History

From Village to City

The postwar boom in industry and population overwhelmed the part-time village government. The village had an outmoded zoning ordinance, no comprehensive development plan and no staff to even begin making one. The form of government that was adequate to serve 7,000 people bogged down and broke as the population boomed.

In 1954, voters approved a home rule charter that gave St. Louis Park the status of a city. That action enabled St. Louis Park to hire a city manager to assume some of the duties handled by the part-time city council.

In those days, the primary concerns were the physical planning of St. Louis Park, updating zoning and construction codes, expanding sewer and water systems, paving streets, acquiring park land and building schools.

Today, most of St. Louis Park is developed, and much of the focus has shifted from building infrastructure to improving it. St. Louis Park actively encourages quality redevelopment and is a recognized leader in redevelopment aimed at creating livable communities, areas that are less reliant on cars and offer a mix of housing, shopping, entertainment and jobs within a short distance of one another.

For more information on the city's history and development, visit www.slphistory.org.