In the early 1990’s, Saint Paul was an urban city in economic distress. Downtown had lost half of the value of its taxable property, and businesses were leaving the city at an alarming rate. It was obvious that to restore Saint Paul’s vitality, city government would need the participation and support of the private sector.

The need for leadership and vision spurred the creation of Capital City Partnership in 1996 to organize and channel the energies
and resources of the business and professional community to form effective public/private partnerships to plan, develop, promote, and market downtown Saint Paul.

The partnership began with 16 corporate members and today consists of over 50 of the Twin Cities’ largest corporations. The CEO-based Board is supportive of the organization’s mission to revitalize Saint Paul and is dedicated to taking an active leadership role. This unique attribute of the partnership has mobilized the resources necessary to accomplish our goals.

However, Capital City Partnership is more than a business organization. It is a leadingedge public/private partnership that includes business, government, foundations, higher education, and community development organizations from the entire metropolitan area. By working together to align agendas
and priorities, and leverage resources, we are able to partner more effectively to revitalize the urban core of our Capital City. We believe that economic development and community development are complementary halves of a quality of life circle in Saint Paul.

Capital City Partnership is a 501(c)(6) non-profit business membership organization that cultivates private sector leadership and develops and implements programs to enhance downtown Saint Paul’s business development.