Change the World, Start at Home

There's a story in today's Star Tribune about three projects on the East side of St. Paul being considered for HGTV's new campaign"Change the World, Start at Home." First, the Change the World program is really cool--HGTV has partnered with three non-profits (who at first blush don't seem to have a lot in common), the Natural Resources Defense Council, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and Rebuilding Together--all of whom recognize that community revitalization is important for individuals, the environment, the larger community, and to preserve history.

One of the St. Paul projects featured is the restoration of the Nelson home in historic Dayton's Bluff. Kris Nelson and her boys were kind enough host a large group of us who were on a St. Paul historic revitalization tour during a conference last month. Here we learned about the amazing work of our own local "Change the World" program. The Restore Saint Paul Loan program offered by Historic Saint Paul, helps property owners in Dayton's Bluff, Frogtown, and Payne-Phalen bring back the historic character of their homes. The program recognizes that the exteriors of buildings can shape a neighborhood, change its fortunes, and garner community pride. Look around these neighborhoods and you will see Historic Saint Paul signs in a number of yards--building community and pride along the way!

So if you want to see St. Paul on HGTV, get out and vote! They're choosing from a number of different cities and the one that gets the popular vote, wins.