Historic James J. Hill Library re-opens after renovation
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The historic James J. Hill Reference Library overlooking downtown St. Paul's Rice Park has re-opened as Avalon event center following a $5 million renovation.
Flashback: The railroad tycoon built the library as a gift to the city, but died before its 1921 opening.
- For nearly 100 years, his family operated it as a working reference library before closing in 2019 due to operating losses. The George Latimer Central Library on the other side of the building has remained open to the public.
Peter Remes bought the building in 2021 and spent years working through historical approvals for the renovation.
- His firm First & First is behind some of the metro's most creative redevelopments, including Vandalia Tower, Icehouse Plaza and The Broadway.
Between the columns: Most of the money went to upgrading the building's mechanicals, but also to rehabbing old offices into green rooms for bridal parties and corporate events.
What's inside: The 500,000+ books in the building remain, except for some that were taken for preservation by a Texas railroad museum, the Minnesota Historical Society and the University of Minnesota, Remes told Axios.
The Avalon has already started hosting events, including Sen. Amy Klobuchar's Sunday press conference on her plan to combat fraud in state programs.
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