Page 6 - St. Paul, MN Central Station Design Guidelines

1.1 How to Use This Appendix

Bringing light rail transit to downtown Saint Paul Chapter 3: Design Framework and Key Design
creates a signature opportunity to reinforce and Principles outlines general organizational concepts
enhance downtown Saint Paul as a contemporary, for the block and the key design principles for new
vibrant heart of the city for living, working and development, including massing, architectural details,
culture. It is an opportunity to put downtown Saint materials, entrances, windows, site design and
Paul “on the map” through a series of targeted city- pedestrian safety in and around the block.
building initiatives: strengthening and distinguishing
downtown’s development market; promoting large and Chapter 4: General Design Guidelines for New
small place-making efforts; and improving mobility Development on the Central Station Block expands
options and access to jobs, housing and community on the general design principles presented in
services. Chapter 3 and provides detail on appropriate future
development. This chapter provides design guidelines
This Appendix presents design principles and for topics such as site plan, architectural character,
guidelines for the redevelopment of the Central mass and form, exterior building materials, building
Station block in downtown Saint Paul. The design activation (ground-level, skyway and atrium levels)
principles and guidelines provide guidance for new and the potential for new parking structures on the
development that responds to the history of the block block.
and its context, addressing site plan, architectural
character, building design, mass and form, exterior This chapter also provides infill examples to illustrate
building materials, public space activation and how these design guidelines could be interpreted
structured parking. and could result in a successful development of the
block. The four scenarios that are presented are
Chapter 2: Central Station Block Development and hypothetical in nature, and are meant to simply provide
Existing Conditions describes the Central Station block visualizations through models and text that describe
and its history. This section explains each important important features of each scenario. In no way are
phase of development the block has experienced, the these four scenarios the only types of development
historic buildings that create the context of the block, that can happen on the Central Station block.
characteristics of these buildings and the physical
elements of the block that will influence future
development.

2 introduction