The Soo Line Building is a 19-story residential highrise in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It was the tallest commercial building in the Minneapolis from the time it was completed in 1915 until the 32-story Foshay Tower was built in 1929.
History The Soo Line Building was built for the First National Bank of Minneapolis, a predecessor of today's U.S. Bancorp (U.S. Bank). The building was designed by the Beaux-Arts master Robert W. Gibson. The building later served for many years as headquarters of the Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railroad, which added an iconic clock to the corner of the building's street level. For commercial purposes, it was sometimes referred to by its address, 501 Marquette.
The Canadian Pacific Railway became a major shareholder for the Soo Line in 1890. The MStP&SSM merged with numerous CP subsidiaries in 1961 to form the "new" Soo Line Railroad.
During the 1960s, a remodeling operation transformed the building into small offices. The marble floors were covered with carpet.
In 1985, the Soo purchased trackage from the bankrupt Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad ("Milwaukee Road") and usurped it a year later. CP purchased the company outright in 1990; the Calgary-based railway's U.S. headquarters then took over the space for its 400 employees.Janet Moore, Soo Line's conversion to apartments is close to reality , Star Tribune, April 12, 2012, accessed August 6, 2013.
The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on May 12, 2008.
In 2011, the building was purchased by Michigan-based developer Village Green Properties for $11.3 million; after the commercial tenants were relocated, Village Green began conversion of the property in October 2012 into a 254-unit luxury apartment building with a street-level restaurant, scheduled for completion in Fall 2013.Jim Butcha and Janet Moore, Downtown Minneapolis offices find new life as apartments, Star Tribune, March 31, 2013, accessed August 6, 2013.Sam Black, Renderings unveiled for Soo Line apartments, Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal, July 5, 2013, accessed August 6, 2013.Rick Nelson, Schnitzel and foie gras for the Soo Line Building, Star Tribune, August 6, 2013, accessed August 6, 2013. In 2012, the CP moved out of the building.
The first residents of the remodeled building moved in by the end of 2013.
Location The building is located across Marquette Avenue from the 510 Marquette Building, the original Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. A skyway connects the building to its neighbor across 5th Street South. Residents' amenities include a rooftop, an indoor/outdoor pool, and a hot tub on the 20th floor.
In front of that building is the Nicollet Mall station of the Blue and Green light rail lines. Nearby is Canadian Pacific Plaza, renamed after the Canadian Pacific Railroad moved in after vacating the Soo Line Building.
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References
External links
Soo Line Building at the Hennepin County Library. Soo Line Building at the Minnesota Historical Society.