St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman was officially sworn in for his third term in a private ceremony Thursday in his office, but a public inauguration is set for Friday at the Union Depot.
The public ceremony begins at 4 p.m., followed by a party at 5 p.m.
The event will include a reading from St. Paul Poet Laureate Carol Connolly, Coleman’s inaugural address and music from the Central Chamber Singers, Solomon & Aja Parham Quintet, the New Standards and the 9/16s.
Coleman, who now has completed eight years in office and is embarking on four more, says 2014 will be a big year in the city.
The opening of the Central Corridor light rail line and the opening of a downtown Lund’s grocery store will both be the results of many years of planning.
But in an op-ed piece, Coleman said much work remains.
His themes for the new term, he said:
- Focus on children, with cradle-to-career learning opportunities for all our children.
- Build a dynamic east metro transit network
- Strengthen St. Paul’s arts and culture scene
- Keep it regional, working with Minneapolis on economic development that transcends municipal boundaries
- Innovate, collaborate and create to provide government services at a better price.