Third North Apartments: Where Smart Engineering Meets Modern City Living

Project Overview

BKBM provided structural and civil engineering services for the design of a six-story, 265,000-square-foot apartment building with 204 units in Minneapolis, MN. The project sought to deliver high-density, amenity-rich urban living on a challenging site bounded by historic street features and existing development.

Project Highlights

  • Contemporary Multi-Family Design:
    • Six-story structure with two levels of below-grade parking (192 stalls).
    • Tenant amenities on the first level include an outdoor pool and amenity deck extending over a portion of the parking structure.
  • Efficient Structural Systems:
    • Slab on grade at the lowest level.
    • Three levels of post-tensioned concrete slabs, including a second-floor podium supporting five stories of wood-framed upper floors.
    • Post-tensioned slabs minimized floor-to-floor heights and maintained lowest level elevation above seasonal high groundwater.
  • Innovative Civil Engineering:
    • Creative stormwater management via underground infiltration tanks and a modified Swedish Soil infiltration system.
    • Installation of an under-slab groundwater removal system with sampling manhole—allowing flow to be diverted to the storm or sanitary sewer based on contaminant presence, reducing sanitary discharge fees for the owner.
    • Civil challenges included proximity to historic brick and wood paver streets on three sides and adjacent buildings/parking. Salvage and restoration of a historic brick paver roadway was achieved in accordance with the Minneapolis heritage street plan.

Engineering Solutions

BKBM’s structural design optimized podium and post-tensioned systems for performance, resilience, and minimal excavation in a high groundwater zone. The civil team devised advanced water management and site solutions to meet regulatory, cost, and environmental requirements, while preserving historic site features.

Results & Impact

The completed apartment complex offers flexible, efficient, and amenity-rich housing in a dense Minneapolis location. BKBM’s structural and civil engineering approach met the demands of modern urban living while safeguarding the site’s historic character and ensuring sustainability.