Owners of the Minneapolis Armory in downtown will submit detailed plans this week to repair the building's roof, part of a larger process to overhaul the historic structure.
The proposal calls for converting the 1935 building, home to many events in Minneapolis history, from a downtown parking lot into a multi-use space for concerts, galas and athletics. It is expected to cost upwards of $22 million.
Doug Hoskin, managing member of Armory Development II, LLC, which owns the building, said they will submit detailed roof repair plans this week to the National Parks Service, which must approve them because of the building's listing on the National Register of Historic Places.
If all goes to plan, repairs to the leaky roof would begin in late summer and the full renovation -- which includes building a new floor above what is now the ground level -- could be complete by next May.
The project is also significant because it coincides with a larger development of downtown east. A new Vikings stadium, Wells Fargo corporate campus, public park and apartments are already being constructed next to the Armory.
"There are only a handful of armories that have been saved around the country," Hoskin said.
He noted that the facilities were built with the intent to serve both a military and a community function.
"The restoration of the Minneapolis Armory falls in line with its intended use as a community facility," Hoskin said.
