RiverCentre Authority - RiverCentre Convention Center and Parking Ramp
Can We Hold Our Events During Construction? This was one of the questions asked by the Saint Paul Civic Center Authority when we embarked on an expansion of the Saint Paul Civic Center. The design, construction, and owner team’s mission were to “design, construct and equip an outstanding multi-purpose facility on time and under budget which is distinctive in design, practical in its functionality, and user-friendly.” Keeping the existing facility operational during construction was a daily challenge but ultimately a resounding success. CPMI guided the Team through significant events such as the Festival of Nations, an event that featured many cultures and their food and is attended by thousands of school children. Keeping everyone safe and construction moving was achieved by close coordination and communication between all parties.
At the time, this was the largest publicly funded project to be constructed by the City. It created an impetus for construction in downtown Saint Paul which continues today. CPMI was involved from the initial design phase through the grand opening. As the construction manager, we provided overall coordination, cost estimating, financial reports, and schedule management. We developed the phased bid strategy, led the bid and award phase, developed requests for proposals for consultants, processed payments, and managed all contractors.
Mission Accomplished: The goals of the team’s mission were achieved. This was sometimes challenging since working in a downtown area provided many amazing discoveries and construction hurdles: major excavation in St. Peter sandstone for a six-story underground parking ramp uncovered more than a hundred tunnels and drifts, Kellogg Boulevard was rebuilt into four separate bridge structures to keep the main road open, the adjacent Wilkins Auditorium was discovered to have been built on existing stone, not footings, and the kitchen facilities were relocated several times to accommodate construction. The result is a Convention Center with a six-level parking ramp below. 400,000 SF facility with exhibit halls, ballroom, meeting rooms, skyway connection, one bay loading dock, offices, kitchen, and concession areas.
