It’s not every day you see a Fortune 500 company invest directly in a downtown district. But, in celebration of Ecolab Inc.’s 100th anniversary this weekend, the company has laid out plans to do just that in the form of a $2 million project converting a sidewalk and concrete plaza into a community green space.

The over 26,000-square-foot area is owned and managed by multiple St. Paul departments, with a small portion designated as Ecolab property. The reimagined space will include new trees and pedestrian benches. While the space might not be large enough to hold large events, Ecolab and community leaders say it will bring more public gathering spaces to the heart of the city.

“Since our 1923 origins in the basement of the nearby Endicott Building, Ecolab has been a proud member of the St. Paul community,” Christophe Beck, Ecolab chairman and chief executive officer, said in a statement. “Today, as a global company operating in more than 170 countries, we celebrate 100 years of growth by honoring our humble beginnings and the ongoing connection between our people, our communities, and our environment.”

Ecolab has been working with city representatives for some time and is close to finalizing the details that will be in a forthcoming approval request to the city, a company spokesperson told TCB in an email. Once approvals are submitted and secured, the company will begin its three-month construction of the space. That work will be led by Ecolab, and it will be funded by the company and the Ecolab Foundation. The City of St. Paul and the Saint Paul Parks Conservancy will lead the project’s second phase, which includes the development and implementation of park revitalization. It’s expected to be completed in early 2024.

After the renovation of the park, the City of St. Paul Parks & Recreation division will manage the space.

President of the St. Paul Downtown Alliance Joe Spencer told TCB having a long-running company like Ecolab in downtown St. Paul for 100 years is in itself worth celebrating.

“We’re so glad, grateful, and proud to have Ecolab headquartered in St. Paul. To celebrate 100 years with this great project is really fantastic,” he said.

And there are other developments bringing excitement into downtown, he noted. In March, high school tournaments and college hockey start downtown. Rice Park recently had a major resource reinvestment. Plus, teams of ambassadors through the St. Paul Downtown Improvement District have been out and about downtown picking up the sidewalks and outdoor spaces downtown, as well. Ten storefronts have also been added to the central district through the alliance’s “Let’s Grow” campaign, an incentive to fill vacant storefronts in the city.

“It’s really kind of all layers contributing bit by bit to a rejuvenated downtown St. Paul,” he said.