New southwest Minneapolis house is actually two $1M-plus condos

Ready to downsize from your single-family home and ditch all the yard work that comes with it? But maybe you're not quite ready for a 55-plus building with long hallways.

You're the target market for a pair of new condos inside what looks like a single-family home in Minneapolis' Fulton neighborhood, just a few steps from 50th and France.

Citiliving Homes built the urban contemporary structure at 50th and Ewing Avenue S., where a small 1920s bungalow once stood. The bungalow was a rental property that hadn't been updated and was "substandard for the neighborhood," said architect Richard Andron.

In its place, Andron designed a modern two-story duplex, with a unit on each floor.

Both units have two bedrooms plus an office, two full bathrooms plus a powder room and the open-concept living areas and big kitchens with center islands that today's buyers covet. Both kitchens boast quartz countertops, Wolf appliances and built-in wine coolers.

And unlike most condos, with windows typically along one wall, both units have big windows on all four. "There's a lot of natural light," said Andron.

He and his business partner, Nick T. Boosalis, a real estate broker, envisioned the condos as a response to the city's 2040 plan, which calls for greater housing density.

"It needs to be done in a sensitive way that's respectful of the existing neighborhood. That's what we tried to do," said Boosalis.

The home's roofline has a similar scale and pitch to others in the neighborhood, said Andron, as well as some traditional components that help it blend in with its older neighbors. From the street, "It reads like a single-family home. It's a concept to fit into existing single-family-home neighborhoods as seamlessly as possible."

The two condo units are the same size, 2,400 square feet, and the same price, $1.168 million. They have a similar look and layout, but with a few differences. The upper unit has more ceiling vaults and some skylights, as well as a separate informal breakfast area. The lower unit has an extra-large island for informal dining. And both have private outdoor spaces — a patio for the lower unit and a deck for the upper.

Walkability is a major selling point. The condos are a block away from the heart of 50th and France with its popular restaurants, specialty shops and a grocery store, as well as a bank and post office.

"It's kind of a mixture of a single-family neighborhood and urban living — the best of both worlds," said Andron. "You get the convenience of a condo and the atmosphere of a neighborhood."

The target buyers are empty nesters who want to keep the advantages of a house without having to maintain one, said Boosalis. A management company will handle lawn care, snow removal and other maintenance; association fees are $748 per month.

There's a private elevator that opens directly into the foyer of each residence, plus a two-car heated tuck-under garage and heated driveway.

Nick T. Boosalis, Citiliving, has the listings, 612-260-8860.

Kim Palmer • 612-673-4784

@stribkimpalmer