3 Finalists Announced For $1M St. Paul Improvement Project

ST. PAUL, Minn. (WCCO) -- From a pool of nearly 1,000 candidates, three finalists have been selected to receive $1 million in order to improve the city of St. Paul.

The three finalists in the Forever St. Paul Challenge include an art train, a center for creative arts and an urban oasis.

"Minnesotans have big dreams for the future of Saint Paul, and the finalist ideas are great examples of the pride and imagination residents have for our capital city," Carleen Rhodes, president and CEO of The Saint Paul Foundation, said.

Craig Blakely's art train submission would turn railcars into rentable workspaces for creative efforts, Jack Ray's creative arts center would also serve as a youth hub, and Tracy Sides' urban oasis would transform the existing Bruce Vento Nature Sanctuary into a center for food and nature.

All Minnesota residents are now invited to choose their favorite from the three contenders. Click here to vote.

The contest is a joint effort between the St. Paul Foundation and Minnesota Open Idea. Previous competitions addressed issues of obesity, water conservation and interfaith unity.