VAA provided civil and structural services for a new shopping center and re-facing of the existing Southdale Square. The new shopping center had an anchor tenant and additional smaller retail tenants. VAA also collaborated on a featured tower at the main entrance with structural steel tubing and custom steel plate box sections.
The site has one owner but is located in two different cities, Edina and Richfield. The civil work on the site was also located in both cities requiring an increased level of coordination by our civil team. A city watermain was relocated in order to accommodate the location of the new building, which was done under a separate submittal package. There were modifications to a public street and storm water to add a turn lane into the retail complex. Due to site constraints grade changes were challenging, requiring creative solutions, specifically around handicapped parking and loading dock areas.
Both storefronts received a fresh new look with new canopies and signage bands. VAA worked with the architect to address new snow loads due to the higher new facades. By stepping the canopies we were able to design a solution which minimized the additional snow load on the existing roof yet provided a desired height for signage and architectural presence. Tall entry towers were added requiring the existing roofs to be reinforced in those locations.
VAA worked with the landlord, contractor and architect to coordinate the phasing of the project. This enabled tenants to remain open during construction and minimized disruption to the many retail businesses in Southdale Square.
