RDO Dayton Equipment Co. Building

Background

In order to meet customer demand, RDO Equipment Co. (RDO) created a plan to expand their coverage of the Twin Cities area via a new full-service store just 30 minutes away in Dayton, MN. Other Twin Cities locations were in Burnsville and Saint Cloud, MN. This new location brings more convenience and accessibility to customers in the northwest Twin Cities Metro.

The store is located on the site of the new Dayton Parkway Interchange, which will be completed in fall of 2021. This interchange will provide easy access to the new store, where RDO sells John Deere and Vermeer construction and farming equipment.

Site Selection and Design

RDO has focused on the need and demand for a new construction equipment dealer for the region around the Twin Cities, but, even with that demand, they couldn’t forget the golden mantra: location, location, location.

When leaders at RDO began looking for the right site, they knew it had to be easily visible from a busy corridor like I-94. They discovered a portion of farmland for sale that had potential, but they wanted to make sure this site was exactly what they were looking for.

That’s when RDO began working with HEI’s GIS, planning, and drone teams. A drone captured detailed imagery of the existing industrial and commercial business in the area from a bird’s eye view. HEI used this imagery and other information about the site to create a 3D view of the site with views from I-94.

This model was used to help envision what the site could—and should—look like from all angles. It became easy to envision what a motorist driving down I-94 would see. And changes to the vision were easy to make, ensuring that the site would meet the exact needs of RDO. This site serves as a gateway to the city with construction beginning fall 2017 and completed in summer 2020.

The Project

This new development is one of the first buildings to be connected to the new interchange on I-94. It totals nearly 45,000-square-feet, making it one of the largest RDO stores in Minnesota.

HEI completed several services for the project, including full civil design, landscaping, platting, planning, concept drawings, 3D renderings, drone flights, stormwater design, and permitting, which includes coordination with the Elm Creek Watershed District and the Minnesota Department of Transportation.

Additionally, the HEI-led team observed the installation of eight settlement plates for continuous monitoring of the surrounding ground and embankments throughout construction to keep track of any potential material displacement.

The new City street and utilities that were constructed as part of this project meet City standards. They also meet Elm Creek Watershed Management Commission’s water quality requirements for stormwater runoff.