After 24 years running their small business, Mychael and Stephanie Wright turned over the keys to their beloved Golden Thyme Coffee & Cafe at Selby Jazz Fest — but it wasn't the end of the innovation at 934 Selby Avenue. As he was considering retirement, the Rondo Community Land Trust (Rondo CLT) came to Wright with a proposal to grow the iconic business into an engine of collective, community wealth. “I didn’t believe we’d get that kind of offer,” Mychael recalls. “I said, ‘That’s one of the best things I’ve ever heard!’”
For the past 30 years, Rondo CLT has been creating and activating a new community development paradigm designed to repair the harms perpetrated on the Rondo community by the construction of I-94 and create ongoing, collective wealth through permanently affordable housing and commercial spaces for Black- and community-owned businesses. In 2018, Rondo CLT was the first in the state to apply the land trust model to commercial uses. Now, just five years later, they’re once again charting new horizons for reparative economic development, advancing the community vision to rebuild Rondo as an African American cultural destination and commercial district.
To learn more about the vision behind the purchase and find out more about what the future holds for Golden Thyme, click here.
Rondo CLT in Community
2023 Selby Jazz Festival
Images L to R: Rondo CLT ED Mikeya Griffin, Anika Bowie, and Rondo CLT Deputy Director Coco (From Anika Bowie). Keith Baker, Mychael and Stephanie Wright, Rena Moran, Mikeya Griffin, and Nieta Presley (From MPR News).
We had so much fun tabling at the Selby Jazz fest on September 9th. It was a great opportunity to gather with our neighbors to listen to jazz and share food from local vendors. In addition to having the opportunity to share the news about Golden Thyme, we enjoyed sharing the vision behind our work and discussing the community land trust model with more people.
Celebrating Anthony Bradford, First St. Paul Inheritance Fund Recipient
L to R: Anthony Bradford addressing the crowd (From the Startribune). Mayor Melvin Carter, Mikeya Griffin, Tara Beard and Anthony Bradford cutting the ribbon (From MPR News).
ED Mikeya Griffin had the opportunity to speak at a press conference on September 13th acknowledging and honoring Anthony Bradford, a Rondo descendant and the first recipient of St. Paul's Inheritance Fund - a program Rondo CLT is partnering with the City of Saint Paul on to provide downpayment assistance to people who were displaced or are descendants of those displaced due to the construction of i-94. Read more here.
Rondo CLT's 30th Anniversary Celebration
Get Your Pre-Sale Tickets Now!
Get your tickets now! It is Rondo CLT's 30th Anniversary and we are celebrating in style. Join us on the evening of November 15th at TPT Studios in downtown St. Paul for an evening you won't forget! Featuring a 4-course tasting menu by celebrity chef Terry John Zila and performances by the Sounds of Blackness, T. Michael Rambo, and Jamecia Bennett, we will be toasting Rondo CLT's past, present, and future. We will also be honoring Mayor Melvin Carter and our past and present board members. To learn more about the event, watch our special Soft Launch video.
Sponsor our Event
To make this event a success, we need your support. Click here to learn how you can help us as we celebrate 30 years of progress – and lay the groundwork for many decades more. Can't sponsor, but don't want to miss the party? Order a ticket during our Pre-Sale which is going on now or let us know you'd like to volunteer!
Thank you so much to our sponsors: Family Housing Fund, Xcel Energy, Saint Paul and Minnesota Foundation, US Bank, Wells Fargo, and City & County Credit Union!
Follow Us on Social Media
Rondo CLT is growing and so is our presence online! Make sure you click on our Facebook and LinkedIn below to follow us so that you stay up to date on everything we have going on.
Please Consider Supporting our Work
Rondo CLT builds community wealth and neighborhood stability through the development and stewardship of perpetually affordable homeownership opportunities, rental housing, commercial space, and other community assets.
Each new property that enters the community land trust starts a cycle of affordability for generations of low to moderate income earning families and local small business owners. Your donation makes all of this possible. Thank you.
Attending a Rondo CLT Orientation is the first step in the application process. Orientations happen every other week on Wednesdays at noon. Click the link below for additional information and to register for an orientation today!