Item Description:
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Neg Agmt PR00006904 with MSR Design to provide building material reuse consulting services, 02/01/25-6/30/27, NTE $140,100; and neg Agmt PR00006905 with Doors Unhinged to provide building material reuse consulting services, 02/01/25-6/30/27, NTE $145,250
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Resolution:
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BE IT RESOLVED, that the county administrator be authorized to negotiate Agreement PR00006904 with MSR Design to provide building material reuse consulting services, for the period of February 1, 2025 through June 30, 2027, with a not to exceed amount of $140,100 be approved; that following review and approval by the County Attorney’s Office, the county administrator be authorized to sign the agreement on the behalf of Hennepin County; and that the Controller be authorized to disburse funds as directed; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the county administrator be authorized to negotiate Agreement PR00006905 with Doors Unhinged to provide building material reuse consulting services for the period February 1, 2025 through June 30, 2027, with a not to exceed amount of $145,250 be approved; that following review and approval by the County Attorney’s Office, the county administrator be authorized to sign the agreement on the behalf of Hennepin County; and that the Controller be authorized to disburse funds as directed.
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Background:
Increasing the reuse and recycling of construction and demolition waste is one of the most impactful zero-waste actions identified in the county’s 2024-2029 Solid Waste Management Plan.
Construction and demolition waste is a large waste stream - potentially equal to the amount of trash generated by residents and businesses - and materials such as cement, aluminum, steel and plastics have high climate impacts and significant diversion potential. About 75% of the materials in a typical demolition project could be salvaged or recycled, but only 30% of the construction and demolition waste generated in Minnesota is currently being recycled, according to state waste data. The reuse market for commercial building materials is currently lacking and additional resources are needed for the design and construction community to embrace reuse.
In 2023, Hennepin County collaborated with MSR Design, Doors Unhinged and the University of Minnesota’s Center for Sustainable Building Research through the Hennepin-University Partnership (HUP) to create the Project Manager’s Guide to Material Reuse in Commercial Buildings, a resource for owners, architects and contractors looking to design, build and maintain buildings with less waste through incorporation of reclaimed materials and deconstruction.
Upon completion of the Project Manager’s Guide to Material Reuse in Commercial Buildings in summer 2024, Hennepin County applied for the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency’s Sustainable Building and Materials grant to continue the work started through the HUP project. Hennepin County’s project was selected for grant funding in the amount of $333,637 to address key barriers to commercial building material reuse through targeted education and outreach, free technical assistance for pilot projects, and business development workshops to encourage more individuals and entities to work with used building materials. The subject matter expertise and partnerships with MSR Design, Doors Unhinged and the University of Minnesota’s Center for Sustainable Building Research are imperative to the successful implementation of the grant project.
MSR Design is a Minneapolis-based architecture firm nationally recognized for expertise in sustainable design, adaptive reuse and healthy materials. MSR Design has intensive experience with LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), Minnesota B3 (Buildings, Benchmarks and Beyond) and the Living Building Challenge, considered the most rigorous and holistic building certification program. MSR Design has worked with Hennepin County Facility Services on several county-owned projects, including the new Southdale Library design and build.
Doors Unhinged is a distributor of high-quality, used commercial doors, frames and hardware based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Doors Unhinged specializes in the deconstruction and installation of used commercial doors and partners with architects, designers, developers and contractors to ensure seamless integration into projects. Doors Unhinged has over 20 years of experience in construction, sustainable design and real estate development and is a national leader working to increase commercial building material reuse.
Current Request:
This request seeks authorization for the county administrator to negotiate and sign the following agreements to provide building material reuse consulting services:
• Agreement PR00006904 with MSR Design for the period of February 1, 2025, through June 30, 2027, with a not to exceed amount of $140,100
• Agreement PR00006905 with Doors Unhinged for the period of February 1, 2025, through June 30, 2027, with a not to exceed amount of $145,250
Funding for these agreements comes from a Minnesota Pollution Control Agency’s Sustainable Building and Materials grant.
Impact/Outcomes:
The building material reuse consulting services funded under these agreements will educate the design and construction community on building material reuse and provide subject matter expertise to increase reuse on commercial building projects. MSR Design and Doors Unhinged will conduct education and outreach, provide technical assistance on at least nine commercial building projects, business development workshops to educate future or current entrepreneurs on steps needed to get a building material reuse business or service off the ground.
These agreements support the county’s zero waste and climate action goals. Building materials have some of the highest associated greenhouse gas emissions of any single material type; utilizing used building materials in place of new significantly reduces the greenhouse gas emissions associated with the built environment. Teaching architects and contractors how to incorporate used building materials into construction projects, instead of just salvaging them for others to reuse, is an important part of creating a circular economy for building materials.
recommendation
Recommendation from County Administrator: Recommend Approval