St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman will deliver his eighth State of the City speech noon Monday at the downtown Crowne Plaza Hotel.
Coleman hasn't yet announced whether he'll seek a third term in November but is widely expected to do so.
Spokesman Joe Campbell said today that they're not finished writing Monday's speech yet, but earlier he told the Pioneer Press that attracting young people to the city will be one key point.
(Of course, he might not even need a written speech; in 2008, Coleman gave the State of the City with only a few note cards, which he rarely consulted.)
Even with the closing of the downtown Macy's store this month, the mayor has been optimistic about the possibilities for downtown, focusing on the Saints ballpark that will be built near the Farmers' Market and the booming restaurant and bar scene in the Mears Park area.
He's giving the speech at the Crowne Plaza, which is one of two downtown hotels recently purchased by the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, to stress that there are still businesses interested in downtown St. Paul.