Kraus-Anderson completes new Central Service Center in Minnesota
Late this summer, Washington County in Minnesota expects to open its new Central Service Center, a 31,375-sf building located next to the Woodbury Village shopping mall in Woodbury, Minn., a suburb of St. Paul.
The $29.6 million service center, designed by Alliance Architects and recently completed by Kraus-Anderson Construction, will replace an existing facility. The new site will offer services that include issuing licenses, passports, park permits, homestead applications, and a place where residents can make property tax payments.
The Central Service Center will house a CareerForce Center, an election polling center, and provide services by Public Health, Community Services, and Community Corrections. Collaborative spaces and offices will also be available for lease.
The new building has a photovoltaic array on its roof, and glass features that accent an interior bridge connecting the upper-level sides.
Connecting with nature a project goal
According to the county’s website, the Central Service Center provides easier access to transportation and transit options for underserved communities. It will be located near the future Woodlane Drive Station Park & Ride; be accessible to two Metro Transit routes; and have access to the eastern terminus of the Metro Gold Line bus rapid transit, which is scheduled to begin service this year.
Among the country’s goals and objectives for this project are enhancing customer experiences through better wayfinding, meeting the county’s standards for energy efficiency and sustainability, connecting to nature, and maintain fiscal responsibility within long-range financial planning.
The Central Service Center has been under construction since Spring of 2024. Its design and construction documents were finalized in the fall of 2023. The construction features an open, sustainable design that utilizes mass timber supplied by StructureCraft, with glulam framing that supports dowel-laminated timber floor and roof panels, with beams spanning up to 54 ft over a double-height atrium space.
