Five-story replacement for Dixie’s on Grand wins Planning Commission support

The next evolution of Dixie’s on Grand took a leap forward on Friday.

The St. Paul Planning Commission voted 9-1 to support a conditional use permit and three zoning variances related to the proposed redevelopment of the Dixie’s on Grand lot into a five-story residential and commercial building. A conditional use permit for a 59-foot, 10-inch structure and a related height variance effectively exempt the project from the requirements of the East Grand Avenue Overlay District, which since 2006 has limited new construction to a maximum of three stories.

Restaurateur Peter Kenefick and west metro developer Reuter Walton plan an 80-unit, market-rate apartment building at 695 Grand Ave. that incorporates two existing restaurants — Saji-Ya and Emmett’s Public House — at ground level, with additional space for a third eatery, if not a fourth small retail establishment. Kenefick has said that Dixie’s, a popular southern-style restaurant, would not return in the same incarnation, though a new restaurant concept could draw on similar southern inspiration.

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