Highland Bridge, the neighborhood being built on the former Ford Motor Company assembly plant site in Saint Paul, reached another milestone on September 29, 2026. Ryan Companies and the Saint Paul Housing and Redevelopment Authority held a grand opening for The Albert and the new Civic Square beside it.
What opened
The Albert is a 97-unit apartment building with about 8,500 square feet of shops on the ground floor. It sits on a 2.97-acre block that also has three standalone retail buildings (about 13,500 square feet together) and a 13,000-square-foot child care center, Tierra Encantada, according to Ryan Companies.
The building keeps a piece of the site's history. Its east side uses the preserved 1920s facade of the Ford plant, which was designed by architect Albert Kahn, the building's namesake.
Civic Square, near Ford Parkway and Cretin Avenue, is a public plaza that links the Highland Park neighborhood with the rest of Highland Bridge. Two original frieze panels from the Ford building sit at its center.
What it means if you're buying
The Albert is a rental building, but Highland Bridge also has homes for sale. Ryan Companies says more than 150 for-sale row homes are complete, about 150 more are in development, and custom homes are now occupied. In July, the Villager reported that M/I Homes has a purchase agreement for lots where 144 townhomes will be built, starting with a first phase of 12.
The site also has more than 55 acres of open space and about 10 miles of walking and biking trails, according to Ryan Companies. Gateway, Uŋčí Makhá and Assembly Union parks are already open.
More building ahead
In May 2025, the City of Saint Paul amended its development agreements so builders could resume residential and commercial construction. The city said the changes cover 447 new housing units in three apartment buildings, plus four commercial buildings.
If you'd like to look at homes at Highland Bridge or anywhere else in the Twin Cities, you can start your buyer's journey whenever you're ready.