Spruce Tree Centre

Spruce Tree Centre viewed from the northeast

The Spruce Tree Centre is a building in Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States. Located at the intersection of University Avenue and Snelling Avenue, the 126,000 square feet (11,700 m2) building was built in 1988. An attached parking garage has over 350 spaces.[1] The parking garage is owned by the city of Saint Paul and has electric car chargers.[2] The building replaced a drug store built in the 1920s.[3]

A 37-kilowatt solar panel system was installed on top of the building in 2010 as part of an initiative to install solar power prior to the opening of the Metro Green Line.[4][5] The panels cost about $350,000 with most of the cost covered by an Xcel Energy grant.[1] Since 2012 the building has been LEED certified and is currently rated Gold.[6]

Snelling Avenue Station of the Green Line with the Spruce Tree Centre to the left
The southbound A Line station with the Spruce Tree Centre in the background

Across the street is the Snelling Avenue Station of the Metro Green Line. Adjacent to the building is a Metro A Line station.[7] The building was described as a model, albeit in need of improvement, for transit and pedestrian supportive infrastructure on the Snelling Avenue corridor.[8]

  1. ^ a b Jossi, Frank (30 December 2010). "Building Blocks – Spruce Tree Centre | Finance & Commerce". Finance & Commerce. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
  2. ^ Olson, Rochelle (January 8, 2015). "Sun fuels car chargers in St. Paul's Como Park". Star Tribune. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
  3. ^ Lileks, James (June 7, 2014). "Green Line riders will catch a glimpse of Twin Cities history". Star Tribune. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
  4. ^ Dunbar, Elizabeth (15 December 2015). "Solar energy for powering light rail trains will expand". MPR News. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
  5. ^ "St. Paul's green building gets greener, Spruce Tree Center solar project". Energy Concepts. 9 April 2011. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
  6. ^ "Spruce Tree Centre | U.S. Green Building Council". www.usgbc.org. July 6, 2018. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference Renovation was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Neckar, Lance; Vogel, Mary (August 2001). "The Snelling Corridor and its Districts: Developing and Enhancing a Transit-Oriented Lattice Connective Structure" (PDF). Center for Transportation Studies - University of Minnesota. Retrieved 10 May 2024.