St. Paul workers begin work to clear Pig's Eye Park encampment
St. Paul begins clearing Pig's Eye Park encampment
St. Paul crews began clearing a homeless encampment at Pig's Eye Park as city outreach teams tried to speak with people living there.
ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - St. Paul workers are set to begin clearing a homeless encampment at Pig's Eye Park on Wednesday despite public pushback over the sweep.
Encampment clearing
What we know:
The city started work to clear the encampment beginning around 8 a.m. Outreach teams are on site working to help individuals sort and pack their belongings.
For those who need it, the city says it will provide limited storage, with priority for those who accept shelter.
The city said they estimated there were about 140 people living at the encampment. However, a "population" sign erected at the encampment claims the true number is more than 250 people.
Timeline:
Over the course of Wednesday morning, FOX 9 crews saw dozens of encampment residents leaving ahead of the clearing. As of about 8 a.m., city officials estimated there were still about 40 people left in the encampment.
Around 8 a.m., a city spokesperson told reporters that workers would try to avoid a heavy-handed approach. Officials said they would not use frontloaders and instead would try to work with residents one on one. But, within ten minutes, FOX 9 crews saw a couple of skid-steer Bobcat front loaders going in the rear side of the camp.
What's next:
City workers say they will continue to work with residents to help them pack their belongings and get access to resources.
Following the closure, Ramsey County plans to open a transitional hub at 11th and Cedar.
The Pig's Eye Park clearing was expected to be the first of a series of encampment clearings.
Clearing pushback
The other side:
Faith leaders and even some elected officials pressed St. Paul city leaders for a pause to the clearing, saying a delay would give time to expand shelter capacity and get encampment residents identifications and cell phones. Faith leaders said they were worried about losing track of people who need help.
Wednesday morning, activists were rallying as city workers moved to clear the encampment.
Dig deeper:
FOX 9 attempted to speak with Mayor Kaohly Her on Tuesday about the public pushback over the planned clearing. Mayor Her has not appeared in public since it has become public that she is facing a sexual harassment complaint from St. Paul Police Chief Axel Henry.
The backstory:
The City of St. Paul first announced plans to clear the encampment on July 8. Officials cited ongoing safety concerns at Pig's Eye Park and other encampments.
Officials cited more than 850 calls for service between July 2025 and July 2026 across the encampment, including reports of sexual violence, fires, overdoses, deaths, and other emergencies that officials said threatened residents and surrounding communities. Officials said there was a fire or medical call to one of the city's three major encampments every three or four days.
The city said they chose to clear the encampments now to not expose the residents to dangers that might come during colder months.
Local perspective:
Pig's Eye Park is located east of downtown St. Paul across from the downtown airport and south of the Dayton's Bluff neighborhood.