50TH AND FRANCE DISTRICT STREETSCAPE IMPROVEMENTS Edina, MN Project Value: $1,120,000 Location: 50th & France District, Edina, MN Owner: City of Edina Project Engineer: Kimley-Horn and Associates Subcontractors: EJ Mayers Hoffman McNamara Killmer Electric Peterson Companies In 2014, Blackstone Contractors was selected by the City of Edina to install streetscape, planting, irrigation and lighting improvements throughout Edina s 50th and France Shopping District. Fresh, new plantings and street trees with an automatic underground irrigation system and decorative landscape lighting were installed to replace overgrown or dead plantings, improve pedestrian scale and add aesthetic detail. Nearly 14,000 feet of direction-drilled underground electrical conduit and irrigation pipe were installed to create these connected systems with little disruption to existing businesses and pedestrian and vehicular traffic. Blackstone Contractors replaced nearly 28,000 square feet of concrete pavers, poured new integral-colored concrete pavement and repaired the 50th Street paver fountain as part of this project. The Blackstone Contractors crew worked late-night and early-morning hours as needed to provide minimal impact to area businesses during their normal hours of operation.
50TH AND FRANCE DISTRICT WAYFINDING SYSTEM Edina, MN Project Value: $455,000 Location: 50th & France District, Edina, MN Owner: City of Edina Project Engineer: Kimley-Horn and Associates Subcontractors: Killmer Electric Nagle Signs In 2014, Blackstone Contractors was selected by the City of Edina to install a parking management and wayfinding system that wirelessly communicated with real-time parking availability, between the District s three parking ramps and a series of directional and wayfinding signs throughout the District. The centrally controlled system employs various sensor types to change message display indicators based on parking availability and change individual sign s internal LED lighting on or off depending on existing ambient conditions. Blackstone Contractors solicited the quality and artful skills of Nagle Signs to fabricate and install custom parking ramp signage and graphics, taking cues from the District s existing iconic theater lighting. Killmer Electric made the final electrical and networking connections for an operational system. The parking and wayfinding management sensors and communication system were supplied by Q-Free/TCS, out of Massachusetts.
ANYTIME FITNESS CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS - TRAIL S Woodbury, MN Image courtesy of Mathias Baden, Woodbury Bulletin Project Value: $212,600 Location: 111 Weir Drive, Woodbury, MN In 2015, Blackstone Contractors was brought-on by DJ Kranz, the general contractor for Anytime Fitness 80,000 square foot corporate headquarters in Woodbury, to lead a design-build team for the site s trail and boardwalk system improvements. Blackstone walked the 38-acre site with the Owner to collaboratively develop a vision for potential site improvements and then partnered with Wenck Associates, Inc. to design a looped trail system, amend site plan approvals and perform intermittent construction observation. Owner: General Contractor: Design/Build Team: Anytime Fitness, LLC D.J. Kranz Co., Inc. Blackstone Contractors Wenck Associates, Inc. Wheeler Lumber, Inc. Blackstone Contractors selectively cleared brush and trees, graded and built approximately 2500 lineal feet of soft surface trail and boardwalk, installed two timber pedestrian bridges, stabilized creek banks and built a natural stone amphitheater and fire pit gathering node among the property s forested and wetland settings. Wheeler Lumber engineered and supplied materials for the two timber pedestrian bridges and boardwalk.
GREAT RIVER SCHOOL STORMWATER Saint Paul, MN Project Value: $210,000 Location: 1326 Energy Park Drive, Saint Paul, MN Owner: Great River School Project Engineer: Wenck Associates, Inc. Subcontractors: Accent Electric Armor Mechanical Kelly Green Irrigation Great River School is an urban Montessori charter school in Saint Paul, Minnesota, hosting primary through high school grade levels. Blackstone Contractors was chosen by Great River School to convert an existing parking lot into a multi-functional natural play and educational outdoor classroom area that functions much like a green roof - capturing, collecting and filtering stormwater runoff. Stormwater that does leave the property is treated in an underground Jellyfish that utilizes a membrane-type filtration system to remove floatables, oil, total suspended solids, as well as particulate-bound pollutants before entering the larger underground stormwater network. The project included construction of an outdoor amphitheater-style classroom, wet-cast block retaining walls, limestone outcroppings, a natural play area, an above-ground stormwater storage cistern with mechanical and electrical systems for water collection and diversion controls, an automatic irrigation system, and native landscape plantings.
CHASKA DOWNTOWN IMPROVEMENTS - EAST SIDE Chaska, MN In 2015 Project Value: $215,400 Location: Owner: Walnut, 2nd & 3rd Streets Downtown Chaska, MN City of Chaska Project Engineer: Stantec General Contractor: Ryan Contracting Co.
2016 RYDER CUP BRIDGE SIGNAGE Chaska, MN Image courtesy of Craig Swalboski, Post-Bulletin Project Value: $79,000 Location: Pedestrian Bridge over TH 212, Chaska, MN Owner: City of Chaska Project Engineer: Kimley-Horn and Associates Subcontractors: Bulach Custom Rock Ess Brothers & Sons Safety Signs In September 2016, Chaska and the Hazeltine National Golf Club were home to the Ryder Cup competition, between the men s European and United States teams. Prior to the event, the City of Chaska selected Blackstone Contractors to install temporary signage announcing the upcoming event and fabricate and install new pedestrian bridge fence signage over TH 212 between Audubon Road and TH 41. Blackstone Contractor s subcontractor, Bulach Custom Rock, installed the temporary bridge signage in one day minimizing traffic slow-downs and delays due to lane closures. As with all temporary signage, the bridge marking denoting Home of the 2016 Ryder Cup will be removed in the spring/summer of 2017. Blackstone s work will include cleaning, prepping and repainting the bridge spanning the entire right-of-way to remove all indication of the sign s previous location. The new bridge fencing with City of Chaska signage and logo will remain, welcoming motorists to the area.
OAK GLEN CREEK EROSION CONTROL PROJECT NO. 380 Fridley, MN Image courtesy of Lucius Jonett, Wenck Associates Project Value: $353,000 Location: Fridley, MN Owner: City of Fridley Project Engineer: Wenck Associates Subcontractors: Prairie Restoration, Inc. Oak Glen Creek, located within the City of Fridley, flows into the Mississippi River upstream of Minneapolis and St. Paul drinking water intakes and was in desperate need of stabilization repairs when Blackstone Contractors was contracted in 2013 to stabilize and restore 1,400 linear feet of the ravine. Twenty-one private landowner properties abut this section of the ravine and after decades of unabated erosion, the eroded, soil-exposed streambanks topped 40-feet in height. Blackstone worked with limited access to stabilize the ravine with measures including rock cross vanes, vegetated riprap, brush bundles, cedar revetments and live staking. The majority of the ravine s hard armoring was completed over the winter of 2013-2014, while the bioengineering and vegetation techniques were installed the following Spring. Prairie Restorations installed and maintained the native and non-native vegetation for two-years following installation. Stormwater Solutions magazine article summarizes the details of this project.
Project Idea Board
Project Idea Board