Neighbors hoping to prevent the sale of the Public Safety Annex building adjacent to Pedro Park in downtown St. Paul have filed a lawsuit against the city.

Marilyn Pitera, Kati Berg and Gary Stoos, along with the support of nearly 100 neighbors are charging the city with misusing the Comprehensive Plan, ignoring a City Council resolution to protect the parkland, breaking promises made with the Pedro family and affecting property values.

Pitera, the last surviving sibling of the Pedro brothers, donated the 82,500-square-foot Pedros Luggage building to the city in 2009 on the condition that the land be used for a park within five years. The store was demolished in 2011.

Residents have asked the city to demolish the empty Public Safety Annex building next door at 100 E. 10th St. and move forward with Pedro Park.

St. Paul is working with the Ackerberg Group of Minneapolis, hoping instead to redevelop the building into office space. The proposal calls for Ackerberg to fund park improvements on the land for 20 years.

To save money, the plaintiffs are representing themselves in court, paying for advice, direction and filings as they are able through donations, Berg said.