By SHEA
The Larking
[lahr-king] verb: to have fun; to take jumps. One part residential complex (341 market-rate apartments), one part Wells Fargo facility, and one part on-street retail, this befittingly named 16-story edifice is brimming with potential and mixed-use opportunities. According to developer Kraus-Anderson, The Larking was set out to transform a half city block consisting of a single-story drive into a vibrant, high-density destination. While retail tenants have yet to be disclosed, the apartments are flush with amenities, including a 360-degree view of the city from its rooftop spa and pool area, an indoor clubhouse with a professional-grade kitchen, and a golf game simulator. The tower, situated on the crossing of 8th Street and Portland Avenue, was just topped off with its last steel beam this March, with resident move-ins expected in March of 2022. It was also considered the second-largest multifamily project in 2020, a year—despite its many challenges—that was marked with strong apartment growth.
“We are extremely proud to be a part of this latest renaissance of Elliot Park, giving renters the ability to have the downtown experience with easy access to public transportation and close proximity to the interstate,” says Matt Alexander, senior vice president of Kraus-Anderson.
Hennepin Avenue Project
If downtown had a main street, the case could be made for Hennepin Avenue. However, as is the case with most main streets, wear and tear from the past several decades—to put it into context, 50K-plus trips per day—means baby needs new (and more versatile) shoes. “The current corridor ... does not reflect current demand for a more balanced roadway that makes [it] safer and more inviting for pedestrians, bicyclists, buses, and cars,” the Hennepin Downtown website states. Construction of Hennepin Avenue, which traces the area between Washington Avenue and 12th Street, will be reconfigured to accommodate one-way bikeways behind the curb, a sidewalk area to support pedestrian activities (with space for planting and furnishing zones), four vehicle lanes, and space for enhanced transit stops. Hennepin Theatre District, the incandescent centerpiece of the corridor, says it sees the reimagination of Hennepin Avenue as a collaborative effort in transforming not only the road itself but also the mindset around what Hennepin Avenue represents: a venue the whole community has come to know and celebrate.
“Patrons and the day-to-day users will see more illumination and spectacle that enhances the theatergoing experience,” says Dale Stark, public relations manager for Hennepin Theatre Trust. “We hope to see a renewed energy among all our partners and neighbors in the Hennepin Theatre District that will inspire more creativity, activity, and vibrancy, making the district a walkable destination.”
“This will be more of a creative office environment, [conducive] to ad agencies, tech start-ups, even law firms.” Ned Abdul, owner, Swervo Development Corp.
Thirty
The Swervo Development Corp.’s latest project assumes space in the glass-and-brick monolith on 9th Street, what was long referred to as the “YMCA building.” The vision behind the 125,000-square-foot space is to wholly serve as, in a few words, a co-working space conglomerate. “There’s a lot of volume in this building—ceilings soaring up to 15, 25 feet high, enclosed in big walls of glass,” says Ned Abdul, owner of Swervo. “This will be more of a creative office environment, [conducive] to ad agencies, tech start-ups, even law firms.”
The brick exterior will be removed in favor of an all-glass façade, a key attribute of Silicon Valley’s aesthetic. Co-working–health club hybrid Life Time Work will occupy the top three floors come August 1. Life Time Work president James O’Reilly told Twin Cities Business last year that the Thirty building is an “architecturally significant property.”
Progress Report
- The Dayton's Project: The 1.2-million-square-foot site clinched its first major tenant this spring. Ernst and Young LLP (EY US), a global leader in assurance, consulting, strategy, and transactions and tax services, is leasing the fifth floor for its 800 professionals in Minneapolis. Of the building’s 12 levels, the basement and first two levels will be dedicated to retail, while levels three on up will house office tenants. “The remarkable technology, collaboration space, and digital innovation that has gone into the building embodies our future as we continue to be leaders helping companies transform in a rapidly changing environment,” says Mike O’Leary, Minneapolis office managing partner for EY US. The company plans to take occupancy this fall.
- Eleven: The last beam was recently placed atop the 42-story Eleven condo building in the Minneapolis Mill District, making it the tallest residential tower in the city. And despite it being a tough year to sell luxury condos, a developer from Ryan Companies says that two-thirds of the building’s 118 units have buyers.
This article originally appeared in the June 2021 issue of Mpls.St.Paul Magazine. Read more on downtown Minneapolis, 2021 summer-style, sponsored by the mpls downtown council, here.
