FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
April 12, 2025
CONTACT:
Liz Carey-Linskey
Liz.carey-linskey@ci.stpaul.mn.us
612-900-5307 (c)
City of Saint Paul opens new North End Community Center
Brand new facility will support surrounding community through expanded programming, increased square footage, and improved access to state-of-the-art social, athletic, and park amenities.
SAINT PAUL – The City of Saint Paul today celebrated the grand opening of the North End Community Center, a brand-new community center in the North End neighborhood. The 25,000 square-foot center, which replaces the old Rice Recreation Center, and 5.9-acres of outdoor space, offer expanded programs, amenities, sustainable building features, and expanded building hours.
The $30.9 million project took several years to construct, with initial design, testing, and community engagement beginning in 2018. A wide range of funding sources have made this awe-inspiring community center possible, including local Capital Improvement Budget and Sales Tax, Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership Grant, NFL Grant, Community Development Block Grant, and federal and state funding.
“Community centers are cornerstones of our neighborhoods,” said Mayor Melvin Carter. “The North End now has a space for young people to explore, neighbors to gather, and community to feel at home again. For too long, our neighbors have been without this vital amenity and we’re proud to welcome them back into a space built with their leadership and direction.”
The center boasts new socially and physically active spaces all housed in one state-of-the-art facility. The number one requested space by the community was a teaching kitchen located next to a main multipurpose room. Along with that, a few of the almost two-dozen amenities include meeting rooms, town hall seating, outdoor courtyard, fitness rooms, Sepak Takraw/Badminton courts, and a lighted pathway connecting the community center to the school. Phase two of the project will include the construction of an outdoor play area, expected to be completed this month.
“The North End Community Center offers state-of-the-art amenities like a dance room, teaching kitchen, Teen Room, gym, artificial turf, and much more,” said Andy Rodriguez, Saint Paul Parks and Recreation Director. “Beyond the impressive facilities, this building stands for something deeper—it represents the voices of an engaged community, a spirit of connection, and a hub of valuable resources for our Saint Paul community.”
As the most sustainable community center in Saint Paul, the building is designed to use 70% less energy than the average baseline building structure. The center uses a geothermal energy system — installed beneath the park for heating and cooling — amongst other sustainability-informed decisions to use window glazing, and renewable resource/low carbon building materials. Storm water management uses underground storage tubes and chambers designed to capture water from 170 acres of the surrounding neighborhood with enough capacity to handle a 14-inch rainfall in 48 hours. (This is 1.4x more volume than the swimming pool at the Paris Olympics.) Solar energy power system will be installed on the roof later in the year. Saint Paul is one of 18 local governments in Minnesota to receive a grant from the Solar on Public Buildings Program. Amidst the modernity of the building, it also fosters views of the outdoors from 90% of interior spaces.
“The North End Community Center represents a pivotal need for our communities—spaces to lead vibrant lives of joy, connection, and support,” said Saint Paul City Council Vice President Hwa Jeong Kim. “It is an honor to create spaces that foster these values. The engagement of the community’s interests and thoughtful planning has already made a positive impact.”
Local artists were hired to design the public art found throughout center and surrounding park, including several murals of expressive faces lining the walls and a creative mental fence panel in the courtyard, reflecting the diverse community. Three Saint Paul artists, Payton Scott Russell, Rana E., and Jayana D., along with student artists, used their unique talents to represent the vibrancy and creativity in the North End neighborhood.
The building is now open to the public with year-round facility hours. Monday-Thursday from 9:00am-9:00pm, Fridays from 9:00am-6:00pm, Saturdays from 10:00am-6:00pm, and Sundays from 12:00pm-5:00pm. For more details on classes and activities, or to visit the facility, visit stpaul.gov/NorthEndCC.
About Saint Paul Parks and Recreation Saint Paul Parks and Recreation is a nationally accredited and gold medal award-winning organization that manages 184 parks and open spaces, AZA-accredited Como Park Zoo and Conservatory, 26 city-operated recreation centers, more than 120 miles of trails, an indoor and two outdoor aquatic facilities, a public beach, a variety of premium sports facilities, municipal golf courses, and Great River Passage – which is the new identity for all proposed public development along Saint Paul’s more than 17 miles of Mississippi riverfront. For more information about Saint Paul Parks and Recreation, visit www.stpaul.gov/parks.
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