In 1980 the Sat. Paul Port Authority found the new home for Captain Ken's Firehouse Beans (now known as Captain Ken's Foods) at 344 S. Robert St. after the company outgrew its old location. When Captain Ken's Foods recently faced the possibility of losing its home, the Port stepped in again.
A plan developed by the city's Planning and Economic Development Department, with input from area residents, proposed demolishing Captain Ken's to build housing and small stores. Captain Ken's co-owner John Traxler said he started looking for help in March 2003, when he received information on the plan in the mail.
Steven Hardie, the Port's VP for riverfront development, advised the Traxlers of the proposal, kept them informed about the process, attended meetings with them, and testified before a committee of the Planning Commission.
The St. Paul City Council recently adopted a revised plan that will leave Captain Ken's to continue as an anchor business on the West Side.
© Touchpoint Markets, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more inforrmation visit Asset & Logo Licensing.
