Ryan Companies US, Inc., in partnership with the Housing and Redevelopment Authority for the City of Saint Paul, celebrated the groundbreaking of new housing and retail at Highland Bridge, the 122-acre mixed-use development at the former site of Ford Motor Company’s Twin Cities assembly plant in St. Paul, Minnesota.
This milestone represents continued progress in the City of Saint Paul’s vision of a connected, sustainable and vibrant urban community.
“Highland Bridge is at the center of our goals to increase housing and economic vitality,” said Saint Paul Mayor Melvin Carter. “Now is our moment to realize the full vision of a vibrant neighborhood where our community can truly thrive.”
The 2.97-acre mixed-use site located at the intersection of Cretin Avenue and Ford Parkway in the Highland Park neighborhood of Saint Paul will feature five buildings, including a 97-unit multifamily building with 8,500 square feet of ground-floor retail, three standalone retail buildings totaling 14,000 square feet, and a 13,000-square-foot daycare center. The project also includes a two-level structured parking ramp and key pedestrian access features to connect the Highland Park community to the amenities of the Highland Bridge development.
Key amenities of the multifamily apartment building include a club room, outdoor patio with grill station, fitness room, coworking enclaves, roof deck patio, and secured package room.
“This groundbreaking marks more than just the start of construction—it marks the next chapter of realizing the vision we share with the City of Saint Paul and the Highland Park community,” said Maureen Michalski, regional senior vice president of development, Ryan Companies. “With vibrant commercial spaces and enhanced public pathways, this development on Block 2B and C will provide much-needed housing, jobs and economic vibrancy acting as a gateway to the Highland Bridge development.”
The project aligns with the Highland Bridge master plan’s emphasis on high-quality design, energy efficiency, and public connectivity. Featuring LEED certification goals, solar-ready roofs, EV charging stations, and car-sharing accommodations, this phase reinforces the development’s status as the region’s most sustainable community.
This initiative is a public-private partnership supported by the City of Saint Paul and the Housing and Redevelopment Authority (HRA), which played a pivotal role in providing Tax Increment Financing (TIF) from existing TIF district budget savings. City leadership, including Mayor Carter and Councilmember Saura Jost, has been instrumental in championing this vision and City of St Paul staff have been critical in bringing the vision to reality.
The site’s location at the intersection of Civic Plaza and Civic Square connects future residents and businesses to the broader Highland Bridge amenities—55+ acres of open space, 10 miles of pedestrian and bike trails, and a vibrant mix of housing, retail, and medical facilities.
The $68 million project started in June 2025 and will be substantially completed by November 2026.
Ryan is leading the project as developer, builder, and designer—providing a fully integrated approach that ensures alignment from concept through completion
