TPT Unveils Revitalized St. Paul Facility Including New Community Gathering Space

SAINT PAUL, Minn., Oct. 8, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- After nearly a year of construction and an $18 million investment, Twin Cities PBS (TPT) formally opened their renovated state-of-the-art facility in Lowertown, St. Paul on September 29.

The renovation of Twin Cities PBS's 25-year-old facility was a major component of the most ambitious fundraising campaign in the station's history. Launched in April of 2010, "The Campaign for TPT" raised $40 million, which was invested in new programs and services, as well as new technology and building improvements.

"The Campaign for TPT has been transformative in many ways. Our newly designed space reflects how a 21^st century public media organization can become more community facing -- inspiring innovation, collaboration and community connections," said Jim Pagliarini, TPT's President and CEO. "The building renovation, with its open design, welcoming and gracious spaces for our staff and guests, and new public gathering spaces, signals, very tangibly, our new covenant with the community."

One major decision was to move TPT's main entrance to the street level, connecting it more with the vibrant Lowertown, St. Paul neighborhood. The new entrance opens to a gathering place for public events, lectures and performances. Future episodes of "The Lowertown Line," PBS show screenings and community discussions will all be hosted in the new TPT "Street Space." The space will represent an age of inclusion, collaboration and innovation for public TV.

The building will also reflect TPT's Minnesota and PBS heritage by featuring iconic PBS and TPT imagery along with images of Minnesota throughout the space.

In addition to the building, TPT will also be unveiling a refreshed mark and branding assets, which are modernized for the future, but retain a degree of familiarity and do not abandon TPT's core principals and values. The refreshed mark was developed in partnership with Capsule, whose creative team includes members of the group that designed the original TPT logo in 1999. To reinforce their local connection to the iconic and universally trusted PBS brand, part of the refreshed TPT branding work includes a new reference to the station as Twin Cities PBS rather than Twin Cities Public Television. TPT's website is also under development with a major redesign set to launch late 2015.

TPT's building renovation was contracted through McGough Construction based on an architectural design developed by Cuningham Group. Funding for the project was provided by private contributions to the Campaign for TPT, the state of Minnesota and New Markets Tax Credits – no membership funds were used in the TPT building renovation.

The Campaign for TPT began in April 2010 and with generous support from donors raised $40 million. Campaign leadership included: co-chairs: Ken Powell, chairman and CEO of General Mills, and Brad Anderson, retired CEO and Vice Chair of Best Buy; Greg Page, retired chairman and CEO of Cargill; Stanley Hubbard, chairman and CEO of Hubbard Broadcasting; and philanthropists Ruth S. and John Huss Jr. of The John and Ruth Huss Fund of The Saint Paul Foundation. 

About TPT
The mission of TPT is to "enrich lives and strengthen our community through the power of media."

As one of the nation's leading public media organizations, TPT uses television, interactive media and community engagement to advance education, culture and citizenship. Over its nearly 60-year history, TPT has been recognized for its innovation and creativity with numerous awards, including Peabody awards and national and regional Emmys.

Based in St. Paul, MN, TPT is the most highly viewed public TV station in the nation, reaching over 1.7 million people each month through multiple broadcast and online channels. The organization's particular areas of focus include: the educational readiness of children; serving the needs and unleashing the potential of America's aging population; engaging a new generation in the power of public media; and being the preferred media partner for organizations that align with our mission to enrich lives and strengthen community.

For more information about TPT, visit our website at www.tpt.org or join us on Facebook and Twitter.

Contact:
Elle Krause-Lyons, TPT Communication Manager
651-229-1491 | [email protected]

SOURCE Twin Cities PBS