About the North End Community Center Project
In 2018 funding was allocated to begin a campus study for a replacement of the Rice Recreation Center, and in 2019 the project officially started with community engagement and design of a new building and improved park amenities.
It soon became the North End Community Center project and included construction of a new 25,000 square foot building with enhancements to the existing 6-acre park. The new building is located at 145 Lawson Avenue West, near the Rice Street Library and directly across the park from Wellstone Elementary School.
This facility provides improved access to new state-of-the-art amenities to encourage social and physical activity in the community. These shared spaces include multipurpose community rooms, a teaching kitchen, youth ("Rec Check") and teen rooms, a gymnasium, a dance/yoga room, fitness rooms, a study room, outdoor courtyard and more.
Enhancements made to the park include a new multi-use artificial turf field, playground area, sepak takraw/badminton courts, picnic areas, a basketball court, underground storm water treatment, off-street parking, paved plaza, lighting, accessibility improvements, and additional non-programmed green space.
For questions about reserving indoor or outdoor spaces, please call the facility at 651-558-2392
Sustainable
The North End Community Center is the most sustainable community center built in Saint Paul to-date. Included in the design is an on-site geothermal well field for ground source heating and cooling and a roof-mounted solar array for on-site energy production. The project is following guidelines of the State of Minnesota's B3 sustainability program which includes strategies to analyze, manage, and reduce energy use.
Constructed underground, beneath the park, there is enough rainwater storage capacity to hold 1,000,000 gallons of stormwater. This is enough to handle back-to-back 100-year storms, equal to a 14-inch rainfall within 48 hours. This will help protect the surrounding neighborhood from flooding as a result of a severe rain event.
Access to natural light and connection to the outdoors was an important part of project design. 90% of spaces inside the building have access to exterior views. The windows of the North End Community Center have a ceramic frit on the glass which reduces solar heat gain inside the building, reducing cooling load, and greatly improving bird safety.
Wood was chosen for the building structure because of its aesthetic properties and because it is a renewable resource. Most of the structure of the building is Cross Laminated Timber decking and glue laminated timber beams.
Project Background
The City of Saint Paul partnered with Snow Kreilich Architects for design of the facility. Landscape architecture was done by the Design and Construction Division of Parks and Recreation.
Artwork throughout the building was created and by Peyton Scott Russell. This includes a three murals and an exterior fence between the building courtyard and Rice Street.
Exterior artwork, installed in 2025, near the park side entrance, is by Aaron Dysart.
There are many project partners to thank for making the project possible, including the following funding sources:
- City of Saint Paul CIB and Sales Tax fund over multiple years
- 2022 Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership Grant (ORLP) funded by the Federal Land and Water Conservation Fund
- 2022 NFL Grassroots Grant, partnering with the Saint Paul Parks and Recreation Conservancy
- 2022 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG)
- 2022 Federal Congressionally Directed Spending
- 2023 State Bonding
- 2024 Solar on Public Buildings Grant from the Minnesota Department of Commerce
