2002
Saint Paul Riverfront Revitalization
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Competition Website
Saint Paul, Minnesota is engaged in a renaissance based on the community vision of a vibrant downtown on the Mississippi with a variety of residential options, a strong commercial base, and an exciting range of visitor attractions and amenities. Over the past 20 years, over two billion dollars have been invested in the riverfront downtown, drawing hundreds of thousands of people to cultural and entertainmentvenues, housing, offices, restaurants, riverfront parks, trails and a reforested river valley.
In the center of this redevelopment activity is the Upper Landing, home to the Head House and Sack House. These buildings, at the historic head of Mississippi navigation, present a unique opportunity to help reconnect the community to the river and continue the city's revitalization. A community-based task force has studied the buildings and developed a list of possible reuse suggestions including, but not limited to: tourism or interpretive center, observation deck, restaurant, housing, retail, sculptural form, beacon, or demolition - using the remains as an urban ruin or viewing platform.
The property owner, the Housing and Redevelopment Authority of the City of Saint Paul, Minnesota (HRA), has asked the Saint Paul Riverfront Corporation, a private non-profit corporation, to help find a feasible adaptive reuse for the Head House complex.
