North Loop Green Phase III

From parking lot to vibrant transit-oriented development, North Loop Green leverages structural engineering for soaring heights and a dramatic office to residential connection.

Location

Minnesota, USA

Client

Hines

Architect

ESG Architects

Project Status

Completed

WSP Building Structures is part of the project team delivering a new 1.1 million-square-foot transit-oriented development adjacent to Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The mixed-use destination includes office space, market rate housing, short-term rental residences, dining and a public green space.

The buildings consist of a 37-story residential tower and a 14-story office tower that are connected by a 55-foot sky bridge that soars 210 feet above grade. North Loop Green is the third and final phase of a multi-year effort to redevelop several acres of parking lots in an area of the city ready for revitalization.

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©ESG Architects

Challenges above and below

WSP collaborated with wind engineers at CPP Wind Engineering Consultants to determine critical wind directions for relative movements at the interface between the sky bridge and the residential tower. Rather than considering design wind loads on each tower independently, this approach allowed the expansion joint dimension at the sky bridge level to be minimized, resulting in direct cost savings for the client.

Additionally, the buildings had to be designed around an underground creek and the Basset Creek Flood Control Tunnel, which bisect the site. Numerous structural columns were designed at grade to meet this challenge.

Minimal impact, maximum flexibility

The northernmost bays of both towers extend over Cedar Lake Trail, a popular bicycle and pedestrian facility. The northern tower column locations were carefully coordinated based on easements for the Trail and a planned high-speed rail line connecting Minneapolis and Chicago, to mitigate any impact for pedestrians, as well as current and future transportation connectivity. The site is adjacent to light rail, three major freeways and the Cedar Lake Regional Trail, which provides pedestrian access from downtown to the suburbs.

The lateral systems of both towers were limited to reinforced concrete shear walls within the tower cores. By limiting the extent of the shear walls to the cores—avoiding any wing walls or outrigger walls—the layouts maximized flexibility within the developments.