Former demolition landfill will transform into environmentally friendly neighborhood in South St. Paul plan

A former demolition landfill in South St. Paul could soon sprout a modern, environmentally friendly new neighborhood using modular construction, under a developer's plans recently approved by the City Council.

But the project, called Bryant's Ridge, is full of challenges. The 8-acre site includes a steep ravine, requires screening for methane soil gas and will need to be surveyed by the state archaeologist's office to ensure it doesn't contain Native American artifacts before developer TJ Hammerstrom's team can proceed.

Hammerstrom, a South St. Paul resident whose company is called Hopewell 360, said he isn't daunted by the site's potential problems: "These are [the] inner-city infill sites that we're attracted to," he said.

The project will be green and net-zero — meaning the amount of greenhouse gases it creates will be offset so there are essentially zero emissions. Hammerstrom said his company now builds only net-zero projects.

"It's time we start paying attention to the details of what's going on with our planet here," he said.

The development narrowly received approval from the City Council last week on a 4-3 vote, after previous plans were voted down in April. Some on the council are skeptical it could actually be built.

Mayor Jimmy Francis, who voted against it, said the developer and the timing weren't right for the project.

"It seems to me it's a bit of an experimental project, and I don't like South St. Paul to be the object of their experiment," said Lori Hansen, a council member who also voted no.

Other council members, though, liked its extensive use of solar panels and thought it would bring energy and possibly new businesses to the intersection of Bryant Avenue and Concord Street.

Michael Healy, South St. Paul's city planner, said the city sees the area as a "very special place." Officials, whose planning for the corridor dates to 2021, have envisioned a cidery and maybe an ice cream parlor there.

"Getting housing within walking distance of this intersection is how you achieve these goals," Healy said.

Bryant's Ridge received designation as a planned unit development, which allows for flexibility in meeting city rules. It's zoned multifamily and guided mixed use in the city's 2040 Comprehensive Plan.

The project must meet 40 city conditions before it can proceed, but that shouldn't be a deal breaker if developers are serious, Healy said.

A 'green' philosophy

Plans for Bryant's Ridge — likely a $35 million development — call for two apartment buildings with 154 units in all, two townhome buildings, two twin homes and a single-family home, all with a contemporary look. Nineteen units will be for sale with the rest rented.

The development will be market-rate, with twin homes and townhomes priced in the mid-$400,000s. The single-family home will be in the mid-$600,000s.

A conservation easement in the southwest corner will preserve just under 2 acres of woods, and Hopewell 360 voluntarily created a tree preservation plan to save 162 of the 392 trees on site.

Key to energy-efficiency is building the homes' components in a factory and assembling them on site, known as modular construction.

The project will rely on structurally insulated cement panels that aren't used in the U.S. The city will require that the state test the panels' insulation.

Hammerstrom said the components will be made in a factory that Hopewell 360 and Vantem, a partner, are in the process of building in Wahpeton, N.D. That project is moving through county-level approvals and the underwriting process for financing.

Modular construction provides less neighborhood disruption, takes less time and is "significantly cheaper per square foot" than conventional construction, he said.

Francis, the mayor, expressed concern over whether the factory would materialize. If the project isn't built in a modular way, that changes things, he said.

But Council Member Todd Podgorski said he thinks "green energy is the future" and was disappointed when plans weren't approved previously.

Hammerstrom said the project will be built, including the solar panels, even if he has to use traditional, stick-built construction.

"There's no question there," he said about completing it. "We have the technology, we understand the site."