ST. PAUL, Minn. — Since 1986, Tuan Auto Repair has been located at the corner of University Avenue and Pascal Street in the Hamline Midway neighborhood of St. Paul.
Owner Raks Pham said he arrived at the store last Friday to find it had been broken into and thousands of dollars worth of equipment was missing.
“This time they took a lot from us,” Pham said.
Among the stolen goods was a mobile phone belonging to his late father, Tuan Pham, who had opened a car repair shop after fleeing Vietnam.
“There were all his old pictures and videos on there. I was looking through them and listening to him and his voice. That helped me survive,” Pham said.
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His store has been repeatedly defaced with graffiti in recent months. While he has seen the neighborhood change over the years, Pham says this time it feels different.
“We survived the recession. We survived the light rail. We survived the riots. We survived COVID. But this was the worst,” Pham said.
Problems stemming from the opioid epidemic, the housing crisis and vacant lots have turned the once-bustling corridor into an area some would rather avoid.
“The impact of the vacant CVS site has become something of a symbol for the neighborhood of the disinvestment that is happening here that we don’t have the resources to adequately address,” said Jenny Nelson, executive director of the Hamline Midway Coalition.
Nelson said that despite the problems, there are reasons to be hopeful for the future of the neighborhood. A new phase of construction at the Allianz site is expected to begin late this year. Other businesses are planned for the area, including a hotel. Little Africa Plaza and a small grocery store will also move in.
“There is a way out of this and it is a difficult moment, it does not feel good. But I also see a lot of efforts to turn it around,” said City Council President Mitra Jalali, who also represents the district.
On Wednesday from 4-7 p.m. there will be a resource fair at Hamline Park at 1564 Lafond Ave. in St. Paul.
The community is invited to attend a gathering at the Hamline-Midway Town Hall on October 17 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. The event will be held in the Bush Ballroom at Hamline University.
