Property at former St. Paul golf site is now for sale

Lots from two to 20 acres at the former Hillcrest Golf Course are now for sale, the St. Paul Port Authority announced.

The 112-acre site, now called The Heights, has been rezoned for housing and light industrial manufacturing. City and Port Authority officials say they're hoping the site will eventually be home to 1,000 units of housing, from market rate to deeply affordable, and provide 1,000 jobs.

Area residents and neighborhood champions want much of the housing and most of the jobs to go to residents of the East Side. Port Authority officials say they're aiming to choose a master housing developer and several light industrial users to build on individual parcels.

"The master housing developer will be selected based on their ability to bring a wide range of housing options to the site, including market rate, affordable, and deeply affordable units," the Port said in a statement.

Officials have said they want housing to include ownership and rental options, as well as options for large families and seniors.

Light industrial developers "will be selected based on their willingness to meet building size and job density requirements, invest in sustainability measures, and bring value to the community through local hiring efforts, living wages, and participation in a curated art mural program led by the St. Paul Port Authority."

Officials said that subsidies may be available to buyers willing to enter into a 10-year community benefits agreement.

The site's ambitions are loftier than just providing jobs and housing. Officials are hoping to make The Heights the nation's first made-from-scratch, carbon-neutral, mixed-use development. Commercial and residential buildings would use rooftop solar arrays to generate electricity, a geothermal energy district for heating and cooling and modern building design to increase efficiency.

Officials said they hope to combine philanthropy with federal, state and local funding and bonding to attract businesses and residents dedicated to going green.