Neighborhood Relations

The Neighborhood Relations office at St. Thomas connects our neighbors with the university and connects St. Thomas with all of you.

Whether you're a homeowner, student-renter, landlord, small business owner or university faculty and staff: all of us aim to work for the common good in our neighborhood. St. Thomas is here to help facilitate that engagement.

Contact Us

Our favorite community-building practice is dialogue. Email neighbors@stthomas.edu with your comments, questions, ideas or concerns.

Stay Informed

Join our email list to receive ongoing updates and neighborhood news from St. Thomas.

• Join Our Email List

Parking Information

Learn more about parking around campus.

• Parking & Transportation

NEIGHBORHOOD BRIEFING

Lee and Penny Anderson Arena

Project Overview

2024 EAW Update

Construction Updates

Questions from Neighbors

Overview - Event Management Plan

Sustainability at St. Thomas

The Lee and Penny Anderson is now open!

The university opened its doors to the Lee and Penny Anderson Arena on October 24, 2025, with men's and women's hockey. We appreciate all the support and feedback we recieved from the community. Our student-athletes and St. Thomas community are grateful for this state-of-the-art venue that will serve Tommies and our supports for years to come.

2024 EAW Update

A negative declaration on the need for an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) was issued by the City on September 26, 2023 (2023 Findings of Fact). An appeal of the negative declaration on the need for an EIS was filed in October 2023 with the Minnesota Court of Appeals. An opinion was issued by the Court of Appeals on July 8, 2024 (the COA Opinion), reversing and remanding the City’s negative declaration on the need for an EIS.

The City, in coordination with UST, is providing a 2024 EAW Update to include the additional analysis noted in the COA Opinion: the Schoenecker Center and greenhouse gas emissions related to spectator vehicles.

The EAW was published on October 8, 2024, which initiated the 30-day public comment period. Members of the public will have an opportunity to comment through November 7, 2024. Email your comments to the City of St. Paul at StThomasArena_EAW@ci.stpaul.mn.us

Construction Updates

Construction of the Lee and Penny Anderson Arena is currently underway.

• Construction Management Plan PDF

Questions from Neighbors

Arena Conversations in the Community

Over the past several months, the University of St. Thomas has continued to gather questions from neighbors about the development of the multipurpose Lee and Penny Anderson Arena. This list is intended to inform the public about the multipurpose arena and clarify any information that has been shared in the community.

Read some of the questions and comments we have received, in addition to our responses, at the link below.

• See Questions and Responses

Event Management Plan

As we plan for the opening of the Lee and Penny Anderson Arena, the University of St. Thomas is developing an Event Management Plan (EMP) with the City of St. Paul Traffic Engineering Department and the St. Paul Police Dept. This was a requirement of the Environmental Assessment Worksheet (EAW) mitigation and noted in the Site Plan approval as an outstanding condition. The EMP will be finalized in the coming months.

• Overview: Event Management Plan

Sustainability at St. Thomas

Principles of sustainability have been a key priority in the development of the Lee and Penny Anderson Arena. As such, St. Thomas is mitigating potential environmental impacts associated with the arena's construction.

• Sustainability and the St. Thomas Arena

Project Overview

The Lee and Penny Anderson is now open!

The university opened its doors to the Lee and Penny Anderson Arena on October 24, 2025, with men's and women's hockey. We appreciate all the support and feedback we recieved from the community. Our student-athletes and St. Thomas community are grateful for this state-of-the-art venue that will serve Tommies and our supports for years to come.

2024 EAW Update

2024 EAW Update

A negative declaration on the need for an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) was issued by the City on September 26, 2023 (2023 Findings of Fact). An appeal of the negative declaration on the need for an EIS was filed in October 2023 with the Minnesota Court of Appeals. An opinion was issued by the Court of Appeals on July 8, 2024 (the COA Opinion), reversing and remanding the City’s negative declaration on the need for an EIS.

The City, in coordination with UST, is providing a 2024 EAW Update to include the additional analysis noted in the COA Opinion: the Schoenecker Center and greenhouse gas emissions related to spectator vehicles.

The EAW was published on October 8, 2024, which initiated the 30-day public comment period. Members of the public will have an opportunity to comment through November 7, 2024. Email your comments to the City of St. Paul at StThomasArena_EAW@ci.stpaul.mn.us

Construction Updates

Construction Updates

Construction of the Lee and Penny Anderson Arena is currently underway.

• Construction Management Plan PDF

Questions from Neighbors

Questions from Neighbors

Arena Conversations in the Community

Over the past several months, the University of St. Thomas has continued to gather questions from neighbors about the development of the multipurpose Lee and Penny Anderson Arena. This list is intended to inform the public about the multipurpose arena and clarify any information that has been shared in the community.

Read some of the questions and comments we have received, in addition to our responses, at the link below.

• See Questions and Responses

Overview - Event Management Plan

Event Management Plan

As we plan for the opening of the Lee and Penny Anderson Arena, the University of St. Thomas is developing an Event Management Plan (EMP) with the City of St. Paul Traffic Engineering Department and the St. Paul Police Dept. This was a requirement of the Environmental Assessment Worksheet (EAW) mitigation and noted in the Site Plan approval as an outstanding condition. The EMP will be finalized in the coming months.

• Overview: Event Management Plan

Sustainability at St. Thomas

Sustainability at St. Thomas

Principles of sustainability have been a key priority in the development of the Lee and Penny Anderson Arena. As such, St. Thomas is mitigating potential environmental impacts associated with the arena's construction.

• Sustainability and the St. Thomas Arena

Upcoming Events Happening On Campus

The Tommie Sports ticketing website lists all of the athletics events happening on campus each month.

Review the calendar to learn when the neighborhood may see an increase in activity.

• Athletic Events

Our Staff

Jerome Benner

Jerome is the Director of Neighborhood and Community Relations for St. Thomas. He manages our relationships with neighbors and our partnerships in the community. Jerome will be your best resource for any questions or concerns related to activities happening on campus.

Contact Us

University News

January 8, 2026

In the News: Shanan Custer Explains How Actors Memorize Their Lines

Shanan Custer, adjunct professor at the University of St. Thomas, was featured in a WCCO-TV “Good Question” segment explaining how actors are able to memorize large amounts of dialogue during peak performance season. Custer shared that consistent daily practice, breaking material into manageable sections and fully immersing oneself in the text are key strategies actors… The post In the News: Shanan Custer Explains How Actors Memorize Their Lines appeared first on Newsroom | University of St. Thomas.

• January 8, 2026

  In the News: Yohuru Williams Op-Ed on Equity and Accountability

  Yohuru Williams, founding director of the Racial Justice Initiative and professor of history at the University of St. Thomas, authored an op-ed published in the Minnesota Star Tribune examining how the Minnesota Council of Churches has grappled with racial equity and accountability over time. In the piece, Williams reflects on historical patterns of institutional retreat when efforts… The post In the News: Yohuru Williams Op-Ed on Equity and Accountability appeared first on Newsroom | University of St. Thomas.

• January 8, 2026

  In the News: Mark Osler Discusses the Future of Presidential Pardons

  Mark Osler, professor of law at the University of St. Thomas School of Law and a nationally recognized expert on clemency, was quoted by Straight Arrow News in an in-depth analysis of how presidential pardon practices have changed in the wake of the Jan. 6 cases. Osler explained that a president’s use of pardon power… The post In the News: Mark Osler Discusses the Future of Presidential Pardons appeared first on Newsroom | University of St. Thomas.

• January 6, 2026

  In the News: Jena Zangs Helps Develop AI App to Personalize Classroom Learning

  University of St. Thomas Chief Data and Analytics Officer Jena Zangs ’10, ’18 MS was featured on KARE 11 for her role in developing a new artificial intelligence-powered classroom app that personalizes learning for K-12 students. Zangs explained how the tool allows teachers to adapt a single lesson plan to support multiple reading levels, special… The post In the News: Jena Zangs Helps Develop AI App to Personalize Classroom Learning appeared first on Newsroom | University of St. Thomas.

• January 6, 2026

  In the News: Manjeet Rege Shares Perspective on AI’s Growing Role in Society

  Manjeet Rege, professor of data science and software engineering at the University of St. Thomas, appeared on WCCO-TV to discuss the rapid growth of artificial intelligence and what it means for society. Rege outlined how advances in AI offer significant benefits across industries while also raising concerns about misuse, transparency and long-term impacts, encouraging viewers… The post In the News: Manjeet Rege Shares Perspective on AI’s Growing Role in Society appeared first on Newsroom | University of St. Thomas.

Also of Interest

• Selim Center for Lifetime Learning
• Off-Campus Student Life
• Sustainability at St. Thomas