On paper, a series of four-story commercial buildings were planned along Ford Parkway. Instead, the master developer behind the ongoing reinvention of St. Paul’s old Ford Motor Co. manufacturing campus is now calling for four squat, single-story properties and a larger apartment building to welcome visitors to Highland Bridge.

The Ryan Companies have asked the city of St. Paul for permission to construct a series of buildings at the entrance to the Highland Bridge development at less density and less than half the height laid out in the site’s longstanding master plan.

Two applications for major variances at both 2200 Ford Parkway and 0 Cretin Ave. S. will be heard by the city’s Board of Zoning Appeals on Monday. The overall Highland Bridge development spans more than 122 acres.

Master plan

The city in 2017 adopted the Ford Site Zoning and Public Realm Master Plan, which calls for up to 3,800 housing units and a variety of commercial development. The first retail site, a new Lunds & Byerlys, opened in the fall of 2022, and that’s been followed by senior housing, a medical office building, townhomes, playgrounds, a dog park, a skate park and other additions throughout the former automotive campus.

At 2200 Ford Parkway, otherwise described as “Block 2B,” the Ryan Cos. have planned three single-story commercial buildings, as well as a four-story mixed-use building spanning 97 apartments with room for additional commercial space. The plans call for 190 parking stalls in structured off-street parking, about 109 of them below grade level.

To complete those designs, the Ryan Cos. is seeking 13 variances, including reducing the allowed minimum floor area ratio by half and keeping the retail buildings to 12, 15 and 15 feet in height where 40 feet is currently required.

In addition, 80% of the lot would be covered, where a maximum lot coverage of 70% is allowed under current zoning. The Ford Site Zoning and Public Realm Master Plan design standard for the location requires at least 30% of the area of the ground floor and the building sides that face open space to consist of windows and doors or other openings. The Ryan Cos. is seeking total openings of 20% to 25% instead. The developer also would reduce the amount of transparent glazing required along certain portions of the ground floor.

Commercial building

Next door at 0 Cretin Ave. S., otherwise described as “Block 2C”, the Ryan Cos. is proposing to construct a commercial building with six zoning variances.

Among them, the building would be 18 feet tall, instead of 40 feet. The floor area ratio would total .3 instead of 2.0, and it would have fewer ground-level windows or openings and less transparent glazing than required under the master plan’s design standards.

The Board of Zoning Appeals was scheduled to hear the variance requests on Dec. 9 but made no motions and instead laid both matters over to Monday.

Maureen Michalski, Senior Vice President of Real Estate Development for the Ryan Cos., said in a statement Friday that “the site’s complex slope and grading require creative design and engineering solutions to ensure that buildings integrate well into the surrounding environment, while providing a pedestrian-friendly experience.” She said adding additional floors to the retail buildings “would exacerbate the design and financing challenges of this block,” and the proposals align with the overall intent of the master plan.

“Many buildings within Highland Bridge have required variances as part of their approval process, and we view this project as consistent with that precedent,” she said.

She noted the original vision for “Block 2” called for a total of 100,000 square feet of retail and 287 housing units. The revised proposal calls for 40,500 square feet of retail, including 4,000 square feet of retail in the Marvella senior housing building that opened in early 2023, and 222 housing units. Part of the block includes a 30,000 square foot planned medical office building. The revised plans have received a letter of support from the Highland District Council.

Related Articles

St. Paul free mental health clinic reached more than 100 visits since opening in October

New mural in Highland Bridge represents the Dakota creation story