U of M Essex Corridor Superblock

U OF M ESSEX CORRIDOR SUPERBLOCK – MINNEAPOLIS, MN

Solution Blue worked together with Confluence, Victus Engineering, the University of Minnesota, and various other stakeholders to provide the U of MN campus with updates that improve the student experience and overall campus environment. The Superblock is a consolidated 13.2 acre, four-block residential district along the Essex Corridor. The Superblock will be an important link in the development of a campus-wide open space network of interconnected paths and spaces. This two-block segment of the Essex Corridor bisects the Superblock and provides the connective open space that supports outdoor student activities associated with four first year residential dorms. The first goal of this project was to prioritize and enhance the pedestrian experience in an environment that also must accommodate emergency and paratransit vehicles. The second goal of this project was to balance the needs of the Superblock as a residential student destination, and as a movement corridor between two University community destinations. Construction was completed in August 2019 and came in on budget at $2.7 million.

Project Overview

Client: University of Minnesota – Twin Cities
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Services: Site Analysis, Hydrology & Stormwater Modeling, Site Planning & Design, Civil Engineering, Bidding Assistance, Construction Administration

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Challenges

This site serves as an emergency and paratransit corridor as well as a large quantity of underground utilities vital to the University campus infrastructure.
This corridor needed to accommodate a large population of students while providing new public gathering and entertainment spaces and increase the available bike/pedestrian transport storage space.

Solution and Results

Our team provided a site analysis, stormwater modeling, design/engineering, bidding assistance and construction administration services to successfully complete this corridor redevelopment project. We designed solutions that accommodated the necessary number of bike storage areas, walkways, utility coordination, stormwater system and landscaping design that meets ADA standards.

We prioritized & enhanced the pedestrian experience in an environment that also upgraded emergency and paratransit vehicles and coordinating with U of M facilities to align new utilities without disturbing existing underground utilities in place.
New bike parking areas and public gathering spaces were designed to work with the stormwater design so that these surfaces efficiently collect storm runoff while allowing the student body to use the space efficiently.