Central Corridor LRT Project moves into new office on the corridor

Staffers, contractors and subcontractors working on the Central Corridor LRT Project have only to look out their windows for inspiration.

Jessica Hill with visitors at Central Corridor project office open house

Outreach Coordinator Jessica Hill (left) explains the project to a group of visitors during an Open House at the new project office in St. Paul on Oct. 26.

Mark Fuhrmann with visitors at Central Corridor project office open house

Metro Transit Deputy General Manager Mark Fuhrmann (right), who is the Central Corridor project manager, visits with Barb and Pat Foss of St. Paul who attended the Open House.

Metropolitan Council Chair Peter Bell (left) answers questions from reporter Kevin Driscoll from the Highland Villager newspaper in St. Paul.

At the end of September, the project office moved into the Griggs Midway Building located at Fairview and University in the heart of the corridor. The office is across the street from Episcopal Homes, a senior housing complex, and Goodwill/Easter Seals, two organizations whose residents and clients will benefit from the LRT line.

For the next seven years, up to 120 people will work on the 11-mile line from the Griggs Midway Building, where coincidentally the Metropolitan Council got its start back in 1967.

Working on the corridor means staffers will have a front-row seat on the construction process once it begins in 2010, allowing them to keep close tabs on it. Along with others who live and work on the route, they also will have to cope with the inconveniences of construction.

“I think there’s real value in having the staff here because of our connection to the community and our connection to the people who will be affected by the project. It gives us insight into the problems they will experience during construction and the benefits they will enjoy when it’s complete,” said Gary Berger, the project’s manager of administration.

For now, about 75 people are working in the 20,000-square-foot project office. About two dozen are full-time project staffers. The rest work for the two main contractors, DMJM Harris and HDR, and their subcontractors.

The building was chosen with the help of the St. Paul Port Authority, which identified nine potential locations. The Griggs Midway Building was chosen based on its accessibility, visibility on the corridor and affordability, Berger said.

The project has received $45 million in funding to date, with $17 million from the Ramsey County Regional Rail Authority, more than $13 million in state bonds, nearly $7.7 million in Federal Transit Administration grants and $7.3 million from the Hennepin County Regional Rail Authority.