Just days after the City of St. Paul began clearing out its largest homeless encampment near Pig’s Eye Park, residents of Waterford Bay Apartments say the encampment behind their building has swelled with new arrivals.
Situated between Shepard Road and the Mississippi River, the luxury apartment building overlooks a wooded area along the river bluffs that is home to another illegal encampment.
Residents submitted photos and videos to Alpha News that, at first glance, resemble the curbside drop-off outside an airport terminal. People step out carrying backpacks and duffel bags, some rolling wheeled suitcases behind them.
But instead of heading for a departure gate, they disappear into the woods.
Residents told Alpha News the uptick in activity began immediately after Wednesday’s closure of the Pig’s Eye encampment, raising questions about whether St. Paul’s transition plan, spearheaded by embattled Mayor Kaohly Her, has merely relocated the problem rather than resolved it.
Residents say activity has surged
One Waterford Bay resident, who asked not to be identified, said she has watched a “flood” of vehicles arriving since the city cleared the Pig’s Eye Park encampment.
Photos and videos the resident provided to Alpha News show vehicles driving into Waterford Bay’s parking lot, where passengers exit with their belongings before walking through a gated entrance into the river bluffs, where the encampment is located.
Another Waterford Bay resident told Alpha News he watched “convoy upon convoy” of trucks, vans and other vehicles arriving throughout the day carrying tarps, mattresses, tents and other belongings before dropping people off at the encampment.
One of the residents provided an annotated Google Maps image identifying what she said is the entrance to the encampment.
“Instead of ‘luxury living next to the river,’ the slogan should be, ‘Pay $2,700 of your hard-earned money a month to watch homeless people piss where you walk your dogs and kids,'” the resident told Alpha News. “To say that a lot of the residents living here feel unsafe and angry is an understatement.”
The resident said the area has become increasingly unsafe over the past two years.
“There is screaming and yelling all the time at night,” she said. “I actually started taking our dogs to the bathroom before sundown because it makes me fairly uncomfortable.”
She said police officers, firefighters and paramedics are frequent visitors to the area and described a series of incidents she and her husband have witnessed.
“I’ve been flashed by homeless men dropping their pants. My husband has witnessed assaults and actually called the police after someone was beat up and dropped over the fence like a rag doll. We’ve both personally had our vehicles broken into. I’ve witnessed kids in masks trying to jump over locked gates to get into our outdoor community area,” she said.
According to the resident, apartment management has “been great” and has worked with the St. Paul Police Department to try to address the ongoing problems. She said “No Trespassing” signs have been posted, surveillance cameras installed, and patrols increased around the property. Despite those efforts, she said the encampment continues to grow and she does not plan to renew her lease when it expires.
“With the amount of money we pay to live here, I personally feel like these are things we shouldn’t have to deal with,” she said.
Concerns at Waterford Bay predated Pig’s Eye closure
The residents’ accounts echo Alpha News’ previous reporting documenting safety concerns around Waterford Bay Apartments, including reports of people under the influence of drugs, overnight disturbances, and emergency responses.
In June, another longtime Waterford Bay resident told Alpha News he and his neighbors had been dealing with the homeless encampment problem for the last two years.
“There’s troves of these people walking in and out of the woods, stumbling around and doing the fentanyl zombie crawl,” he said. “It’s sad.”
What troubles him most, he said, are the sounds coming from the woods at night.
“We have been woken in the middle of the night on several occasions with screams from the woods, both male and female voices pleading for whatever is happening to stop,” he said.
On other nights, he said, he has heard what sounded like gunshots coming from the woods and seen heavily armed police officers respond to incidents in the area.
He also said residents have experienced vehicle break-ins, mail thefts, stolen bicycles, and catalytic converter thefts.
City’s transition plan
Last month, city officials announced they would permanently close homeless encampments across St. Paul, beginning with the Pig’s Eye Park encampment on Aug. 5.
Officials described the effort as a “service-focused coordinated transition plan,” saying outreach workers would connect people with shelter, treatment and housing rather than simply clearing camps.
Mayor Her said the goal was to minimize disruption while helping people move toward “a safer, more stable life.”
The city cited fires, sexual assaults, thefts, overdose deaths and other dangerous conditions as reasons for closing encampments.
“Every person deserves dignity and a path to housing and support services,” Assistant Mayor Cedrick Baker said in a press release. “ The conditions at these sites are not safe, healthy, or humane.”
Alpha News previously reported on the Pig’s Eye Park encampment’s impact on nearby businesses and residents.
Angie, a longtime server at Obb’s Sports Bar & Grill, said people who appeared to be under the influence of drugs had fallen asleep on the restaurant’s patio, washed up in its bathrooms, rummaged through dumpsters, urinated on the patio, stolen outdoor furniture, and approached customers for money.
“It’s like the Walking Dead,” Angie said. “It’s completely insane.”
Police acknowledge increased activity behind Waterford Bay
Alpha News reached out to Mayor Her’s office and the St. Paul Police Department for comment on residents’ concerns about the reported increase in activity behind Waterford Bay Apartments and the city’s transition plan.
The St. Paul Police Department confirmed it is aware of increased activity at the encampment behind Waterford Bay Apartments and said officers have been proactively patrolling the area since the Pig’s Eye encampment was closed.
A police spokesperson said the department continues to work with the city and its Homeless Assistance Response Team (HART), with code enforcement officers engaging individuals living at the encampment while patrol officers monitor the area and respond to calls for service.
Mayor Her’s office did not respond to Alpha News’ request for comment by publication time. Alpha News also reached out to Waterford Bay Apartments for comment but did not receive a response.
Jenna Gloeb
Jenna Gloeb is an Edward R. Murrow Award-winning journalist, media producer, public speaker, and screenwriter. Most recently, she worked as a reporter and on-air host for CCX Media. Jenna is a Minnesota native and resides in the Twin Cities with her husband, son, daughter, and two dogs.
