Snow Kreilich Architects collaborated with Stantec to design the Newport Transit Station, which is the beginning of a much larger re-development of vacated land along U.S. Highway 61 and I-494 IN Washington County, Minnesota. The Station will serve as a future link to a stop along the Red Rock Corridor hard rail line that will connect the Twin Cities’ southeastern suburbs to Saint Paul and Minneapolis. As one of the first stops along the Red Rock Corridor, this transit station will set the stage for future developments along the corridor. The design process involved collaboration and input from the City, County and Metro Transit.

This station will be the first building constructed in a 300 acre multi-use development and it was important from the client’s perspective for this small structure to create a presence in this vast open landscape. To achieve this, a large sloping canopy creates a symbolic welcoming gesture to commuters and defines an exterior waiting area and public plaza. 

Newport Transit Center addresses the needs of a park and ride facility and future rail connection. In addition, it was designed to allow the city to host events under the canopy, becoming a more civic performative structure. The dedication of plazas and green space around the facility early in the design process set the stage for it to become the heart of the future development.