Council Approves $1M Campaign Over Rail Construction

ST. PAUL (WCCO) -- After hearing a number of complaints, the Metropolitan Council is trying to ease the anger over the Central Corridor light rail project.

The council has approved spending more than $1 million on a marketing campaign to entice shoppers to the area. Businesses complained that the construction, which shut down much of University Avenue, really hurt their sales.

The marketing campaign is intended to boost support for those businesses and let the public know that they are open again.

Work completed in November, restoring traffic to a three-mile stretch of University and making the shops and restaurants accessible again. But in downtown St. Paul and several other places, disruptions from the light rail construction continue.

The Met Council plans on starting the campaign in March and continue it for two years during and after construction. The money is coming from a Central Corridor contingency fund provided by federal, state and county governments.