St. Paul launching its own downtown improvement district — with some big properties missing

Downtown business leaders in St. Paul are drafting plans for a downtown improvement district similar to the one used in Minneapolis, which features teams of on-the-street ambassadors and a public-safety communications center. But the way the district is drawn largely leaves out St. Paul's single biggest landlord, Jim Crockarell. The Star Tribune reports on the efforts of the Downtown Alliance, which this week will send a petition to commercial property owners asking them to pay to fund the $600,000…