Proposed Expansion of the State Office Building / Minnesota.gov

CAAPB Authority Bypassed by Legislature Ahead of Rezoning Proposal for State Office Building Expansion

The Capitol Area Architectural and Planning Board (CAAPB) has been anticipating rezoning and design review applications in support of a proposed renovation and addition to the State Office Building. The addition extends into Leif Erickson Park, which is zoned for G-2 (public open space).

The following provision passed on the final day of the legislative session, without debate, intends to change the requirement in regard to CAAPB authority to review and approve the project:

“Sec. 11. CAPITOL AREA LAND USE PROJECTS; ZONING AND DESIGN. Minnesota Statutes, sections 15B.05, subdivision 3; 15B.06; 15B.08; and 16B.31, subdivision 4, and any rules adopted under the authority of those sections, do not apply to any project to address critical health, life safety, and security needs on the State Capitol complex and for which funds are available on or before December 31, 2023, if the primary affected tenant has given final approval to the project.”

Rezoning (through Rulemaking) for the project would otherwise not be able to proceed unless the Board finds that the project is in compliance with the Comprehensive Plan for the Capitol Area and meets criteria for rezoning of open space. In April, the Board voted 7-4 that the project, if considered together with larger Capitol Area investments, achieved ‘substantial’ compliance with the Comprehensive Plan. Two review and approval steps remained related to the expansion itself; 1) Rezoning of Open Space, and 2) Zoning Permit (satisfying built form. Land use, and variances etc within Rules for Zoning & Design).

After CAAPB approvals, the City of Saint Paul must then review and approve proposed infrastructure improvements and building permits.

The required rezoning (through Rulemaking) of historic Leif Erickson Park from government open space (G-2) to government office (G-1) had been initiated in advance of an application as a courtesy in spring of 2023 by CAAPB due to the procedural length of rulemaking and to provide the public with an opportunity for early comment in a fast-moving process. The Request for Comments addressed potential amendments to the Capitol Area Zoning Map to rezone properties north of the State Office Building and next to the intersection of Rice Street and University Avenue. Read more on the Rulemaking: Rezoning of properties near the State Office Building webpage.

CAAPB has a statutory duty and powers to “protect, enhance, and increase open spaces within the Capitol Area...” As an attempt to mitigate loss of open space, open space areas are being proposed to compensate for the loss of open space due to the State Office Building addition. New spaces next to the intersection of Rice Street and University Avenue are being considered and would need to be rezoned to G-2 (public open space) if they proceed.

State Office Building Project and Community-Focused Legislation FAQ:

The following FAQs are intended to help Capitol Area community understand the changes being proposed related to the State Office Building project and the related public realm investments nearby.

Frequently Asked Questions:
Where is the existing State Office Building? The State Office Building is located at 100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. in Saint Paul, just west of the State Capitol Building.

What changes are intended for the State Office Building? Where is the expansion proposed to be located? The proposed project [insert link to latest drawing packet] is a renovation of the current office building and an expansion to the north into Leif Erickson Park.

How big is the current State Office Building? How big will the expansion be? The existing five and a half story State Office Building is approximately 290,000 square feet. The expansion would add 125,000 square feet to the existing building, making the new building 415,000 square feet.

When was the State Office Building built? The State Office Building was constructed in 1932 and designed by Architect Clarence H. Johnston, Jr. The six-story Classical Revival style building was built in a location that was recommended by Cass Gilbert (Architect for the Minnesota State Capitol) in a report that evaluated proposals for a new state building (Cass Gilbert Inc. 1931). In 1986 the building was renovated, and the top floor was added by Leo Lundgren Architects. The parking garage was constructed in 1988 and designed by BWBR Architects.

When was Leif Erikson Park Built? The east side of Leif Erikson Park (or lawn) was designated as part of the capitol grounds by the mid-1920s. The west side of the site was vacated and Saint Peter Street removed by 1936. The Leif Erikson monument was formally dedicated in 1949 and was designed and sculpted by John Karl Daniels over a period of fourteen years. The present configuration of the lawn park—a half-block, triangular, open area north of the State Office Building grounds—was established by 1954. The removal of Wabasha and the extension of Leif Erikson Lawn to the State Office Building grounds took place between 1960 and 1980.

Is the building designated by the state as a historic property or listed on the National Register of Historic Places? How about Leif Erikson Park, where the expansion is proposed? The State Office Building and Leif Erikson Park are not currently designated in either the National Register of Historic Places or Minnesota state statute. Currently, the Minnesota State Capitol building, and site is listed in both the National Register of Historic Places (National Register) and is designated as a state Historic Site (Minn. Stat. 138.662), and the former Minnesota Historical Society (Judicial Center) Building is listed in both the National Register and the State Register of Historic Places (Minn. Stat. 138.664). The Judicial Center sits opposite the State Office Building on the Capitol Mall and was constructed 1915-1917 and designed by Architect Clarence Johnston, Sr.

Recent studies and reviews have determined that the Minnesota State Capitol Mall and surrounding area are eligible for listing in the National Register as a historic district. The State Office Building and Leif Erikson Park would be included as contributing resources in the historic district. These studies have also determined there is high potential for archaeological sites to the north of the State Office Building and in Leif Erikson Park.

Both the State Office Building and Leif Erikson Park are also included in a separate 2024 planned study of the Capitol Area using Arts and Cultural Heritage Funds from the Statewide Survey of Historical and Archaeological Sites administered by an Oversight Board. This study will further determine the significance and boundary of the historic district as well as contributing/noncontributing status of resources within it.
Who is designing the building and how were they selected? A collaborative team led by three firms were hired by the State of Minnesota Department of Administration. MOCA Systems Inc.(https://moca-pm.com/), BWBR (https://www.bwbr.com/), and Robert A.M. Stern Architects (https://www.ramsa.com/). The MOCA/BWBR/RAMSA team have been working with the tenants of the State Office Building to develop programming and design for the proposed building renovation and expansion. They were selected through a Request for Proposal process by the State of Minnesota Department of Administration.

When was the project approved by the legislature? In 2021, the Minnesota Legislature passed authorizing legislation to study the needs of the State Office Building and develop programming and design for its renovation and improvement. At the end of 2022, a house resolution adopted a proposed program plan for renovation and expansion.

Were alternative designs considered? The CAAPB competition requirement for major improvements outlined in MN Statute 15B.10 was bypassed legislatively and a designer was selected at a point when the size of the expansion had not been developed, before the impact of the expansion on Leif Erickson Park, Rice Street and the State Capitol Building been fully realized.. Other building and site plan designs were diagrammed early in the building addition planning process but dismissed in favor of the currently proposed design. It was felt by people reviewing the options that the current design best meets the project principles and goals identified by the MOCA/BWBR/RAMSA led project team. These are:
- Secure and Safe: SAFE BUILDING ACCESS; ABILITY TO SECURE WORKPLACES; PUBLIC / PRIVATE FUNCTIONS; POINTS OF ENTRY
- Open and Accessible: OPEN, WELCOMING, AND INTUITIVE WAYFINDING; OPEN TO PUBLIC, BUT SECURE; LOGICAL FLOW FOR PUBLIC
- Functional: FUNCTIONAL SPACES; MAXIMIZE DAYLIGHT; DESIGN TO ADDRESS FUTURE NEEDS
- Character - REFLECT MN HISTORY AND FUTURE; PROFESSIONAL & DIGNIFIED SPACE; HONOR HERITAGE AND HISTORICAL FEATURES
After a fully developed schematic had been developed, CAAPB staff and its three design Advisors were consulted. They offered several suggestions to the MOCA BWBR/RAMSA design team in early 2023 to address zoning compliance issues and improve consistency with the 2040 Comprehensive Plan for the Minnesota State Capitol Area. The suggestions addressed sight lines and views of the Capitol and Mall from the west, building size and layout, connections for the public between Rice Street and the Mall, stormwater innovations, and the community vision for Leif Erikson Park as a landmark urban space uniting the Capitol campus and the community. The suggestions have not been incorporated..

While the height of the State Office Building addition is technically in compliance with height restrictions placed on the current State Office Building and 1980’s ramp (lower than the height limits for the Capitol Area which must not be taller than the ‘shoulders’ (east and west wings) of the Minnesota Capitol Building), but the building itself is currently not in compliance with building form and land use controls set in place for open space, and the proposed design still blocks existing views of the Capitol building and creates physical separation between Rice Street and the Capitol Mall. The proposed building for it to be approved, therefore will require a rezoning of open space in front of the Capitol building.

Where is Leif Erikson Park? Leif Erikson Park is just north of the State Office Building. It is also sometimes called “Leif Erikson Lawn.” The following quote is an excerpt from a historic evaluation [provide link] of Leif Erikson Park done by Hess and Roise in 2013: “The approximate dimensions and configuration of the current lawn—a half-block, triangular, open area north of the State Office Building grounds—were established by 1954. The western half of the block was also used as a parking lot by this time and the diagonal route of Wabasha Street was still open to vehicle traffic as late as 1959. The removal of Wabasha and the extension of Leif Erikson Lawn to the State Office Building grounds took place between 1960 and 1980.”
Is the project in alignment with the 2040 Comprehensive Plan? The project has been evaluated within a larger set of public investments that support the Comprehensive Plan for the Minnesota State Capitol Area (described below). By statute, the CAAP Board must determine compatibility with the Comprehensive Plan as one required condition for approving zoning permits. When measured in combination, he CAAP Board determined the project to be in ‘substantial compliance’ with the 2040 Comprehensive Plan, despite the location of the expansion. (See the board memo containing the staff evaluation and the Board resolution, which passed 7-3 with 1 abstention).

Has the community been included in this process? What are the public agencies and organizations that have been consulted? In anticipation of receiving a formal application for rezoning and a zoning permit for the State Office Building, CAAPB staff have begun to meet and talk with key stakeholders about the project. See attached notice. Stakeholders consulted include:
- State Historic Preservation Office
- Metro Transit BRT and Shared Mobility Departments
- Capitol Region Watershed District
- Minnesota Historical Society
- City of Saint Paul Planning and Economic Development
- Christ on Capitol Hill Lutheran Church (visit to their Board scheduled for 4/20/23)
- Capitol Heights Block Club (ongoing updates at monthly meetings as requested)
- Network of Rice Street Stakeholders and Institutions (yet to be scheduled)
- Community Members (yet to be scheduled)
How do members of the public get information? Will there be public meetings? CAAPB staff are providing project information to the public through the CAAPB website, stakeholder conversations, and at community meetings when invited. Since design of the State Office Building is nearly complete, CAAPB staff will identify opportunities for future public input on the potential Capitol Area investments, and post notice on its website [link] of upcoming CAAP Board meetings and public hearings on the rezoning and zoning permit applications.

Are there other projects being proposed by the State of Minnesota in the Capitol Area relevant to this project? Yes, there are a set of investments being considered by the legislature this session that implement major elements of the 2040 Comprehensive Plan. Summarized here, they include:
- $25M for the redesign and reconstruction of lower Rice Street between Pennsylvania Avenue and Interstate 35E/94 commons.
- $1M to update the Capitol Mall Design Framework, including the creation of new urban spaces along Rice Street to mitigate the loss of a displaced Leif Erickson Park, and $5M to implement phase 1 of the Framework priorities.
- $5M+ for creation of a Capitol Area Vitality Account guided by the work of a task force of appointed community members.
- $5M for a Capitol Area public realm and streets fund.