St. Paul Parks and Recreation is looking for ideas for redeveloping a long-vacant warehouse building at the entrance of the Bruce Vento Nature Sanctuary.
It’s asking for “requests for interest” or creative proposals from development teams, to be filed by Oct. 30, according to parks information.
In the future, the building could be an interpretive center for the sanctuary, with classrooms and possibly even a performance space, says Brad Meyer, a spokesperson for the parks.
“We’re going through this process to determine what kind of interest might be out there in redeveloping the current building,” he says.
This is part of the process of due diligence “in assessing what market may exist for reuse, and what the next steps will be for the site,” he adds.
Part of what makes the vintage building attractive is the fact that it’s “structurally sound.” It includes features such as a first-floor “walkout” to the nature sanctuary, masonry walls, and concrete floors with supporting beams and columns, according to parks information.
The building also “offers excellent views of the Mississippi River corridor and downtown Saint Paul skyline,” while contaminated soils on the property have already been cleaned up, according to the same information.
On the downside, however, the building, an empty “shell,” lacks heating and cooling systems and windows.
Meyer says the building is a unique asset to the park system, with plenty of potential, thanks in part to its proximity to other big projects in the area, including the renovated Union Depot, the planned Lafayette Bridge crossing, and the future Lowertown ballpark.
Source: Brad Meyer, spokesperson, St. Paul Parks and Recreation
Writer: Anna Pratt