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Press Release

Mithun Selected to Help City of Saint Paul Reconnect With the Mississippi River

SEATTLE — 08.04.2010 — Seattle-based architecture and urban design firm Mithun has been selected by Wenk Associates as part of a consulting team for its Great River Park Master Planning project. Mithun will be responsible for urban design and sustainable strategies – identifying opportunities for architectural interventions as well as assess opportunities to positively impact energy, water use and the ecosystem of the Great River Park on the Mississippi River.

“This project is essentially about redefining the relationship between the Mississippi River and the city of Saint Paul,” notes Mark Shapiro, Mithun Urban Designer. “There’s a great opportunity to reconnect the city with the river, and in the process of doing so, restore the ecological health of the Mississippi River within the park.”

The city historically has been separated from the river, with big bluffs for most of the lengths of the river and virtually no other connection down to the water’s edge. Through the master plan project, the city’s goal is to develop strategies for development and management of the park, including some obsolete industrial areas that present significant opportunities for redevelopment and integration with the park.

“We selected Mithun for the project because of their strong commitment to, and experience in, exploring the frontiers of sustainable design theory and practice,” noted William Wenk, Principal, Wenk Associates.

A key element informing the master plan is the major cultural diversity the city of Saint Paul has experienced over past 20-30 years, transforming from a predominantly Northern European population to one that includes a large number of cultural and ethnic groups. Mithun’s work includes conducting extensive community outreach to gain a deeper understanding of what various community groups care about and want in the city’s vision for a park to ensure that the interests of a very diverse population are represented.

Also key to Mithun’s work is exploring what future development might look like once this connection between river and city takes place. “By reshaping the city to river one generates development opportunities, which in turn changes the value of the land, which changes where and what people want to build, where they want to live, and where they want to work,” notes Bill LaPatra, Mithun Partner. “Part of our responsibility will be to look at those potential developments – housing, entertainment, recreation, retail, and so on, and advise Saint Paul on workable, sustainable strategies for smart growth.”

Leading the project and the consultant team is Wenk Associates, a Denver-based planning and landscape architecture firm with which Mithun has a long relationship. The firms have partnered on several notable projects over the years, including the REI flagship store in Denver, which earned the distinction as an AIA Top 10 Green Project, and, most recently, a mixed-income, mixed-use Transit Oriented Development master plan for the Denver Housing Authority.

Project partners

  • Mithun (Seattle, WA and San Francisco, CA): Architecture, Urban Design and Sustainability Strategies
  • Wenk Associates, Inc. (Denver, CO): Lead Consultant | Landscape Architect and Planner
  • Hoisington Koegler Group, Inc. (HKGi) (Minneapolis, MN): Local Landscape Architect/Urban Design
  • Barr Engineering Company (Minneapolis, MN): Civil/Environmental/Ecological Consultation
  • Charlier Associates, Inc. (Boulder, CO): Transportation and Trails and Connectivity Planning
  • HR&A Advisors (HR&A) (New York, NY): Economic and Management Strategies
  • Tunheim Partners (Minneapolis, MN): Marketing Strategy and Branding
  • Noble Erickson, Inc. (Denver, CO): Wayfinding and Identity
  • The 106 Group (Saint Paul, MN): Cultural and Historic Interpretation
  • Forecast Public Art (Forecast) (Saint Paul, MN): Public Art Consultation
  • Little and Company (Minneapolis, MN): Strategic Design.

About Mithun

Mithun is a leading sustainable design practice that creates lasting places for people. The firm’s innovative and collaborative spirit encompasses architecture, landscape architecture, interior design, urban planning, and ecology — a multidisciplinary approach that integrates nature, technology and design. Mithun’s commitment to sustainability extends to mixed-use, corporate, commercial, residential, civic, science and technology, higher education, retail, senior living, renovation, restoration, and environmental learning. mithun.com

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