Richfield council approves Woodlake Nature Center site plan and $21.38 million guaranteed maximum price

The Richfield City Council on Feb. 11 approved a site plan for a new Woodlake Nature Center building at 6710 Lakeshore Drive and authorized a contract amendment setting a guaranteed maximum price (GMP) of $21,378,965 with M.A. Mortenson Company to build the facility and adjacent site improvements.

The new, one-story building will be roughly twice the size of the existing nature center and will be located about 40 feet farther from the lake and about 80 feet closer to the street. Design features described in staff materials include dark brown wood siding, green roof forms, an expanded lobby, exhibit and multipurpose spaces, a lounge and conference space, staff offices, and an amphitheater. The parking areas will receive landscaping upgrades and electric vehicle chargers; the lower (western) parking lot will be fully repaved while an upper lot…