprecedented effort to end homelessness. http://headinghomeminnesota.com/ For those who are interested, we are still willing to take people on tours of our supportive housing projects on the 20th. You can see for yourself what type of housing RS Eden develops. Additionally, the Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH) is willing to facilitate a discussion of supportive housing on the 23rd as scheduled. RS Eden will be there, along with others who have supportive housing projects, to share information and take questions. I think some of you may actually come away inspired by what people across our state are doing.
In all likelihood, the Sholom Home will be some type of supportive housing site, assuming it doesn’t get boarded up and stand vacant through what promises to be challenging economic times. There are several uses that have been suggested that you may want to give more consideration, and some that you probably do not. As I told Peter last Tuesday, if the neighborhood is interested, I would volunteer to help sort those things out. We could discuss the development process and the limitations of the site. Perhaps those discussions would help Como become more familiar with what can be done on the site and become a productive partner with any future developers at the Sholom Home .
Dan Cain, President, RS Eden