Coloplast Relocates To The Riverfront

The Colopast's new North American headquarters boasts many "green" features.

The Danish medical device company Coloplast is preparing to settle into its new North American headquarters at 1601 W. River Road North in Minneapolis, and with it come hopes of a revitalized Hawthorne neighborhood riverfront.

The 178,000 square-foot building on the 5.4 acre campus will provide workspace for 500 employees and boasts many "green" features. Coloplast has applied for its new facilities to be LEED certified, but their efforts towards improving the surrounding area has gone beyond environmentally-friendly building.

"When they first chose the site on the river for their new headquarters, they met with the Above the Falls Citizen Advisory Committee," says Irene Jones, FMR's River Corridor Program Director. "We liked a lot of what they propsed but also expressed several river-related concerns and offered some suggested changes. We were then pleasantly surprised when they made nearly every change we'd suggested."

For example, the original plans called for the closure of 17th Ave. North, but objections were raised over the fact that it is the only outlet between Plymouth and Broadway Avenues that connects the neighborhood to the river. Coloplast agreed to leave the street open and adjusted its plans accordingly.

"They made accommodations and really took the community concerns seriously. We were very impressed and appreciative" Jones said.

The City of Minneapolis also notes that Coloplast is partnering with North High School in Minneapolis to provide mentoring programs designed to educate and promote medical technology careers.