If you think downtown St. Paul shuts down at 5 p.m., the people behind the new Lowertown Entertainment District are here to tell you otherwise."Our customers now refer to Lowertown as the new Uptown," said Sean Fetterman, an organizer and owner of Rumours & Innuendo pub and nightclub.
Eight St. Paul bars and restaurants are teaming up to form the Lowertown Entertainment District. The nonprofit will work to promote the burgeoning downtown St. Paul neighborhood as a nightlife destination.
Each bar and restaurant involved is chipping in $1,000 initially to help sponsor neighborhood events and come up with ways to deal with neighborhood issues. One issue on the horizon is coping as light-rail construction downtown threatens traffic snafus. One possible solution under consideration: a bus to shuttle bar hoppers around.
The announcement of the new nonprofit was made at noon Tuesday in Mears Park as many residents walked their dogs and downtown workers ate lunch. Mears Park is considered the heart of the effort to make Lowertown a residential and nightlife destination.
The eight establishments forming the district are Barrio Tequila Bar, Black Dog Cafe, The Bulldog, Trattoria da Vinci, Hat Trick Lounge, Rumours & Innuendo, Senor Wong and Station 4.
David Fhima, who sold LoTo to Life Time Fitness but still runs the restaurant at Galtier Plaza in Lowertown, said he hadn't heard about the entertainment district and is interested in getting details.
"I'm interested in anything that will make Lowertown more prosperous and more vital," he said.
Mayor Chris Coleman and St. Paul Chamber of Commerce President Kristopher Johnson made remarks supporting the new nonprofit and noting the apartments, condos and restaurants, including Bulldog and Barrio, that have recently opened in the neighborhood.
"Lowertown really is a gem to downtown," Johnson said.
For more information, go to lowertowned.com.
0 comments: