St. Paul C-I permits up sharply.

Byline: Brian Johnson

Commercial and industrial building activity in St. Paul doubled from September to October, as builders pulled permits for projects ranging from an interior remodel within a historic office tower to new student housing.

The city issued $32.3 million worth of commercial-industrial permits in October, up from $15.2 million in September, according to St. Paul building permit data. The data includes C-I permits valued at $50,000 or more.

Despite the month-to-month increase, October permit activity was down sharply from last year. In October 2018, the city saw $89.79 million worth of C-I activity, including a $55 million permit for construction at Region's Hospital.

Minneapolis-based Ryan Cos. US Inc. pulled the biggest October 2019 permit, $21 million, for ongoing construction at the University of St. Thomas, 2115 Summit Ave. The college is on a building spree that includes two large residence halls.

Student housing under construction includes a 480-bed first-year residence hall at the corner of Cleveland and Selby avenues. For second-year students, a 260-bed dorm is rising on the west side of Cleveland Avenue between Summit and Ashland avenues.

St. Thomas spokeswoman Vineeta Sawkar said the $21 million permit is the full building permit for the second-year student housing project. A $2 million permit for footings and foundation work was issued in August.

Another notable project is underway at the historic Great Northern Building, a 14-story office tower at 180 Fifth St. E. In October, Engelsma Construction pulled a $1.1 million permit for first- and second-floor interior improvements within the 668,000-square-foot structure.

Remodeling started about two weeks ago and will continue into early February, said Nate Caswell, project manager for Engelsma Construction. The building hasn't seen an update of this kind since the mid-1980s, he said.

A centerpiece of the project is a makeover of the building's Great Hall, which is getting new high-end finishes and gathering areas. CBRE, which manages and markets the building for Gamma Real Estate...