Address: Southeast corner, 105th Av. NE. and Davenport St. NE., Blaine
Type: Education
Size: 98,000 square feet
Developer: Spring Lake Park Schools
Architect: Wold Architects
Details: A May 26 groundbreaking is expected for a new prekindergarten through fourth-grade public elementary school on a site next to the National Sports Center in Blaine.
The Spring Lake Park Schools (Independent School District No. 16) purchased the 11-acre parcel on the southeast corner of 105th Av. NE. and Davenport Street NE. from the Minnesota Amateur Sports Commission last month after considering other sites in Blaine for the new school, which was made possible with the passage of a $50 million bond referendum last year. The cost to the district for the parcel was about $1.4 million, including $346,000 for the land itself, $700,000 for the construction of a new parking lot and $416,000 for soil remediation.
The school site is just north of the Sports Center's velodrome, which is scheduled to shut down following the 2019 racing season. As part of the deal, the school district picked up an option to purchase that 3.5-acre site as well, which could be used for "extensive green space for elementary programming during the school day, as well as high school athletics and activities."
The new two-story school building, designed by Wold Architects in consultation with a team of administrators, teachers and parents, is set at 98,000 square feet. It features beige/neutral brick as its predominant exterior material, accented by signature dark accent brick, included to distinguish the school from the sports buildings already on the site. The district and the state Sports Commission said they have signed a shared-use agreement in which the school will hold veto power over the scheduling of events on school days.
Don Jacobson
