SRF, in partnership with OTAK, was retained by Seward Redesign to conduct master planning studies for a site located along Franklin Avenue immediately adjacent to the proposed Hiawatha Avenue Light Rail Transit (LRT) Shops and Yards site and the future Franklin Avenue LRT Station.
The purpose of the project was to determine the development capacity of the site and the potential for joint use of portions of the Shops and Yards site. Several site development concepts were prepared and evaluated, including the ability of the concept to accommodate a transit police facility and potential operational impacts on the Shops and Yards. Two alternatives were then selected for more detailed massing studies, photo simulation, and approximate cost estimates:
- A minimum development option that would involve construction of a 34,000-square-foot building (office with retail on ground floor) on the development site.
- A maximum development that would involve construction of a 240,000-square-foot building (office with retail on ground floor) on the development site connected to a 750-space parking ramp on the Shops and Yards site.
The construction activities required prior to or concurrent with the construction of the Shops and Yards were also identified, and costs for these tasks were estimated.