How Arden Hills' Rice Creek Commons is akin to creating city out of thin air in Twin Cities' core

Rice Creek Commons, a project 13 years in the making, came to fruition Wednesday in Arden Hills, Minnesota, marking the first major development at the former site of the Twin Cities Army Ammunition Plant.

Ramsey County commissioners, city leaders and members of the business community were on hand for the grand opening of the new, 157,000-square-foot headquarters of Micro Control.

It's a 10-acre site, but it's staggering considering the entirety of the redevelopment is more than 450 acres. 

The county bought the old plant from the U.S. government in 2013 and spent years cleaning decades of hazardous waste from the property. Construction began with an April 2025 groundbreaking, when officials said the redevelopment was expected to have a future economic impact of $1 billion, WCCO reported. The Ramsey County Board approved the sale of a portion of the land in January 2024.

Rafael Ortega, chair of the Ramsey County Board of Commissioners, says he's already thinking about what's next. 

"When you think about it, this almost doubles the size of Arden Hills in terms of the city," Ortega said. He said the project also increases the county's tax base and gives residents a chance to live close to where they work.

Ramsey County is already preparing to cut the ribbon on a new county road. Work on new places to live, shop and eat is to follow.