ST. PAUL, MINN. — Dominium has completed the final phase of Upper Post Flats, an affordable housing project that repurposed buildings at the historic Fort Snelling site in St. Paul. The complex was developed as part of a public-private partnership that included the site’s owner, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, the National Park Service, Hennepin County, Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board and the Minnesota Historical Society, which operated the historic fort. Minneapolis-based BKV Group served as the architect.
The site comprised 26 buildings across 42 acres, including barracks, an administration building, gymnasium, morgue and hospital. The buildings were in poor condition, with some having been left vacant since the 1970s. However, the project team was able to salvage many of the original walls, doors and windows, entryways and staircases.
The total cost of the project’s development was around $160 million, including $70 million in Low-Income Housing Tax Credits. Upper Post Flats now offers 192 units that range from 285 to 2,676 square feet in size. The community is affordable to households earning up to 60 percent of the area median income. Preference is given to residents who are military members, veterans, first responders and their families.