The Soo Line Building was the tallest in the city when construction was completed in 1915. (The Minnesota Star Tribune)
Once-tallest building in Minneapolis to become apartments
Village Green plans to add to the thousands of new units already planned for downtown Minneapolis.
By buchtjd
October 5, 2011 at 10:00PM
More new apartments are coming to downtown Minneapolis. After months of speculation, Village Green said it bought the historic First National Soo Line building along the edge of the downtown financial district and plans to convert it into apartments.
The 19-story building at 105 5th Street South was the tallest commercial building in Minneapolis when it was built in 1914. Since then it's been used as offices with restaurants on the skyway level. Local investors had planned to convert the building - a particularly lovely high-rise with Second Renaissance details - into a hotel, but the Great Recession put the kibosh on those plans.
Village Green is mum about the details of its plans, but expect something interesting. The Michigan-based company has a long track record of historic conversions in the Twin Cities. The company transformed the Eitel Hospital and an adjacent new structure into one of the city's most lively apartment buildings. And most recently, the company finished leasing up the new Mill District City Apartments on the edge of downtown Minneapolis near the Mississippi River. That project, and others by the company, are known for unusual amenities including an indoor-outdoor swimming pool and an outdoor party courtyard with its own movie screen. With apartment vacancy rates at historic lows, apartment developers have pounced on downtown Minneapolis with plans to build thousands of new apartments. Plans are proceeding to build three luxury high-rise buildings in and around the downtown core.
about the writer
buchtjd
Several home watch businesses joined together in the Minnesota Home Watch Collaborative to stay vigilant across the whole state.
