Saint Paul Skyway System

The Saint Paul Skyway System is a network of enclosed, elevated pedestrian walkways connecting buildings across 47 city blocks in downtown Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States. Spanning approximately , the system is one of the largest publicly owned skyway networks in the world. Unlike its larger neighbor, the Minneapolis Skyway System, where skyway bridges are privately owned by individual buildings, the Saint Paul system is publicly funded, city-owned, and governed through recorded public easements.

The first skyway bridge opened in 1967, connecting the Federal Courts Building to the Pioneer Press Building as part of a federal urban renewal project. The system connects office towers, hotels, parking ramps, residential buildings, RiverCentre, Grand Casino Arena, and the Saint Paul Union Depot.

Origins and urban renewal (1960s)

The Saint Paul skyway system grew out of the same postwar suburban competition that spurred skyway development across Minneapolis. The opening of Southdale Center in Edina in 1956—the nation's first fully enclosed regional shopping mall—demonstrated that climate-controlled retail environments could draw customers away from traditional downtowns. When Minneapolis opened its first skyway bridge on August 27, 1962, connecting the Northstar Center to Northwestern National Bank, Saint Paul developer William Davidson moved to bring the concept across the river.

The Davidson family had owned the historic Pioneer and Endicott buildings since William's father, Watson P. Davidson, purchased the Pioneer Building in 1909. In a 1965 Pioneer Press feature headlined "St. Paul's goal—a downtown without weather," Davidson declared his vision of making downtown Saint Paul function as one interconnected shopping center.

The first public skyway bridge opened in 1967, connecting the Federal Courts Building to the Pioneer Press Building at Fourth and Robert Streets. It was built as part of a broader urban renewal project that required renovation of the Pioneer Building to accommodate the connection.

A notable predecessor existed: the First National Bank Building, completed in 1931, included a private skyway connecting its 17th floor to the adjacent Merchants Bank Building's 16th floor. This connection is sometimes cited as one of the earliest "modern skyways" in the United States, but it was never part of a public network. Following the initial bridge's success, the city hired Hammel, Green and Abrahamson Inc. (HGA), a prominent Twin Cities architecture and planning firm, to develop a comprehensive skyway plan for the entire downtown. This decision established Saint Paul's centrally planned, publicly funded approach—a governance model that would distinguish it from Minneapolis's organic, building-by-building expansion.

Capital Centre and expansion (1970s)

The skyway system cannot be understood apart from Capital Centre, Saint Paul's transformative 1960s–70s urban renewal project. Where Minneapolis's Gateway District clearance leveled blocks on the city's periphery, Capital Centre demolished buildings in the heart of Saint Paul's business district to create massive "superblock" developments designed around skyway-level circulation.

A centerpiece 30-to-41-story office tower proposed in 1969 by IDS Properties was never built, and the vacant Block A site sat empty for a decade. What did get built—the Fifth Street Center (later Wells Fargo Place), the Ecolab buildings, and other interconnected structures—drew criticism for presenting impenetrable facades to the street while concentrating all activity at the skyway level. Urbanist William H. Whyte called downtown Saint Paul the "blank-wall capital of the United States."

By 1977, nine skyway bridges were operational, connecting First National Bank, American National Bank, Kellogg Square Apartments, Dayton's, and what is now the 401 Building.

Rapid growth (1980s–1990s)

The 1980s represented the skyway's greatest expansion. Key developments included:

• Town Square (1980): Designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, this complex filled the vacant Block A site and became the system's central hub, featuring the 27-story Bremer Tower, a DoubleTree hotel, retail space, and a distinctive enclosed indoor park with over 250 plant species.
• Wells Fargo Place (1987): Originally the Minnesota World Trade Center, it opened as Saint Paul's tallest building at 37 stories and .
• Galtier Plaza (now Cray Plaza) (1986): A major mixed-use development in Lowertown with 365 apartments, 121 condominiums, office and retail space, and a YMCA, connected via three skyway bridges.

The 1990s brought the Saint Paul RiverCentre convention center (1998) and the Xcel Energy Center (2000), both connected to the skyway via the RiverCentre Ramp complex.

Union Depot and the Green Line (2010s)

The system's most significant eastward extension came when Saint Paul Union Depot reopened in December 2012 after a $243 million renovation, transforming the historic 1923 Beaux-Arts railroad station into a multimodal transit hub connected to the skyway. The METRO Green Line, which opened in June 2014, created a transit-to-skyway connection at Central Station.

Post-pandemic challenges and closures (2020s)

The COVID-19 pandemic severely reduced skyway foot traffic as remote work became widespread. Cellphone tracking data showed skyway usage at roughly 60% of pre-pandemic levels as of late 2022.

The pandemic's impact was compounded by an ownership crisis. In January 2024, James Crockarell, owner of Madison Equities—downtown's largest property owner—died unexpectedly, and his portfolio rapidly deteriorated. In early March 2025, Madison Equities gave tenants of the 16-story Alliance Bank Center (55 E. 5th Street) 48 hours to vacate, displacing 14 commercial businesses. On April 2, 2025, the city officially restricted skyway access through the building, severing the connection between Xcel Energy Center/RiverCentre and the larger skyway network. The city subsequently condemned the Capital City Plaza Parking Ramp, another Madison Equities property, forcing additional skyway closures.

In response, the Downtown Development Corporation, a real estate subsidiary of the Saint Paul Downtown Alliance, acquired several distressed properties including Alliance Bank Center, the Empire Building, and the Endicott Arcade.

Public ownership model

The single most important distinction between Saint Paul's skyway and most other North American systems is its public ownership model. As a City of Minneapolis briefing document noted, Minneapolis's skyways "were created by private owners and are attached to private buildings, with the City only granting permits to cross the public right-of-way. This arrangement is unlike St. Paul's system, where the city builds, owns and controls the skyways through recorded easements."

Under this model:

• The City of Saint Paul pays for construction of skyway bridges spanning streets, including construction costs and architect's fees.
• Building owners pay for concourse corridors and nodes within their properties, vertical access facilities (stairs, elevators, escalators), and directional signage.
• All skyway areas must be located either on public property or within a public easement granted by the building owner.

The General Policy Statement for the Construction of the Saint Paul Skyway System was first adopted by the City Council on January 8, 1980 (replacing an earlier HRA policy) and has been revised through 2006.

Chapter 140 and the Skyway Governance Advisory Committee

Chapter 140 of the City of Saint Paul Legislative Code governs skyway conduct, setting hours of operation at 6:00 a.m. to midnight and establishing the Skyway Governance Advisory Committee (SGAC)—an 11-member body appointed by the mayor with council consent. The SGAC currently operates under the Capitol River Council (CRC, the District 17 Community Council), meeting the fourth Friday of each month.

In November 2025, Saint Paul voters approved a charter amendment enabling administrative citations as a new enforcement tool against building owners who illegally lock skyway doors or fail to maintain their portions of the system.

Design

The Saint Paul skyway bridges follow a standardized design established through the HGA comprehensive plan, in contrast to Minneapolis where each bridge is unique to its connecting buildings. The standard bridge features a Vierendeel truss construction in deep brown/bronze with clear glass panels. A Streets.mn analysis described them as an "elegant but utilitarian rectangle with modernist leanings" and noted that "the uniformity gives the second level a much more orderly appearance from the outside."

The bridges originally featured gold metallic accent paint, though this has worn away on many structures over time.

Comparison with the Minneapolis Skyway System

Skyway bridges

The Saint Paul skyway system consists of approximately 50 numbered bridges cataloged by the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MNDOT) with individual bridge numbers. Each bridge crosses a public right-of-way (street or alley) and is governed by a recorded skyway easement agreement between the city and the connecting building owners.

Note: This table is incomplete. Bridge details are sourced from MNDOT records and city skyway easement agreements. Bridges markedClosedreflect access restrictions as of 2025 due to the Alliance Bank Center closure. Additional data and photographs are being compiled.

Western core

• Wells Fargo Place – 37 stories; Saint Paul's tallest building; connected 1987
• Town Square – Central hub; Bremer Tower and UBS Plaza; 24,000 sq ft indoor park; connected 1980
• City Walk Ramp – Parking; connected to Town Square
• Xcel Energy Center – NHL arena (home of Minnesota Wild); via RiverCentre Ramp
• Saint Paul RiverCentre – Convention center; via RiverCentre Ramp

Central core

• Treasure Island Center (formerly Macy's/Dayton's) – Retail and office
• Alliance Bank Center – 16-story office; skyway access restricted April 2025
• Securian 401 Building – Office
• US Bank Center – Office
• Osborn Building – Office
• First National Bank Building – Historic; private 17th-floor skyway (1931)

Eastern core and Lowertown

• Cray Plaza (formerly Galtier Plaza) – Mixed-use; 365 apartments, 121 condos; connected 1986
• Mears Park Place – Residential
• 375 Jackson – Office
• Great Northern Building (180 E 5th) – Office
• 333 On The Park – Residential
• Press House – Residential
• Saint Paul Union Depot – Multimodal transit hub; connected 2012

Civic and hotel

• Landmark Towers / Saint Paul Hotel – Residential and hotel
• The Lowry – 135 residential units
• Saint Paul City Hall / Annex – Government
• Infor Commons – Office

Street-level impact

The skyway's impact on street-level vitality has been among the most persistent criticisms. Danish architect Jan Gehl argued that taking people off streets and putting them under glass has not worked in Minneapolis or anywhere else. Colombian urbanist Enrique Peñalosa said the skyways give the impression of a "fearful city crouching inward." Urban critic Trevor Boddy described skyways as an "analogous city"—a "delamination" of the ground plane rendering urban layers as independent realms.

Accessibility

For people with mobility disabilities, the skyway is considered essential rather than optional infrastructure, as it provides smooth, level, climate-controlled routes that avoid cracked sidewalks, curb cuts, and steep terrain. Building closures and skyway restrictions have disproportionately affected disabled users; Access Press, Minnesota's disability community newspaper, documented these impacts in detail following the 2025 Alliance Bank Center closure.

Climate adaptation and pedestrian safety

Proponents argue that skyway critics underestimate the practical demands of a northern climate. Saint Paul averages 54 inches of snow annually, with winter temperatures regularly falling below , and the skyway enables year-round pedestrian circulation that the climate would otherwise suppress for months at a time. Transportation scholar David Levinson has argued that in car-dominated downtowns, skyways represent a pragmatic "second-best" solution: rather than confining pedestrians to narrow strips beside heavy traffic, the system provides a dedicated level where walking is prioritized. Levinson contends that skyways "reduce inter-building transportation costs," increasing inter-building activity and urban economies of agglomeration.

A Streets.mn analysis in 2025 observed that during midweek lunch hours, more people could be found using the skyways "than probably anywhere else in Minnesota," supporting a year-round ecosystem of dozens of restaurants, salons, and small retailers that would struggle to survive without the climate-controlled foot traffic. The skyway's diverse retail environment—sushi, Vietnamese, African, Middle Eastern, and other cuisines alongside independent shops—functions as what the author described as a nascent "15-minute city," with healthcare, fitness, dining, and services all accessible within a short walk.

Defenders also challenge the assumption that skyways caused street-level decline. The Streets.mn analysis argued that "the reality of our shifting centers of activity is so much more complex, influenced by economic growth, favored architectural styles, building demolitions, internet retail, remote work, and other factors" well beyond the skyway's influence. As downtown office towers convert to residential use, some urbanists see the skyway not as a relic but as existing infrastructure that gains value: new apartments in buildings like Landmark Tower and The Stella open directly into the skyway, blurring the boundary between corridor and neighborhood.

Community support

Despite criticism from urbanists, the skyway retains strong support among the residents and workers who use it daily. The Skyway Governance Advisory Committee, a volunteer body operating under the Capitol River Council, has advocated consistently for improved wayfinding, better security, and enforcement of the system's mandated operating hours. Following the November 2025 referendum granting the city new enforcement powers, committee members expressed optimism that fewer doors would be locked and closures would be communicated to the public.

At the grassroots level, community volunteer group Friends of the Skyway organizes weekly walking groups and advocacy efforts aimed at skyway maintenance, revitalization, and public awareness. The group reflects broader resident interest in maintaining the skyway as functional urban infrastructure rather than allowing further deterioration through building closures and deferred maintenance.

Future plans

The 2024 Downtown Investment Strategy, commissioned by the city and the Saint Paul Downtown Alliance and led by James Lima Planning + Development (NYC) and NEOO Partners, called for boosting downtown's population from roughly 10,000 to 30,000 residents. The strategy recommended "skyway rightsizing"—selectively consolidating the network around its strongest corridors while investing in street-level vitality.

Office-to-residential conversions are already underway. Landmark Tower opened as 175+ apartments in 2025, and the former Ecolab headquarters is becoming The Stella with 178 apartments. The Gensler architecture firm identified 10 additional conversion candidates. Some new residential units have front doors opening directly into the skyway.

The strategy also recommended structural changes to Town Square to reconnect 7th Place on either side of the complex, potentially the most transformative single intervention for downtown pedestrian circulation.

In popular culture

• The skyway system was the subject of a 2019 episode of the design podcast 99% Invisible titled "Beneath the Skyway."
• Visit Saint Paul markets the system as a tourist attraction and offers a Skyway Food Tour from November through March.

See also

• Minneapolis Skyway System
• Skyway
• Downtown Saint Paul
• Urban renewal in the United States
• Pedway
• Plus 15 (Calgary)
• PATH (Toronto)

External links

• City of Saint Paul – Skyway System (official page, includes interactive map)
• DtStP – Skyway Bridges (independent bridge-by-bridge inventory)
• Capitol River Council – Skyway Governance Advisory Committee
• spskyway.com – Community navigation resource
• Friends of the Skyway – Community volunteer and advocacy group

:Category:Skyways :Category:Buildings and structures in Saint Paul, Minnesota :Category:Transportation in Saint Paul, Minnesota :Category:Pedestrian infrastructure in Minnesota :Category:1967 establishments in Minnesota