The Saint Paul School District has completed a major renovation of Humboldt High School, transforming the 1970s‑era facility into a modern learning environment through a $48 million investment. The project included a 36,000‑square‑foot addition and more than 160,000 square feet of interior remodeling, featuring a new front entry, updated labs, modernized classrooms, and improved site design with an outdoor learning plaza. Interior spaces were reconfigured to right‑size classrooms, relocate career and technical education and fine arts programs for greater collaboration, and position administrative services near the front entrance to support a safer, more efficient arrival experience. The entire building received new windows, along with fully updated mechanical and electrical systems.
The aging structure presented significant challenges, including complex floor openings within the original 1976 waffle slab system, which required extensive steel reinforcement and careful material handling inside the occupied building. Construction was completed in eight carefully planned phases over three years, with more than 1,200 students and staff remaining on site throughout the process. Additions were built first to allow for student relocation, and critical systems such as fire alarms, HVAC, plumbing, and building egress routes were maintained at all times. The result is a fully renewed, twenty‑first century school delivered at a fraction of the cost of full replacement.
Humboldt High School
Address: 30 Baker St. E., St. Paul
Project cost: $48 million
Project size: 36,000 square feet
Owner: St. Paul Public Schools
Contractor: H+U Construction
Architect: Cuningham Group Architecture
Engineers: Clark Engineering; IMEG (structural); Ericksen Ellison and Associates (mechanical, electrical and plumbing); Loucks Associates (civil)
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