The Retreat at Mendota

Solution: County Prestress & Precast manufactured precast concrete components, including hollowcore plank, solid slabs, structural beams, and precast columns for this parking structure in Mendota Heights, Minnesota. The precast products accelerated construction, supported the site’s tight logistics, and met the demanding structural requirements for this multifamily housing development.

Accelerating Multifamily Construction with Precast Precision

The Retreat at Mendota in Mendota Heights, Minnesota, required a durable, high‑performance parking structure to support a new residential complex. With limited site access and an aggressive construction schedule, developers needed a structural solution that offered speed, strength, and reliability in all weather conditions. County Prestress & Precast provided a complete precast solution that met these demands while enhancing overall building performance.

To form the parking platform beneath the apartments, County Prestress & Precast manufactured solid slabs, hollowcore, beams, and columns. Hollowcore plank played a key role in the structure’s design, enabling longer spans, higher load capacities, and open, column-free parking areas. Crews were able to install decking rapidly with minimal on‑site formwork — which was an essential advantage on this constrained construction site.

County Prestress & Precast’s 12-inch hollowcore achieves two-hour fire ratings before assembly, and up to three-hour ratings after assembly, providing enhanced fire separation between the parking structure and the occupied floors above. By limiting sound transmission and providing fire resistance between these levels, the system helped the project meet code requirements while enhancing long-term safety and comfort.

Off-site manufacturing ensured that beams, columns, and deck panels arrived ready for immediate erection, allowing crews to complete major structural phases in just two mobilizations. Despite winter weather, site congestion, and the requirement to complete construction atop the precast before upper levels could be installed, our experienced team delivered the close coordination and schedule flexibility needed to keep the project moving.

Project Highlights

This project demonstrates how County Prestress & Precast’s concrete components accelerate multifamily construction on tight construction sites and in winter conditions. Off-site manufacturing and rapid erection kept the schedule on track, while hollowcore delivered longer spans, acoustic performance, and multi-hour fire resistance to support the residential structure above.