Ramsey County broke ground this week on a $29.7 million environmental service center in Roseville.

Located at 1700 Kent St., the center will span more than 30,000 square feet and feature a covered drive-through so residents can drop off household hazardous waste and electronic waste year-round regardless of the weather. The center also will feature a free product reuse room, space for fix-it clinics and other environmental activities, and both food scrap and general recycling drop-offs.

The center is part of the county’s “Enhancing Environmental Health Services” initiative, which aims to redesign and add more recycling and waste disposal services to meet community needs. It’s one of the first projects developed based upon input from a 2020 resident survey.

The building, which will use both solar and geothermal power, has been designed for reduced energy use, including a low carbon footprint, based upon the state’s B3 Sustainable Building 2030 standards. It features electric vehicle charging stations, rain barrels, native plantings and gardens, as well as paths to nearby walking, biking and transit corridors.

The funding comes from the County Environmental Charge on trash bills, which supports most of the county’s environmental health programs. The CEC charge will not increase as a result of the project.

The building is set to open in late 2025 or early 2026, when services offered at Bay West, the current year-round household hazardous waste site on Empire Drive in St. Paul, will move to the new facility.

Related Articles

Ramsey County designates two St. Paul locations as winter warming spaces for the homeless

Ramsey County to unveil plaque dedicated to lives lost to COVID-19 pandemic

Charges: St. Paul man on probation for bank robbery hits another bank, a pharmacy and a convenience store (twice)

I-94 closes this weekend for Gold Line Bus Rapid Transit construction work

Mounds View sales tax increase faces strong opposition on election night