Saint Paul Port Authority

What Saint Paul Port Authority does

The Saint Paul Port Authority (SPPA) is a Minnesota government economic development agency authorized by state statute, headquartered at 400 Wabasha Street North in downtown Saint Paul. Established in 1929, SPPA operates a portfolio of economic-development activities centered on brownfield remediation, commercial redevelopment, Mississippi River harbor management, and administration of energy finance and grant programs for businesses, municipalities, and public schools throughout the Saint Paul metropolitan area. The organization serves developers, tenants, public-sector borrowers, and community stakeholders, and its core mission translates public funding into jobs, tax base expansion, and remediation of contaminated industrial sites.

SPPA's service lines span four major property/development assets and three finance programs. Redevelopment projects include The Heights — a 112-acre redevelopment of the former Hillcrest Golf Club on Saint Paul's Greater East Side planned for 1,000 affordable homes and one million square feet of light industrial space — Treasure Island Center (a downtown mixed-use facility anchored by NHL-quality TRIA Rink, opened 2018), Energy Park Business Center (a remediated 200-acre former EPA Superfund site hosting 91 businesses, 5,400 jobs, and $7.1M in annual tax revenue), and Beacon Bluff Business Center (a sustainable light-industrial park on the East Side). Finance programs include MinnPACE and Trillion BTU revolving loan funds for energy efficiency, the Energy Saving Partnership (a municipal lease program administered with U.S. Bank providing 100% financing and reduced interest rates for renewable-energy projects), and the CORE Grant Program (legislatively-funded grants of $50,000–$150,000 for Capitol Area capital improvements). The technical differentiator at The Heights is a large-scale aquifer thermal energy system designed by Ever-Green Energy, drawing groundwater at approximately 50°F from 350–500 feet below ground and projected to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 74% relative to conventional HVAC.

As a public state entity, SPPA generates income through property sales and lease arrangements on its business centers, joint-venture partnerships with private developers (such as Go Wild LLC with Hempel Companies managing Treasure Island Center), finance program administration fees, harbor terminal and shipping logistics fees on the Mississippi River, and the management of public funding allocations including the 2025 $870,000 CORE Grant legislative appropriation. The organization operates with a lean staff of 11–50 employees under President Todd Hurley, who transitioned from interim president to president in July 2022 after 30+ years of service, with additional senior leadership including Senior Vice President of Communications and External Affairs Ashley Aram (hired March 2025) and Vice President of Finance Holly Huston. Competitive position rests on statutory governmental authority, four decades of EPA Superfund remediation expertise, and an ecosystem of partnerships with Prairie Island Indian Community, U.S. Bank, Ever-Green Energy, Bolander, Habitat for Humanity, and Operating Engineers Local 49.

Name

Saint Paul Port Authority

Legal name

The Port Authority of the City of Saint Paul

Website

https://sppa.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Saint Paul Port Authority is a Minnesota government economic development agency that redeems brownfields, manages Mississippi River harbor operations, administers energy finance and grant programs, and develops mixed-use properties like The Heights and Treasure Island Center across Saint Paul.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Port Authority and Economic Development Services

NAICS

Port and Harbor Operations (48831), Port and Harbor Operations (488310)

SIC

Water Transportation (4400), Land Subdividers & Developers (No Cemeteries) (6552), Operators Of Nonresidential Buildings (6512)

akta.pro primary industry

Maritime & Port Authorities (Public Ports, Harbors, Ferries Terminals) (BPAIALAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Works Departments (Streets, Bridges, Stormwater, Fleet, Maintenance) (BPAIALAD), Quay & Waterfront Civil Works (Piers, Quays, Seawalls, Dredging, Revetments) (IMAJALAF)

Keywords

• Brownfield redevelopment
• Harbor management
• Energy finance programs
• Commercial redevelopment
• Public port authority

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint Paul

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Property Redevelopment Services: The Port Authority acquires, remediates, and redevelops blighted properties (brownfields, former Kmart/CVS sites) to create jobs and expand the tax base. Revenue comes from property sales, lease arrangements, and joint venture partnerships with developers.
2. Energy Finance Programs Administration: Administering MinnPACE, Trillion BTU, and Energy Saving Partnership programs that provide financing to businesses and municipalities for energy improvements. Programs offer 100% financing and reduced interest rates through partnerships with U.S. Bank.
3. CORE Grant Program Administration: Administering the Capitol Outreach for Revitalization & Expansion (CORE) Grant Program with $870,000 in 2025 legislative funding. Grants range from $50,000 to $150,000 for capital improvements to local businesses.
4. Harbor Management: Managing river shipping terminals and port operations on the Mississippi River, facilitating commercial navigation and goods transport.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Saint Paul Port Authority is a public economic development agency that acquires, remediates, and redevelops contaminated and blighted properties (brownfields, former Kmart/CVS sites) into commercial, light-industrial, and mixed-use space; manages Mississippi River shipping terminals and harbor infrastructure; and administers energy and capital finance programs (MinnPACE, Trillion BTU, Energy Saving Partnership, CORE Grant Program) for businesses, municipalities, and schools. It also drives flagship large-scale redevelopments such as The Heights (112-acre), Treasure Island Center, Energy Park Business Center, and Beacon Bluff Business Center.

Product overview

The Saint Paul Port Authority operates as an economic development organization offering a portfolio of finance programs and development services. The core offerings include MinnPACE and Trillion BTU (energy financing programs), Energy Saving Partnership (municipal lease financing), and CORE Grant Program (capitol area revitalization grants). Development services encompass Brownfield Redevelopment, Harbor Management, and consulting services. Major redevelopment projects include The Heights (112-acre sustainable community), Treasure Island Center (mixed-use with TRIA Rink), Energy Park Business Center, and Beacon Bluff Business Center. Capital City Properties serves as the not-for-profit arm managing community initiatives like the Equity on Ice fund.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Capital City Properties: The not-for-profit arm of the Saint Paul Port Authority that manages community programs and the Equity on Ice fund.

Products and services

• MinnPACE Property-Assessed Clean Energy financing program that helps Minnesota businesses finance renewable energy and energy efficiency improvements through a revolving loan fund.
• Trillion BTU Energy financing program that helps Minnesota businesses pursue energy savings and efficiency projects through a revolving loan fund.
• Energy Saving Partnership Municipal lease program in partnership with U.S. Bank providing 100% financing and reduced interest rates for renewable energy or energy-saving projects, available to cities, counties, public schools, and regional government agencies in Minnesota.
• CORE Grant Program Capitol Outreach for Revitalization & Expansion (CORE) grant program providing $50,000 to $150,000 to local Capitol Area businesses for capital improvement projects including facade, energy, equipment, accessibility, and safety upgrades.
• Brownfield Redevelopment Environmental cleanup and redevelopment services that transform contaminated industrial and commercial sites (EPA Superfund brownfields, former Kmart/CVS sites) into productive commercial, light-industrial, and mixed-use properties.
• Harbor Management Harbor management services including river terminals, shipping statistics, dock wall/lock/dam maintenance, and Mississippi River logistics infrastructure for commercial shippers.
• Energy Park Business Center 200-acre mixed-use business center on a remediated former EPA Superfund site, offering office, charter school, light industrial, and 780+ affordable and market-rate housing units to tenants.
• Beacon Bluff Business Center Light industrial business center on Saint Paul's East Side featuring sustainable design requirements including carbon footprint reporting, highly energy efficient buildings, renewable energy opportunities, and native plantings.
• The Heights 112-acre redevelopment of the former Hillcrest Golf Club on Saint Paul's Greater East Side, planned to deliver 1,000 affordable homes, 1 million sq ft of light industrial space, and carbon-neutral infrastructure served by an aquifer thermal energy system.
• Treasure Island Center Downtown Saint Paul mixed-use redevelopment featuring TRIA Rink (NHL-quality ice rink), retail, restaurants, and commercial space developed in partnership with Hempel Companies and the Prairie Island Indian Community.
• Consulting Services Economic development and redevelopment consulting services offered by the Port Authority to municipalities, developers, and community organizations.
• Southport Grade Separation Project Harbor-related infrastructure improvement project providing rail-grade separation at Southport to support Mississippi River shipping operations.

Quantifiable outcome

• 74% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared to conventional heating and cooling methods
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Ever-Green EnergycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 November 2025Ever-Green Energy designed the aquifer thermal energy system for The Heights development. The system uses groundwater at 50°F from an aquifer 350–500 feet below ground to provide heating and cooling for 850 homes and light-industrial buildings, cutting emissions by 74%.
• Prairie Island Indian CommunitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 November 2017Prairie Island Indian Community invested as naming rights sponsor for Treasure Island Center (Treasure Island branding), highlighting their ancestral connection to the region. Tribal leaders (President Shelley Buck) participated in ribbon cutting ceremony on January 16, 2018.
• Hempel Companies (Go Wild LLC joint venture)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014SPPA partnered with Hempel Companies creating the joint venture entity Go Wild LLC to manage the Treasure Island Center redevelopment. Hempel Companies serves as president of the joint venture, managing the mixed-use development including TRIA Rink, retail, and restaurants.
• BolandercoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerBolander serves as the construction partner for The Heights redevelopment, setting up temporary site office and beginning soil remediation work including mercury removal from the former Hillcrest Golf Club site.
• Operating Engineers Local 49minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with St. Paul Public Schools to teach students heavy machinery operation through a hands-on training program. Land leased from SPPA for $1 per year for training site on Empire Drive.
• U.S. Department of EnergyminorOthersOriginal research body that first tested aquifer thermal energy technology beneath the University of Minnesota in the 1970s–1980s. The Heights project revives this technology nearly 50 years later.
• Capital City PropertiescoreOthersSPPA's not-for-profit arm that manages the Equity on Ice fund, directing 100% of raised funds to nonprofit organizations leveraging ice-related activities for youth outreach. Manages TRIA Rink community access programs.
• Bill McGuire / Minnesota UnitedminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBill McGuire (part-owner of Minnesota United soccer team) is leading the United Village development at the St. Paul Midway site. SPPA is funding relocation of overhead power lines at the former CVS site near Allianz Field.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Jacksonville Port Authority (JAXPORT): A larger independent government port authority with broad maritime and economic-development scope; overlaps on the port-authority model but at greater scale and saltwater terminal focus.

Others

• Ever-Green Energy: A district-energy and aquifer thermal systems developer that partners with SPPA on The Heights; an enabling clean-energy infrastructure provider rather than a competitor.
• Saint Paul Riverfront Corporation / regional EDAs: Local economic-development and riverfront organizations that pursue overlapping redevelopment and community-revitalization goals, adjacent to SPPA's mission but without harbor operations.
• Hennepin County / regional brownfield programs: Public agencies administering brownfield cleanup grants and redevelopment financing in the Twin Cities, overlapping on remediation funding but not on port operations.

Direct peers

• Port Milwaukee: A municipal port authority operating cargo terminals and waterfront redevelopment in a comparable Upper Midwest market and inland/Great Lakes shipping context.
• Duluth Seaway Port Authority: A Minnesota public port authority managing harbor terminals plus regional industrial development, directly comparable on geography and the harbor-management/economic-development dual mandate.
• Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority: A public port authority that pairs maritime/harbor operations with bond financing, brownfield redevelopment, and economic development, mirroring SPPA's combined harbor-plus-redevelopment model.
• Port of Pittsburgh Commission: An inland-river port authority managing terminal infrastructure and waterborne commerce on a major river system, comparable to SPPA's Mississippi River harbor operations.
• The Port (Greater Cincinnati Redevelopment Authority): A public port authority focused on brownfield remediation, real-estate redevelopment, and public financing tools rather than just shipping, closely paralleling SPPA's economic-development mission.

Regional players

• Port of Pasco: A Washington-state port district combining river terminals, industrial land development, and job-creation programs, similar in function but serving a different geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SPPortAuthority

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Saint Paul Port Authority