Demolition clears way for Downtown East

Demolition work included taking down a skyway over Fourth Street. (Staff photo: Bill Klotz)

The Downtown East redevelopment doesnt officially break ground until mid-May, but one of the first tangible signs of the $420 million mixed-use project is already visible in downtown Minneapolis.

On Tuesday, demolition crews took down a portion of the Star Tribune Freeman Building at 329 Portland Ave., a brick-clad downtown Minneapolis structure that stands in the way of the future Downtown East.

The 72,000-square-foot building next to the main Star Tribune headquarters building is being razed to make room for one of two 17-story office buildings within the Downtown East development.

Rogers-based Veit & Company is doing the demolition work for the projects developer, Minneapolis-based Ryan Cos. US Inc., according to a demolition permit issued April 16 by the city of Minneapolis.

Rick Collins, Ryans vice president of development, NorthCentral Region, said the building will be environmentally cleaned and demolished before the planned May 13 groundbreaking for Downtown East.

The Freeman building was built in 1982 and had an estimated market value of $1.4 million, according to Hennepin County property records. The building was linked to the main Star Tribune building by a skyway.

On Tuesday, demolition crews were seen taking down the skyway over Fourth Street.

The building sits on a property known as Block 68, part of the five-block redevelopment that includes 1.2 million square feet of office space, 28,000 square feet of retail, 420 residential units in two phases, green space and a parking structure.

More Downtown East-related demolition is to come.

Read the original:
Demolition clears way for Downtown East