Location,Location,Location

Lofty Living Invades Downtown Minneapolis

By Tom McDonough

In the 1950s, Manhattan’s defunct garmentdistrict was hardly considered homey.Known for its shady business practicesand moral corruption, the district’s desertedstreets were dotted with abandoned factoriesand warehouses. These cast iron frame,19th-century buildings were constructed withlarge, open floors and expanses of glassbetween the columns.

Impoverished New York artists, musicians, and writers soon began seeking asylum in these rough neighborhoods, illegally living in its derelict buildings. Open spaces and low rents were the main attractions, but these dwellings were also far removed from the suburban status quo — living there was the perfect anti-establishment statement.

Ironically, what started as anti-establishment has blossomed into one of the 21st century’s most popular mainstream trends — loft living. Downtown areas across the United States are now in a building renaissance. Minneapolis, an economic hub of 360,000 people, is no exception. Old warehouses and commercial buildings along the Mississippi River and in the North Warehouse District are undergoing loft conversions, creating new neighborhoods and revitalizing the downtown area.

“Redeveloping downtowns is definitely a nationwide trend,” says Ted Hamilton of Denver-based Hamilton Properties. “Cities like Denver, San Diego, and Portland have made great strides over the last 10 to 15 years. If you look at the popular shows on television today — such as Seinfeld, Friends, and Will and Grace — versus the popular shows 20 or 40 years ago, you can really see the popularity of urban living.”

City Center Appeal

Not only do typical lofts feature large windows and high ceilings, but they also have few walls, exposed raw surfaces, ductwork, and skylights. Lofts built in Minneapolis today still conform to that tradition, but many are more upscale. Often as large as 3,000 square feet, they include fireplaces, custom lighting, expensive cabinetry, and hardwood floors.

“Three- and four-bedroom lofts in Minneapolis can go for $1 million plus,” says Perry Thompson, a Parsons Electric Project Manager who specializes in multidwelling housing units.

According to Jim Stanton of Minneapolis-based Shamrock Development, residential lofts are an attractive alternative to suburban living, particularly for young professionals. “These people want to live closer to their jobs,” he says. “There are also significantly more attractions downtown to support their social lives, such as restaurants, theater, and shopping.”

Challenging Projects

From a construction standpoint, upscale urban lofts are often difficult to build. “The challenge is each project is unique,” says Hamilton. “Redevelopment projects take more effort and time than new construction, which adds expense. So it takes development incentives and an entrepreneurial attitude to make these difficult projects happen.”

One challenge is working with the building’s original design. “We often have to deal with existing beams and columns, as opposed to working around the construction of these structures,” says Thompson.

Another challenge involves electrical amenities that differ from owner to owner. “It’s not like a commercial building, where requirements are already decided, such as each office will have two voice connections and a data-out connection,” says Wendy Boosalis, Manager of Parsons’ Technologies Division, which provides voice, data, cable TV, and satellite infrastructures for these dwellings.

According to Boosalis, requests from loft owners can range from additional phone jacks and TV outlets in bathrooms and kitchens, especially now that plasma screen TVs can fit anywhere, to special track lighting and custom outlets for whirlpools or wine coolers. “We have to know the owner’s requirements in advance in order to be cost efficient,” says Boosalis.

Opening the Lines of Communication

Meeting these challenges requires teamwork and communication. “We’ve developed a team that anticipates issues and tries to resolve them before we start construction,” says Boosalis. “Our field team works together at the jobsite scheduling materials and coordinating the trades.”

Parsons has developed an efficient process for tracking owner changes that quickly details the electrical and low voltage needs of each unit. The system also eliminates most of the errors that normally occur. “Each step is carefully clarified, and all parties understand the change, as well as the costs associated with it,” says Stanton. “Since written agreement is required, there are few surprises in the process.

“Parsons ensures everything is clearly understood on the front end, and the additional costs are communicated to homeowners in a timely manner,” Stanton continues. “We receive agreements and acceptance from homeowners on changes and ensure the changes are communicated to the field promptly.”

It’s in the Details

Besides the downtown locations, unique amenities figure into loft popularity. Two recent Shamrock projects — the 63-unit Rock Island Lofts and the 58-unit Security Warehouse Lofts in Minneapolis — feature custom lighting packages, state-of-the-art technology, maple hardwood floors, custom maple cabinets, premium carpeting, granite countertops, Corian vanities, and Kohler plumbing fixtures.

At Rock Island, Parsons was confronted with a lack of construction space for its equipment.

“It meant timely coordination and cooperation with the general contractor,” Thompson says. “This was accomplished through the efforts of J.E. Dunn’s Superintendent, Dan Olson, and our General Foreman, Jim Collison. They were great team players and worked well together to make the project run smoothly.”

The Security Warehouse Lofts had tricky timber ceiling beams and brick walls to deal with in the old structure. “We needed to run exposed conduit for most of the finishes,” says Stanton. “Therefore, the electricians were very particular. Parsons was conscientious about this and achieved its objectives.” According to Thompson, success was achieved through the excellent craftsmanship of the electricians led by Tim Gorman, General Foreman.

On the Horizon

Stanton is convinced the popularity of Minneapolis’s urban lofts won’t dim anytime soon. “We are on the front end of a huge trend,” he says. “We feel more and more professionals will find that the benefits of living and working downtown far outweigh those of suburban living. We look at other large cities nearby — Chicago and Toronto — and see a huge potential for this type of living.”