HIGHLAND BRIDGE DEVELOPMENT OVERVIEW
For nearly a century, Ford Motor Company was an anchor to Saint Paul’s Highland Park neighborhood. Employing 2,100 people at its peak, Ford closed the doors in 2011, leaving an important piece of the community vacant.
After securing development rights from Ford, Ryan embarked on an 18-month community engagement journey focusing on core priorities of the master plan. In 2019, Ryan and the City entered into a Redevelopment Agreement and Ryan purchased the 122-acre site.
Highland Bridge connects existing retail along Ford Parkway to the Mississippi River, creating a dynamic and welcoming mixed-use gateway district with more than 55 acres of open space.
Key Community Benefits
OPEN AND PUBLIC SPACES – More than 50 acres of accessible public space including a mixture of parks, recreation fields, open spaces, pathways, waterways, and 1,500 trees and plantings.
SIGNIFICANT NEW AFFORDABLE AND ATTAINABLE HOUSING – Up to 20% of its units as affordable housing per the City’s zoning plan, and 10% of the total units will be affordable to individuals and families earning 30% of area median income ($37,000/year for a family of four) or less.
ROAD, BIKE, AND TRANSIT NETWORK – Reconnecting the site to the surrounding community via a new road and bike system network. Space has been dedicated for future rail transit to enter and bisect the site along Cretin Avenue.
LIVE, WORK, AND PLAY – The mixed-use village is only possible through smart zoning and is the direction established through the City’s comprehensive planning strategies.
TAX BASE – Once fully built out and after the public investment is paid for, it is estimated that more than $11 million per year in new tax revenue will be generated, increasing taxes from the site by 1,000%.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT – The largest private real estate investment in Saint Paul’s history with the cost of the new infrastructure and buildings estimated to be in excess of $1 billion.
JOBS – Highland Bridge will create approximately 14,500 construction jobs and 1,300 full-time jobs.
VIBRANT RETAIL DISTRICT – A mixture of retailers in a pedestrian friendly environment that will include plazas, ample landscaping, and outdoor seating.
RESIDENTIAL GROWTH – The Greater Metro, and Saint Paul similarly, is projected to see a population growth of 13 percent in the next two decades. The plan calls for a range of housing types and will appeal to a diverse set of incomes and lifestyles.
BUILDING TRADES – Construction will be executed by building trade unions with affiliated labor and wage requirements.
ENVIRONMENTAL CLEAN-UP – Ford cleaned this site to a residential standard, and Ryan, through its redevelopment, will clean the site even further.
CELEBRATE THE LEGACY AND HISTORY OF FORD – The project will incorporate several historic features on the site, including architectural elements from the original Ford assembly plant designed by Albert Kahn.
SUSTAINABILITY – In addition to innovative stormwater management, all buildings will be LEED certified and comply with the Sustainable Building 2030 standard, which strives for carbon neutrality by 2030.
