What are Lofts in the North Loop of Downtown Minneapolis?

  Loft apartments are apartments that are generally built from former industrial buildings. In Downtown Minneapolis when industrial developments are developed into condominiums instead of apartments, they may be called loft condominiums. The general term warehouse-to-loft conversions may sometimes be used for development of industrial buildings into apartments and condominiums. "Loft-style" may also refer simply to developments where a street-level business occupies the first floor while apartment "lofts" are placed below the first floor.[citation needed]

Sometimes, loft apartments are one component of municipal urban renewal initiatives that also include renovation of industrial buildings into art galleries and studio space as well as promotion of a new part of the city as an "arts district."

Originally popular with artists, they are now highly sought-after by other bohemians, and the gentrification of the former manufacturing sectors of medium to large cities is now a familiar pattern.[1] One such sector is Manhattan's Meatpacking District. The adoption of the Adaptive Reuse Ordinance (2001) in the City of Los Angeles (primarily the Arts District) is another example of such legislation to encourage the conversion of no longer economically viable industrial and commercial buildings to residential loft communities. Such is the demand for these spaces that real estate developers have taken to creating ready-made "lofts" in urban areas that are gentrifying or that seem primed to do so. While some of these units are created by developers during the renovation of old buildings, a number of them are included in the floor plans of brand new developments. Both types of pre-fab loft offer buyers or renters proximity to urban amenities afforded by traditional lofts, but without perceived safety risks of living in economically depressed formerly industrial areas.

Real estate industry distinguishes between "hard lofts", which are former industrial buildings converted to residential or live/work use, and "soft lofts", which are loft-style residential buildings built entirely anew as described above.  To search the condo market check out Downtown Resource Group for lofts and condos.

The Future Of The Minneapolis Riverfront

  Not too long ago city leaders and residents in downtown Minneapolis looked at the Mississippi Riverfront with disdain.  For as long as Minneapolis has been in existence city dwellers had always been robbed of it natural attraction from the demands of commerce.  Over the past 15 years as the old industry has slowly left the downtown core for cheaper land in the outlying areas neighborhoods began to emerge like North Loop and the Mill District.  

  Suddenly the limited parks and trails along the riverfront started to get used by the new residents in the area.  Stop by the Stone Arch bridge on any weekend and it is packed with walkers, bikers and tourists, of all ages.  Minneapolis Parks and Recreation issued a challenge to all landscape and design based strategy firms across the world: bring us your brightest and latest concepts that incorporate the riverfront in a bold way.  Firms responded from all over the world with ideas--the top concepts were chosen by a cadre of public and private groups and published in a simple book.
  The top 2 landscape design firms have now been chosen along with a team of development and strategy firms to implements the concepts brought forth through the competition to implement the reuse of our riverfront.  Stay tuned to these exciting updates! In the meantime search for Minneapolis condos right here.

5 Reasons Why Using a Urban Realtor is Better

  Lets be honest, Realtors that deal exclusively in the downtown market present a higher value proposition to the buyer and seller markets than the rest.  At Downtown Resource Group, we firmly believe that using an Urban Realtor® is in your best interests and in this post we will give you reasons why local is the only way to go.

5 Reasons Why Using An Urban Realtor Is Better

1.     Superior Market Knowledge - A good urban agent knows the downtown inventory inside and out and will be able to more easily pick out Minneapolis Condos & Lofts that are a good fit for you.

2.     They Know Future Development -  As the city begins to build and develop land once again a good urban agent will be able to share valuable information with you on what is being built and where.

3.     Neighborhood Experts - A local agent not only knows all the specific neighborhoods, but often has friends and clients in each one that can be made available to you if needed. Our clients always appreciate hearing from people who live in the neighborhoods in which they are considering.

4.     Strong Relationships With Other Agents - A good urban agent will network with other local agents to get information that you will never find on line. We will know about condos and lofts that may be coming on the market in the future or learn about a seller who has suddenly become "highly motivated" and is open to offers.  

5.     In The Know - Real estate gossip gets discussed in small circles in every community, like at neighborhood meetings and at local parks.  While most agents will never learn this "insider information", an urban agent hears these things and will share them with their clients.

URBAN IS SAFER

If you are ever looking to buy or sell a condo or loft in Minneapolis, remember the importance of having an Urban Realtor.  They are always, always the safest choice.

Biking culture in Minneapolis

In the city of Minneapolis there are bikes and lots of them all over. It now hold title as the most bicycle-friendly city in the United States.

The reputation is well-earned…there are bicycles everywhere. You can even see bicycles parked at the airport! Cyclists of all shapes, sizes and disciplines are present pretty much everywhere pedaling around the city — from sleek fixies and hip young riders to kids to hardcore commuters, roadies and everyone in between.

The typical street scene in Minneapolis: bikes locked up everywhere. There were bikes on racks, bikes on poles, bikes on porch railings, in yards and every other conceivable location. And in Minneapolis it’s like this all year-round, not just when the weather is nice!

From our biking culture spawned Nice Ride-a non-profit bike sharing organization put hundreds of bikes for short term rentals out on the streets of Minneapolis starting last year. The result? The 700 bikes located in 65 stations logged in over 100,000 individual trips. Going into the 2011 seasons Nice Ride plans to expand further around the Metro and add additional bikes to the system. When the weather warms up be sure to grab a nice ride bike!

Why we LOVE Minneapolis

Why We're Here: Minneapolis from Seven and Sixty Productions on Vimeo.

New Life as lofts for a Pre-War Factory

In her apartment and art studio in Germany, Karin Sander, a Berlin-based conceptual artist, decided to blend them instead. “Even a bedroom can double as a studio,” said Ms. Sander, 53. “I wanted each area to be able to be a work space as well as something else.”

Her new space was a long time coming. In 2000, Ms. Sander was part of a group of 15 artists and architects who chipped in to buy a complex of buildings, where the Prussian army had once manufactured its uniforms, in the Moabit neighborhood of this city. Ms. Sander’s share was two levels of a three-story building — one on the ground floor and the other on the third floor — with a combined space of about 5,800 square feet, which she bought for $626,935.

Initially, she lived and worked on the ground floor and left the top floor empty while she decided what to do with it. After about two years, she toyed with the idea of adding two stories above the top-floor space. She had plans drawn, but construction was postponed because of not only lack of money, but also lack of time: her career had taken off, and her work was being shown at galleries around the world, including the D’Amelio Terras gallery in Manhattan and the Museum of Modern Art.

By 2008, though, Ms. Sander was ready to expand. She hired Sauerbruch Hutton, an architecture firm with offices in the adjoining building, to design her space, as the architects were planning an upward expansion of their own. They created a design that added two stories to the interconnected buildings, bringing them back to their pre-World War II height (the top two floors of both buildings had been severely damaged during the war and subsequently removed).

Construction, which cost about $240 a square foot, began in September 2009. Eight months later, Ms. Sander moved into her new, nearly 4,300-square-foot studio on the top two floors, renting the third floor and turning her ground-floor apartment into offices.

The color palette of the new space is muted, with materials like sanded concrete, terrazzo and Douglas fir; the only bright color comes from the modern furniture by Konstantin Grcic in the living area. Off the dining area, a door swivels open to reveal a pair of identical spaces that are guest rooms, meditation rooms or offices — or all three, she said.

Upstairs, the master bedroom opens onto a terrace with an outdoor shower. In the bathroom are two more showers; Ms. Sander has six scattered throughout the apartment. “You never know where you might need one,” she said.

Two more are on the main level: one in her studio and one in a capsule bathroom she bought several years ago from the Olympic Village in Munich after that complex had been turned into apartments. (The remaining shower is in a guest bathroom.)

The studio itself is divided into two spaces with 18-foot ceilings. In the smaller one, a ladder leads up to a tiny windowed perch; in the larger, another ladder goes to a library loft.

The space feels more like a gallery than a studio, it was pointed out to Ms. Sander.

“My way of living and working changes constantly,” she said, noting that she has already used the studio to show her work and that of other artists. It has also been a performance space for an artist whose medium is yoga and a site for a conference on climate change. That’s why the spaces look the way they do, she said — they “have to adapt.”

By Kimberly Brady from the New York Times

A brief history of the North Loop

The North Loop Neighborhood, located in what is frequently referred to as the Warehouse District, played an important role in Minneapolis’ history. Recognized as a bustling commercial hub and industrial center, this part of the city served everyone from manufacturers and millers, farmers to furriers, through the 1800s. In addition, the "north loop" of rail lines — the railroad and city streetcars running through the neighborhood — brought vital transportation to businesses and consumers alike.

With the decline of the industrial boom, businesses favored trucks over trains, and the Neighborhood slipped into disrepair. Many buildings were abandoned and left to decay. The 1970s brought a new era of artists seeking large spaces and low rents. These artistic pioneers found what they were looking for in the North Loop, and are largely responsible for bringing life back into this significant neighborhood.

Today the North Loop Neighborhood is once again a vibrant community, offering unique housing options, award-winning arts, entertainment, fine dining, and specialty shops, many within the original warehouses of the North Loop's historic heyday. We invite you to explore all the activities this “new” old neighborhood has to offer.

Geographically, the WDNLA shall be defined as the area bounded by the Mississippi River on the Northeast, to Hennepin Avenue on the Southeast, to Washington Avenue briefly on the Southeast, to 3rd Avenue North on the Southeast, Glenwood Avenue on the South, to Lyndale Avenue on the West and Plymouth Avenue on the North ending back at the River.

730 Lofts is merely blocks away from Target Field

We are only 3 months away from another season in which the Twins will call Target Field home! While some Twins fans remember baseball games outdoors at Metropolitan Stadium, others have only rooted from the Twins inside at the Metrodome. In April 2010, for the first time since 1981, the Minnesota Twins opened a new chapter in their history as baseball is played outdoors again, this time at Target Field. The battle to build Target Field lasted over a decade, as the Twins struggled to receive funding for construction from the State of Minnesota. Talks of contraction of the team, relocation and passionate support from fans finally led state legislature to approve financing of a new ballpark in May 2006. Under the State of Minnesota's authorizing legislation, the county's share of financing the ballpark was $350 million. This covered construction and infrastructure costs. The Twins organization contributed $130 million. Nearly one year after state approval, the Twins officially unveiled plans for their new ballpark. On September 15, 2008, the Twins announced they had reached an agreement with the Target Corporation to name the ballpark Target Field. Financial terms were not released, but the partnership lasts for 25 years.

The Minnesota Twins played and won their field game at Target Field against the Boston Red Sox on April 12, 2010. Target Field is located in downtown Minneapolis, in the Warehouse District. The ballpark reflects Minnesota's dynamic blend of urban sophistication and outdoor vitality. The facade of the ballpark consists of Minnesota limestone and a canopy that covers much of the upper deck seating. Most Twins fans will enter the ballpark through Target Plaza, a park-like gathering area located outside the right field entrance gate. This landscaped area features a 1,500 pound bronze glove, player statues of Harmon Killebrew, Rod Carew, and Kirby Puckett; a wall tribute to Minnesota ballparks, and the Metropolitan Stadium flagpole. Once inside Target Field, it is apparent that it is one of the best ballparks in baseball. Target Field features just under 40,000 seats, 18,500 seats in the lower deck, with the main three tier grandstand extending from the right field foul pole to home plate and to the left field foul pole. Between the upper and lower decks are 4,000 club seats, 60 luxury suites and the pressbox. A double decked grandstand is located in left field with additional seating in right field. Located in the northwest corner of the ballpark is the Budweiser Roof Deck that features a fire pit, bar, 150 bleacher seats and standing room for 150 fans. It provides fans with views of the Minneapolis skyline and Target Field.

One of the most unique features at Target Field is the home run celebration feature. Located in centerfield, this large feature is the Twins original "Shaking Hands" logo from 1961-1981. Twins characters, Minnie and Paul light up when a Twins player hits a homerun.