ST. PAUL

Ford plant redevelopment plans move forward

St. Paul officials and developers have extensive plans for the site of the former Ford assembly plant in Highland Park. The plant, which closed in 2011, was finally fully demolished this summer, and the 122 acre site is nearly ready to be shaped into an important part of the Highland Park neighborhood.

Current proposals for development on the site, favored by both city planners and citizens, include a mixed-use development that includes transit and lots of green space. It is important, said officials, that any development that occurs fits in with the surrounding established neighborhood, which means small city blocks and no winding, suburb-style streets.

Inclusion of public transit features prominently in the city’s designs, and a study of transit alternatives for the Riverview Corridor on West 7th Street, which lies just south of the site, is also underway.

Ford hopes to have the property on the market by next year and sell it to a master developer who would divide it.

In the spring, zoning information about the site will be presented, and the city hopes to have plans finalized with the master developer by 2017.

MACALESTER COLLEGE STUDENT GOVERNMENT

Admissions Director discusses proposed changes to admissions

Tuesday’s meeting opened with a visit from Jeff Allen, Director of Admissions. He spoke about the potential for the campus to become a ‘test optional’ institution, meaning that upon applying to Macalester students would have a choice whether or not to submit standardized test scores. At this point, Allen was only able to say there has been very preliminary discussion of the possibility, but no tangible plans at the moment.

During the meeting the Legislative Body denied two requests from JCPA to fund their undergraduate academic journal and commission a documentary.

The LB approved the charters of Aware Asia and the Fishing Club. They also approved a request from BLAC to fund a performance from Sounds of Blackness for the campus celebration of MLK Jr. Day. Sounds of Blackness started at Macalester and is a Grammy Award-winning ensemble thatperforms music from several genres music including gospel, R&B, soul and jazz. The celebration on campus takes place before the semester begins, so anyone who wants to attend the MLK Jr. celebration will be allowed back on campus early.

DEPARTMENT OF MULTICULTURAL LIFE

Study abroad discussion for women of color on Wednesday

On Friday, November 14, Macalester’s Hmong student organization Ua Ke will be having a karaoke night in the Loch from 8 to 11 p.m.

The following Tuesday, Nov. 18, an event in the “Soup and Substance”/TAPAS series, “Complicating Faith,” will be held in the lower level of Kagin from 11:45 to 1 p.m. There will also be be a Returnee Lunch Series lunch, held for returnees of study away programs, from noon to 1 p.m. The topic will be “Privilege, Positionality and Study Away,” and the convener of the discussion will be Lealtad-Suzuki Center Director Karla-Benson Rutten. From 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., there will be an installment of “In the Kitchen With . . .” Proud Indigenous People for Education (PIPE).

There will be a study away discussion open to women of color on Wednesday, Nov. 19 in the Cultural House at 4:45 p.m. This will be a casual, supportive discussion for students who self-identify as women of color to talk about their experiences with travel. Participation is also encouraged for women thinking about studying away next year. Refreshments will be included. Contact Eura Chang at [email protected] for more information.

On Thursday, Nov. 20, from 5 to 7 p.m. in the Cultural House, Macalester will be taking part in the Transgender Day of Remembrance, an international day to memorialize those who have been killed as a result of transphobia. A brief history of trans* activism and transphobia will be given, as well as a memorializing of trans* folk who have died. There will then be a screening of Laverne Cox Presents: The T Word, and a closing conversation about future action.

PROGRAM BOARD

Carib!Splash KAgin tonight, MAc @ Nite tomorrow

After the successful trip to the Wild game, Program Board is looking ahead to this weekend with the Carib!Splash Kagin taking place tonight and a Karaoke night in the Loch. On Saturday night, Mac @ Nite will be taking place with fun times to be had in the Library from 10 p.m.-1 a.m. Join us for a great time and look forward to events next week, including the Halfway to May celebration next Thursday.

HEALTH AND WELLNESS

Events this week on cheese, predatory drugs

This Wednesday will be a busy day at the Health and Wellness Center. From 12 to 1 p.m., there will be a Wellness Wednesday discussion focused on predatory drugs. The discussion will be lead by Kalease Smith from Sexual Offense Services and will focus on recognizing and supporting those who may have been drugged. Wellness Wednesdays take place in the Wellness Lounge of the Leonard Center. Later in the day, at 4 p.m., there will be a What the Health event focused on cheese in the Leonard Center lobby.

MACALESTER-GROVELAND

High Winds Fund hopes to stop home demolition

On Wednesday, Tom Welna, director of Macalester’s High Winds Fund, contacted the current owners of a century-old house in Tangletown to discuss the possibility of selling the house to Macalester for the same price they just bought it for last week.

The $475,000 Dutch colonial home was the longtime home of former Macalester philosophy Professor Henry West. The new owners have enraged Tangletown residents with their plan to demolish the house, divide the lot it sits on, and construct two new houses.

The college was not able to enforce the right-of-refusal on the sale which it secured when West first bought the house over 40 years ago.

The right-of-refusal would have granted Mac the first opportunity to buy the house once it was put up for sale, and the city of St. Paul will not issue the owners a building permit until the issue is resolved.

Last week, the owners closed on the purchase after garnering approval from the city to divide the property once the house is torn down and a sidewalk is removed.

Neighbors claimed that they were not aware of a 10-day period to appeal the lot division, while the Mac-Groveland Community learned of the proposed lot split last month and invited building contractor David Hovda to a land use community meeting, but he could not attend.