St. Paul STAR tables show $4.5 million in 2026 awards
St. Paul approved a new round of STAR awards for neighborhood improvements, businesses, library collections and cultural organizations. The city’s July 9 announcement described the round as providing more than $3.3 million, while the detailed 2026 Neighborhood STAR and Cultural STAR recipient tables list a combined $4,500,628.
The detailed total consists of $2,696,246 for 33 Neighborhood STAR projects and $1,804,382 for 78 Cultural STAR projects. The City Council approved the two award resolutions on July 8, and the city published its announcement the following day.
The difference between the city’s rounded announcement and the detailed-table total is not explained in the announcement. For the project-by-project breakdown, the two recipient tables provide the more precise figure.
Where the Neighborhood STAR money is going
The largest Neighborhood STAR allocation is not for one private business. The award table lists $500,000 for St. Paul Public Works mill-and-overlay and sidewalk programs. It identifies the money as a citywide program allocation and does not name individual streets or provide a construction schedule.
The largest named business award is $300,000 for SKD Auto Tek LLC at 80 Cottage Ave. W. The District 6 Planning Council received $200,000 for its North End Neighborhood Economic Development project.
Other Neighborhood STAR awards include commercial and storefront improvements, building repairs, food-security work, senior services, market improvements and neighborhood facilities. Examples in the recipient table include Keystone Community Services’ St. Paul Food Security project, North East Neighborhoods Living at Home’s senior air-conditioning improvements and the St. Paul Growers’ Association’s indoor farmers market project.
The award list shows where STAR funding has been directed, but it does not establish that the projects have been completed, are under construction or have already produced economic results.
Cultural awards include library collections and arts groups
The Cultural STAR table lists $1,804,382 across 78 projects. Its largest listed award is $315,000 for Saint Paul Public Library Collections Materials.
The list also includes several $31,000 awards. Recipients at that amount include History Theatre, Minnesota Opera, TaikoArts Midwest, TruArtSpeaks and The Rondo Community Land Trust.
Other awards support performances, festivals, youth programs, museums, cultural organizations, artist-led projects and neighborhood-based activities. The table identifies whether individual projects are listed as in or out of a cultural district, so the awards should not be treated as proof that every project occurs inside St. Paul or inside a cultural district.
Several listings describe future performances, festivals or other proposed activities. They are approved awards or funded proposals, not confirmation that those events have already occurred.
How STAR awards are funded and approved
The city describes STAR as a Sales Tax Revitalization program funded with a portion of St. Paul’s half-cent sales tax. Neighborhood STAR supports commercial revitalization and capital projects, while Cultural STAR supports arts and cultural projects, events, capital work and organizational capacity.
Mayor-appointed advisory boards made initial funding recommendations. The City Council’s July 8 agenda included separate resolutions approving the 2026 Cultural STAR and Neighborhood STAR awards.
Recipients still have implementation steps ahead
Approval does not mean every award has been paid or every project has begun. The city’s current Neighborhood STAR recipient information says the 2026 grantee orientation was held July 23 and outlines contracting, compliance, reimbursement and vendor-registration requirements.
Recipients must complete the city’s administrative process, including PaymentWorks registration, to receive payments. The city also provides sample grant agreements, statements of work, insurance documents, conflict-of-interest forms and reimbursement materials for recipients working with their assigned project managers.
For St. Paul residents, the award tables provide a detailed view of how sales-tax-funded STAR dollars are being directed: toward street and sidewalk programs, a named business, North End economic development, library collections and a broad range of cultural work. The visible neighborhood effects will depend on contracting, project delivery and the completion of approved activities.
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