Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Minnesota District Completes $49.7M Addition, Renovation Project

  • By Matt Jones
  • 03/17/26

Key Takeaways

  • St. Paul Public Schools completed a $49.7 million project renovating and expanding Hidden River Middle School and updating Wilson School, with construction finishing in December 2025.
  • The Hidden River project modernized nearly 100,000 square feet and added new space, improving security, classrooms, infrastructure systems, and accessibility features.
  • Sustainability was a key focus, incorporating energy-efficient systems, geoexchange heating and cooling, and drought-resistant landscaping with native plants.

St. Paul Public Schools in St. Paul, Minn., recently announced the completion of a $49.7-million addition and remodeling project at two district schools, according to a news release. The district partnered with DLR Group for design services and with Kraus-Anderson for construction, which finished in December 2025.

The Hidden River Middle School project involved remodeling almost 98,500 square feet of interior space and building a new addition totaling 10,800 square feet. Its scope includes new administrative offices, a more visitor-friendly and secure main entrance, updated classrooms, an upgraded kitchen, updated AV equipment, new HVAC and electrical systems, more inclusive restrooms, and partially replacing the roof, the news release reports.

Photo courtesy of Kraus-Anderson
Hidden River Middle School
Photo courtesy of Kraus-Anderson

The project website also discusses sustainability practices included in the renovated space. These include energy-efficient mechanics and systems, as well as a geoexchange heating and cooling system. New spaces were built with sustainable building materials, and outdoor landscaping uses “native, drought-resistant plants” and a drought-resistant seed mix that can also endure foot traffic.

Local news reports that the original Hidden River Middle School facility was built in the 1920s.

According to the news release, interior renovations at Wilson School—also part of St. Paul Public Schools—are also complete. These renovations included expanding classroom sizes and converting a locker room into a cafeteria expansion, according to local news.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Universities Continue to Launch Multimillion-Dollar Campus Transformations

    What makes the current wave of campus development especially noteworthy is its emphasis on multi-use functionality and community integration. Institutions are no longer investing solely in academic or athletic facilities in isolation. Instead, they are creating destinations that blend recreation, health, housing, and event-driven economic activity.

  • New Arizona Fine Arts School Reaches Construction Milestone

    Construction of the new Hilltop School for the Arts and Theater in Litchfield Park, Ariz., recently hit a significant milestone, according to a news release. The Agua Fria High School District held a beam-signing ceremony to celebrate the building’s topping out, or the placement of its last structural beam.

  • California School District Completes Elementary School Modernization

    The San Diego Unified School District in San Diego, Calif., recently held a ribbon-cutting for a whole-site modernization of Pacific Beach Elementary School, according to local news. The school first opened with one building in 1930 and added six more between 1938 and 1957.

  • Photo courtesy of Kraus-Anderson

    Minnesota District Completes $49.7M Addition, Renovation Project

    St. Paul Public Schools in St. Paul, Minn., recently announced the completion of a $49.7-million addition and remodeling project at two district schools, according to a news release.