The city of Minneapolis is known for its winters, long seasons blanketed by somber streets and bitter cold.
But after the snow melts, summer’s sawdust collects and streets roar alive with the buzz of jackhammering and the melodic beep of backing trucks.
This summer was no exception. At least 19 major construction projects — ranging from building renovations to street reconstruction — are underway in the University of Minnesota area.
“We try to focus [construction efforts] when students aren’t on campus,” said Monique MacKenzie, director of architecture and planning for the University’s Capital Planning and Project Management office.
The city’s Public Works department is leading nine of the projects, while the other 10 on-campus projects are progressing under CPPM.
The average University project costs about $53 million, though the cost range is wide. For example, the ongoing construction of a new Ambulatory Care Center has a $165 million price tag.
Minneapolis has the potential for even more growth, said associate professor of urban and regional planning Carrisa Schively Slotterback.
“There is an interest at looking at higher-intensity places … that are served by transit, where there is already a high intensity of activity [and] a mix of residential, commercial, office and public uses like parks and recreation,” she said.
Construction in the campus area is split among private development, public works and the University, with no official liaison between them.
That requires close communication between the University and the city as each entity plans for projects in close proximity, MacKenzie said.
“I would call it an interactive system to get projects approved and underway,” she said.
The city’s construction season only lasts from “April until Thanksgiving,” Deputy Director of Public Works Heidi Hamilton said.
Though the projects listed only run until 2017, construction in a large city is never really over.