Beacon Bluff Business Center Industrial

​As a premier economic development entity, the Saint Paul Port Authority (SPPA) improves lives by building vibrant economic communities. A key focus area for SPPA is purchasing, cleaning up and redeveloping brownfield properties, returning the land to light industrial use while creating living wage jobs with benefits for residents and providing tax revenue for the city.

SPPA commissioned Opus to develop, design and construct a speculative industrial building on one of the last available parcels in the Beacon Bluff Business Center. The site is the culmination of a more than 10-year effort to cleanup and transform the property, which was 3M's former headquarters property. 

The 87,038-square-foot building has 24-foot clear height and is designed to accommodate office and warehouse tenants with a heavy office finish. It features a maintenance-free exterior of exposed aggregate and pre-cast, and due to its infill location includes a below-ground storm water system. 

The project is important to SPPA because inventory levels are low and demand is high for spec industrial developments on St. Paul's East Side. Modern industrial users want well-located space for their workforces, and this infill site offers a market responsive solution. Noticing Opus' previous work in St. Paul, SPPA chose to partner with Opus based on proven performance in St. Paul and being well-established with the City of St. Paul and the market.  

The building was completed in December 2018.