Downtown Minneapolis Office Market

[mplsjaromir]

It will be cool when Sinn Féin takes power and Medtronic ends up paying much more in Taxes.

[LakeCharles]

ICM buying three buildings, renovating them.

http://www.startribune.com/canadian-inv ... 373605891/

[mister.shoes]

I had to use Google Maps to figure out which building that's referring to. I was shocked to see that I've driven past it countless times, but never once realized that it was an occupied and, presumably, bustling building. Street View reveals just how blah it is in its relationship to the public realm. I hope there are some streetscape improvements eventually.

[MattW]

I had to use Google Maps to figure out which building that's referring to. I was shocked to see that I've driven past it countless times, but never once realized that it was an occupied and, presumably, bustling building. Street View reveals just how blah it is in its relationship to the public realm. I hope there are some streetscape improvements eventually.

I had to do the exact same thing. Had the same thought. It was like you were reading my mind!!!

[lordmoke]

Not only are they occupied, but those buildings actually house the Dunn Bros HQ.

[grant1simons2]

Baker is going all in on a 2 story lobby

http://m.bizjournals.com/twincities/new ... month.html

[twinkess]

Maison Darras is a victim of this remodeling

[grant1simons2]

ATT, AAA, and Midcounty Bank too. At least, that's what it looks like judging from the rendering.

I wish they did more. Removing the red and tan brick would've been nice to see.

[matthew5080]

Not sure how I feel about the exterior of the building, but the interior remodels look decent to me.

[twincitizen]

No apartment conversion in the works for any of the four buildings that make up Baker Center?
Would any of the four make an ideal candidate?

[Nathan]

I hate when they try to "modernize" mid century mod buildings without any respect to the original style, but it seems like it makes the building connect with the street much better.

[mnmike]

Code 42 to downtown...From just across the river...but still good.

http://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/b ... ngton.html

[lordmoke]

I would love to see their current space reworked into commercial. Having ground level office space right on Hennepin and Main really just kills that area.

[mnmike]

Ah, once upon a time it was. That was a pretty failed commercial complex:(

[xandrex]

I think I'd be kind of bummed to be working at Code42 with a move like this. Being right on the river seems much more appealing than a kind of uninspiring/dead part of downtown.

[grant1simons2]

I don't see this part of downtown being dead for much longer. 100 Washington is finishing up their plaza, Washington Ave is being reconstructed, the post office still has the potential to become a large market.

[Nathan]

FWIW I have two very millennial friends who work in 100 Washington and they love being there, right by whole foods, they get lunch in North Loop all the time, there's a Dunn Bros next door, and easy access to the food trucks on Marquette in the summer. Plus they say the building is managed really well now.

[Silophant]

Yeah, its definitely a less pretty environment, but it's got much better amenity and transit access than the East Bank.

[MNdible]

Yeah, my initial response was that Washington Square definitely does not have the kind of hip, indie DIY credentials that millennial techies are going to be looking for. Maybe they needed a cheap, short-term lease ahead of them getting bought out?

[xandrex]

very millennial friends

There's definitely stuff within a few blocks. And I'm sure the office is nice. My office is in the boring mishmash of bland towers and government offices, but I still enjoy it. That whole north end of downtown is still a little too quiet. But tech companies see something in it, as a few of them have moved there.

Still, the move is still almost certainly to get cheaper rents than they could get in the North Loop before either a buy-out or an IPO. They brought in a CEO (and he's brought in a lot of old coworkers) known for quickly growing a company and getting them ready to go public or get gobbled up.