Lowertown Ballpark

Construction was about to begin on a new ballpark in downtown Saint Paul when Section 106 issues threatened to delay the project. The city asked us to help get through the process.

Archaeological investigations had been completed and the findings accepted by the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), so the city assumed that it was done with its responsibilities under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act. The SHPO, however, required additional review, opening up the possibility of revisions to the ballpark’s design when final drawings were nearly finished.

We conducted historical research to better understand the evolution of the ballpark’s site and its relationship to the adjacent Lowertown Historic District. In consultation with a multitude of interested parties including the city, architect, contractor, SHPO, Saint Paul Heritage Commission, and citizen activists, we worked to reach a compromise allowing the project to proceed. As mitigation for the park’s impact on the historic district, we prepared an interpretive panel about the site’s legacy that has been installed near the ballpark’s entry.