BKV Group, a multidisciplinary design firm, has completed design work on Waterford Bay, a four-story, 243-unit multifamily development at 380 Randolph Ave. in St. Paul, Minnesota.
The firm designed the riverfront community on behalf of client Stoneleigh Companies, which developed it as one of the first opportunity zone projects in St. Paul, with the goal of engaging the adjacent Mississippi River through a mix of public and private spaces. The site includes public access to the river with the addition of a kayak/small boat launch, an extension to the regional bike/walking path trail system and a portion of land dedicated to the city for park space along the riverfront.
The 295,000-square-foot property is a partial-wrap residential concept with a parking structure at its center and dwelling units surrounding it on three sides. Waterford Bay’s design evolved in response to site constraints, with BKV Group utilizing a lower three-story facade along the river that transitions to four stories along Randolph Street and the adjacent Mississippi River inlet. The upper residential floors frame two second-level courtyards that are separated by an amenity pavilion, creating an E-shaped design that segments the pool from the green roof.
BKV Group leveraged its full-service model by providing planning and pre-development services and leading all architecture; structural, mechanical and electrical engineering; interior design; and landscape architecture.
In planning the structure’s design, BKV adapted its northeastern facade to bend in a way that orients the front of the building toward downtown St. Paul and the inlet bay. This form also helps draw residents and visitors to the community’s primary entrance at the center of the bend.
The building itself consists of micro-units, studios, one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments, all offering high-end finishes including 9-foot ceilings; hardwood-style flooring; and modern kitchens with shaker-style cabinets, quartz countertops and stainless steel appliances.
Community amenities include an outdoor pool and landscaped amenity deck with four-season porch, outdoor grilling stations and fire pit lounges. Indoor amenities include an expansive fitness center and yoga studio, resident lounge, business center, rooftop clubroom with demonstration kitchen, secured bicycle and kayak storage, dog wash station and indoor parking garage with electric car charging stations.
To ensure the project, which sits along the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area, would support the ecological health of the adjacent waterway, BKV Group worked closely with representatives from Friends of the Mississippi River and the National Park Service during the entitlement process. In addition, BKV’s landscape architects utilized the required fire lane around the building as a pair of bike paths surrounding the property.
