The Minnesota Court of Appeals sided with the town of St. Paul on Monday, agreeing that no additional environmental evaluate of the University of St. Thomas’s new hockey and basketball arena was essential.
The court decision got here after greater than a yr of pushback and authorized challenges from neighbors and neighborhood members. Construction of the 5,500-seat Lee & Penny Anderson Arena on St. Thomas’ St. Paul campus started in January 2024 and is almost accomplished.
The University of St. Thomas mentioned in a press release that it was “pleased” with the choice.
“St. Thomas looks forward to opening the arena next month,” the assertion mentioned.
Dan Kennedy, a spokesperson for the nonprofit that’s persevering with to pursue authorized motion towards the arena Advocates for Responsible Development, mentioned the group’s struggle will not be over but.
“It still remains a bad idea,” Kennedy mentioned. “This combines a whole bunch of factors that make this a particularly bad location. Unfortunately, that doesn’t always mean that something is not allowed to proceed.”
Construction continued Monday on the Lee & Penny Anderson Arena on the University of St. Thomas. (Renée Jones Schneider/The Minnesota Star Tribune)
The arena sits simply south of Grand Avenue between Cretin Avenue and Mississippi River Boulevard.
Kennedy mentioned Advocates for Responsible Development is ready for its subsequent lawsuit in Ramsey County District Court to be heard in October.