The project team behind the renovation of the century-old Hidden River Middle School in St. Paul is making good use of a natural feature that inspired the building’s name.
As part of a $40 million-plus makeover of the 89,481-square-foot building at 1700 Summit Ave., the school district is planning an array of sustainable features, including a geothermal system, according to Ken Francois, a project manager for renovation contractor Kraus-Anderson.
The geothermal system will “utilize the underground river that flows below the building for heating and cooling, hence the school’s name change to Hidden River a few years ago,” Francois said in an email Tuesday.
Kraus-Anderson announced the start of the renovation this week. DLR Group has design duties.
HiddenRiverMiddle School, formerly known as Ramsey Middle School, will become the third Saint Paul Public Schools facility to install geothermal technology, and the second school to tap into an aquifer under the building to fuel the system, according to the school district.
Tom Parent, executive director of Operations and Administration at Saint Paul Public Schools, said in an interview Tuesday that the aquifer makes it possible for an urban school like Hidden River to use geothermal on a constrained site.
“A traditional geothermal system requires a fair amount of land that urban school districts generally don't have,” Parent said. “So with the advancing technology of aquifer-based geo-exchange systems, the opportunity for geothermal is much greater now for school districts like ours that have very small sites.”
In at least one respect, the Hidden River system will take efficiency to another level. Parent noted, for example, that the district’s geothermal system at Johnson High School requires 160 wells, but the aquifer-fueled Hidden River system requires only four.
With help from the geothermal system, the renovated building will have air conditioning, a feature that’s lacking in the current school.
“Being able to introduce it in a way that isn't going to increase our utility costs is a great opportunity to both provide more occupant comfort during the warm spells we've been getting during the school year and also being environmentally and financially responsible,” he said.
The school district set a $54 million budget for the overall Hidden River project, but Parent said the bids have been favorable and the district has committed only $42 million so far. The district is “on a good trajectory to come in well under budget on this project,” he added.
Parent said the district is using capital bonding authority and certificates of participation to pay for the project. In addition, he said, the district plans to seek reimbursement through the federal Inflation Reduction Act to cover part of the geothermal system cost.
The project coincides with the 100th anniversary of the school’s opening.
In a press release, Saint Paul Public Schools said the renovation will create “modern and collaborative learning spaces,” along with a new entryway on Summit Avenue, inclusive bathrooms and new media center.
Kraus-Anderson said the school will get a “full interior remodel” with mechanical and electrical upgrades, along with two small additions.
The Minneapolis contractor will also oversee interior renovations at the Wilson School, 631 Albert St. N., which will temporarily house students while Hidden River is under the knife.
The Wilson School fixes will be complete before the start of school in September and the Hidden River renovation is scheduled for completion in fall 2025. The school district says the temporary move to Wilson will “speed up” construction by two years.
From a design standpoint, the Hidden River renovation “fuses modern and classical architecture to preserve the building’s historical features and unify designs from past remodels, while imbuing the building with a contemporary aesthetic,” the school district said.
A signature design feature is the “undulating” metal fins on the exterior. The fins will provide shade while “echoing the movement of water to reflect the school’s name,” the school said.
Geothermal technology is just part of the project’s sustainable design lineup. Other features include the addition of high-performing air-handling units with energy recovery, and energy-efficient LED light fixtures and lighting controls.
Workers will insulate existing exterior walls and roofs, replace windows to improve energy performance and comfort, and install linoleum flooring in classrooms and terrazzo flooring throughout the building, the district said.
The district, Parent said, has had a school on the Hidden River property since 1887.
“Being able to breathe new life into the [1920s] building and set it up for the next 100 years of uses it’s fun to be a small part of the overall history of this school,” Parent said.
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