Nancy Kehmeier typically walks from her Landmark Tower condo to the east side of downtown St. Paul two or three times a day, but for the past 13 months, that has meant leaving the climate-controlled skyway system.

Why it matters: The closure of the Alliance Bank Center has cut off a key connection in the city's 5-mile system of glass bridges, forcing residents like Kehmeier to navigate around the building and putting additional pressure on people with accessibility challenges.

Driving the news: Kehmeier's frustration isn't unique. She co-founded a Friends of the Saint Paul Skyway group during the winter that has grown to roughly 575 members.

• A survey of nearly 700 users found the Alliance Bank Center closure was their top concern.

Catch up quick: Alliance was one of several buildings in Madison Equities' portfolio when founder Jim Crockarell died in 2024. The company essentially abandoned the complex last spring, prompting the city to take control.

• The city closed the building, citing security concerns.
• The nonprofit Saint Paul Downtown Development Corporation (SPDDC) acquired the property in October, using money from a fund backed by Securian Financial and the Bush Foundation.

Between the lines: City ordinance requires that skyways be open from 6am to midnight daily. A landlord wanting an exemption needs City Council approval.

• City spokesperson Casey Rodriguez said that since the fire marshal condemned the building last year, it's not subject to the ordinance.
• The SPDDC has active permits for electrical work, fire alarm installation, and elevator repair, Rodriguez added.

What they're saying: SPDDC CEO Dave Higgins declined to comment on the skyway closure but said that, at the time of the acquisition, an evaluation of redevelopment would take 12 months.

• A 2024 study said the building is a candidate for conversion to apartments, but others have wondered whether a teardown will be on the table.

What we're watching: The slow pace has been frustrating for skyway users like Kehmeier, but she's optimistic that meetings spearheaded by City Council Member Rebecca Noecker and Mayor Kaohly Her's office have gotten the ball rolling.

• "We do expect to have it open sometime," she said. "We still don't know the date."

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As we reported yesterday, Dave Ryan is retiring from KDWB next week after 33 years in the booth.

• He made the announcement just hours before the Wild squandered a 3-0 lead and were booted from the playoffs.

State of play: As longtime sports columnist Patrick Reusse noted on X, "Minnesota's four major men's pro teams never won a title during Dave's run at KDWB."

Flashback: The Twins won a World Series title in 1991, a couple years before Ryan got to KDWB.

What we're watching: The Wolves are looking to reverse the Dave Ryan curse tonight against San Antonio.

• If they win, they'll force a decisive Game 7 on Sunday. Tipoff is at 8:30pm.

🍻 Bauhaus Brew Labs is closing its Northeast Minneapolis brewery in late June after a 12-year run, citing rising costs, consumer shifts away from craft beer, the pandemic and the ICE surge. (Instagram)

• Bauhaus was a top-20 brewery by production in Minnesota, per state data.

🏗️ Minneapolis city staff have selected Agape Movement, a violence interrupter organization that has struggled to keep its tax-exempt status, to redevelop a corner of George Floyd Square over competing proposals. (Star Tribune)

• Agape's six-story plan calls for multiple restaurants, a museum, a business incubator, and a music and podcast studio.

🏈 The Vikings host the Green Bay Packers to open the season on Sept. 13. (Full schedule)

• Their toughest stretch is in November, when they face four playoff teams from last year: Detroit, Buffalo, Green Bay and San Francisco.

🏛️ Democrats began a sit-in on the House floor last night over stalled gun legislation. (WCCO)

• Lawmakers have until Sunday night to pass pieces of the end-of-session agreement and other outstanding bills.

👋 Longtime state Sen. Carla Nelson (R-Rochester) announced yesterday that she won't run for re-election. She joins more than 40 legislators retiring or seeking another office this year. (Full list)

Seeing a lot of baby Eleanors lately? A century after peaking in popularity, the name has now cracked the top 5 in Minnesota.

That's according to new, 2025 state-level baby name data from the Social Security Administration.

👶 Zoom in: The top girl's name in Minnesota was Charlotte for the fourth straight year, followed by Evelyn, Violet, Eleanor and Nora.

• For boys, Theodore jumped from third to first, followed by Henry, Oliver, Liam and Noah.

💭 Nick's thought bubble: I'm glad to see Nicholas make the top 100 for the first time since 2013. But does this mean my name is now retro?

• Audrey pointed out that her first name (No. 77) and last name (Kennedy, No. 86) both cracked the top 100 for girls in Minnesota.

The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board is planting more than 7,600 new trees across the city this spring.

Why it matters: It's an effort to preserve and expand the city's canopy and diversify the types of trees along parks and boulevards.

Between the lines: Cultivating a range of trees helps curb the spread of Emerald ash borer and other species-specific infestations.

How it works: The Park Board sources trees from across the upper Midwest and stores them at a temporary distribution site until they're needed.

• Hundreds take root each day between April and May.

The bottom line: This is the fifth consecutive year that the park board expects to plant more trees than it removes.