Highland Bridge Sustainability Case Study

Highland Bridge is a 135-acre mixed-use development located along the Mississippi River on the site of the former Ford Motor Company assembly plant in the Highland Park neighborhood. This massive project will be home to approximately 3,800 housing units, including apartments, rowhomes, and single-family homes. Twenty percent of the residential units will be affordable to people with lower and moderate incomes. The site will also be home to 150,000 square feet of retail, including cafes, grocery, destination entertainment, lifestyle, fitness, and more. Highland Bridge will also be home to 250,000 square feet of office space, including a new medical office building that will serve a variety of healthcare needs for residents of Highland Bridge and the surrounding community. Fifty-five acres of parks, recreation fields, open areas, and waterways serve as amenities to the entire community.

Unlike any other large development in the region, each building on the site will be designed and constructed to comply with the rigorous green building standards found in the Saint Paul Sustainable Building Ordinance, which include requirements to significantly reduce energy and water use, divert construction waste from landfills, and ensure healthy indoor living and working conditions. Stormwater is managed through an ingenious sitewide collection system that feeds into a large collection basin that serves as a public recreational amenity (see Highland Bridge Green Infrastructure in this Dashboard).

The Sustainable Building Ordinance requires that each building at Highland Bridge comply with and be certified through a green building standard such as LEED, Green Communities, B3, and GreenStar. The Ordinance also requires compliance with the SB 2030 energy standard. SB 2030 is a progressive energy conservation program designed to significantly reduce energy use and carbon emissions from buildings. Compliance with SB 2030 is met through energy efficiency and renewable energy.

Electricity throughout Highland Bridge will be available from 100 percent carbon-free and renewable sources and one of the largest solar arrays in the Twin Cities. The one-megawatt solar array will be built on a parcel adjacent to Highland Bridge.

A variety of transit options will provide reduced or emission-free alternatives for residents. A minimum of a hundred electric vehicle charging stations will be installed onsite. The entries of all buildings will be within a quarter mile of public transit, and it is anticipated that the site will include shared transport options—including a car-sharing hub, scooters, and other modes of transit. Ten miles of pedestrian and bike paths will be added, along with ample bike parking stalls and infrastructure throughout the development.