Ramsey County History – Winter 2005: “Ramsey County Historical Society’s Collection of Building Permits and the Story of the DeLoop Parking Ramp”

Ramsey County Historical Society’s Collection of Building Permits and the Story of the DeLoop Parking Ramp
Author: Robert F. Garland

St. Paul began to require building permits in 1883. This is the story of one downtown property, the DeLoop Parking Ramp, which the author researched using these permits, now housed at the Ramsey County Historical Society. In 1905, property owner Michael J. O’Neill constructed the first garage in St. Paul where a house had been. Over time, according to records, the garage expanded. One of the more interesting permits was for a “parking roof” put over the adjacent service station in 1931. The permits also show the 1966 destruction of the structure. The author  hopes that more people interested in the history of St. Paul’s built environment will use the collection of permits at the Ramsey County Historical Society.
PDF of Garland article