THURSDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2009
by Midwest Real Estate News ReportsMinneapolis-St. PaulMany Midwest commercial real estate companies are fighting back against the weak economy. They're still landing big projects. For an example, look to the Twin Cities area, where Mortenson Construction, with Midwest offices in Milwaukee, Minneaplis and Chicago, has been selected by the Ramsey County Regional Rail Authority to lead the renovation of Minnesota's Union Depot in downtown St. Paul.
The $150-million project is scheduled to begin in 2010 and is scheduled to reopen as a regional transit hub in 2012. Once complete, Union Depot will provide service for passenger rail, buses and light rail trains, and deliver transit services to the Minneapolis - St. Paul metropolitan area.
Mortenson was awarded the project based on the strength of its team and national expertise in transportation design and historic building renovation. The company will be the lead design-build contractor for the entire project, and is partnering with URS Corporation, a global transportation design and engineering firm, and HGA, a national architecture and engineering firm headquartered in Minneapolis.
Renovation of Union Depot will rely on the reuse of existing building materials and infrastructure as much as possible, and utilize the building's generous day-lighting and other key property features. New work will include sustainable design and construction to help achieve high levels of indoor environmental quality by satisfying thermal comfort, indoor air quality, illumination, and acoustical and visual comfort. It will also minimize consumption of energy and non-renewable resources through reductions of need and efficient utilization.
Mortenson anticipates a majority of the work will be awarded to businesses locally and in the state of Minnesota, and will create a significant number of jobs during design and construction.
"We look forward to working with the Ramsey County Regional Rail Authority on this very exciting project and revitalizing an enduring public place for St. Paul, Ramsey County and the state of Minnesota," said Ken Sorensen, vice president and general manager of Mortenson's Minneapolis operations. "The renovation of Minnesota's Union Depot is another step forward in making rapid transit a reality for the entire area."
"Minnesota's Union Depot is a high-profile project that will serve as a catalyst for continued development of mass transit in the region and the state," said Tim Mayasich, director of the Ramsey County Regional Rail Authority. We chose Mortenson for their team's expertise, their understanding of the County and the project, and their success in working with the community."
Union Depot is located in downtown St. Paul's historic Lowertown area, a vibrant neighborhood along the Mississippi River. It was built from 1918-1923 on the site of an earlier train station, which was destroyed by fire in 1915. The Depot was built as a hub for passenger and freight rail service in the upper Midwest. At its peak, it served more than 280 passenger trains daily. After passenger rail service was discontinued to the Depot in 1971, sections of the Depot complex were sold to various entities.
In 2002, the Ramsey County Regional Rail Authority formed a group of business and civic leaders to help identify a site for a potential multimodal transit center in downtown St. Paul. The group concluded Union Depot was the most suitable for this effort. The Ramsey County Regional Rail Authority board voted to purchase the Depot concourse structure and adjacent land from the U.S. Postal Service in 2007.
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