Soo Line Building

Last updated
First National Bank-Soo Line Building
Minneapolis Landmark
Soo Line Building Minneapolis.jpg
Northwest view of the Soo Line Building (501 Marquette), 2005
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Location Minneapolis, Minnesota
Coordinates 44°58′41″N93°16′9″W / 44.97806°N 93.26917°W / 44.97806; -93.26917 Coordinates: 44°58′41″N93°16′9″W / 44.97806°N 93.26917°W / 44.97806; -93.26917
Built1915 (1915)
Architect Robert W. Gibson
NRHP reference No. 08000402 [1]
Significant dates
Added to NRHPMay 12, 2008
Designated MPLSL1996

The Soo Line Building is a 19-story residential highrise in Minneapolis, Minnesota which was the tallest commercial building in the city from the time it was completed in 1915 until the 26-story Foshay Tower was built in 1929.

Contents

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). [2] The building was designed by the Beaux-Arts master Robert W. Gibson. [3] 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. [3]

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. [4]

The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on May 12, 2008. [1]

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. [4] [5] [6] [7] In 2012, the CP moved out of the building. [8]

The first residents of the remodeled building moved in by the end of 2013. [3]

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. [2] Residents' amenities include a rooftop, an indoor/outdoor pool, and a hot tub on the 20th floor. [9]

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. [10]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Soo Line Railroad</span> American class I railroad

The Soo Line Railroad is the primary United States railroad subsidiary of the Canadian Pacific Railway, one of seven U.S. Class I railroads, controlled through the Soo Line Corporation. Although it is named for the Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railroad (MStP&SSM), which was commonly known as the Soo Line after the phonetic spelling of Sault, it was formed in 1961 by the consolidation of that company with two other CP subsidiaries: The Duluth, South Shore and Atlantic Railway, and the Wisconsin Central Railway. It is also the successor to other Class I railroads, including the Minneapolis, Northfield and Southern Railway and the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad. On the other hand, a large amount of mileage was spun off in 1987 to Wisconsin Central Ltd., now part of the Canadian National Railway. The Soo Line Railroad and the Delaware and Hudson Railway, CP's other major subsidiary, presently do business as the Canadian Pacific Railway. Most equipment has been repainted into the CP scheme, but the U.S. Surface Transportation Board groups all of CP's U.S. subsidiaries under the Soo Line name for reporting purposes. The Minneapolis headquarters are located in the Canadian Pacific Plaza building, having moved from the nearby Soo Line Building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nicollet Mall station</span>

Nicollet Mall is a light rail station on the METRO Blue Line and Green Line in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Adjacent to the light rail platforms is the southbound METRO Orange Line bus rapid transit station Marquette and 5th Street.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wells Fargo Center (Minneapolis)</span> Office in Minneapolis, Minnesota

The Wells Fargo Center, formerly known as Norwest Center, is the third-tallest building in Minneapolis, Minnesota, after the IDS Center and the Capella Tower. Completed in 1988, it is 774 feet (235.6 m) tall. For many years, this was believed to be one foot shorter than Capella, but that structure actually had a different height. Norwest Center was designed with a modernized art deco style by César Pelli, reflecting nearby structures such as the nearby CenturyLink Building and the Foshay Tower, which is several blocks away. It is also considered by many to be a homage to 30 Rockefeller Plaza in New York City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cray Plaza</span> Building in the United States

Cray Plaza, located in the Lowertown neighborhood of Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States, provides space for working, living, eating, and recreating on one square city block opened in 1986.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis</span> Member Bank of Federal Reserve

The Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in the United States, covers the 9th District of the Federal Reserve, which is made up of Minnesota, Montana, North and South Dakota, northwestern Wisconsin, and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Although its geographical territory is the third largest of the 12 Federal Reserve banks, it serves the smallest population base of the system. It has one branch, which is in Helena, Montana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grand Central Station (Chicago)</span> Train station in Chicago, Illinois, US

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spokane International Railroad</span> Defunct American short line railroad

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marquette Plaza</span> Building in MN, United States

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Minneapolis Skyway System</span> Pedestrian skyway system in Downtown Minneapolis, MN

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">RBC Plaza (Minneapolis)</span> Class A Office in Minneapolis, Minnesota

RBC Plaza is a 40-story office tower and retail center located along Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota that serves as the U.S. headquarters for RBC Wealth Management. The building was formerly known as Dain Rauscher Plaza for Dain Rauscher Wessels, a regional brokerage and investment banking firm based in Minneapolis. Following the 2000 acquisition of Dain Rauscher Wessels by the Royal Bank of Canada and 2008 end of use of the brand by RBC, the building was given its current name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canadian Pacific Plaza</span>

Canadian Pacific Plaza is a 383-ft tall skyscraper in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It was completed in 1960 and has 28 floors. It is the 21st-tallest building in the city. It is the first major post-World War II skyscraper built in Minneapolis. It is also the city's tallest building completed in the 1960s. A skyway connects the building to the Rand Tower, Soo Line Building, and US Bank Plaza.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RSM Plaza</span> Building in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States

RSM Plaza is a 320-foot (98 m) tall skyscraper in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Formerly known as McGladrey Plaza, it was completed in 1969 and has 20 floors. In October 2015, the building was renamed RSM Plaza after its largest tenant, McGladrey, changed its own name to RSM. It is the 30th-tallest building in the city and is located on Nicollet Mall. At the time of its completion, the building was the fifth-tallest structure in Minneapolis and the city's second-tallest post-World War II high-rise, behind Canadian Pacific Plaza. The building is skyway connected to The Metro Apartments, the Medical Arts Building and the IDS Center.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railroad</span> Defunct American Class I railroad

The Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railroad (MStP&SSM) was a Class I railroad subsidiary of the Canadian Pacific Railway in the Midwestern United States. Commonly known since its opening in 1884 as the Soo Line after the phonetic spelling of Sault, it was merged with several other major CP subsidiaries on January 1, 1961 to form the Soo Line Railroad.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dan Patch Line Bridge</span> Bridge in Minnesota and Savage, Minnesota

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thief River Falls station</span>

Thief River Falls station is a historic train station in Thief River Falls, Minnesota. The station was built in 1913 to replace an earlier station and saw passenger traffic until 1967. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1995 as the Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railroad Depot and now serves as the Thief River Falls city hall.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">510 Marquette Building</span>

The 510 Marquette Building is a high-rise office building in downtown Minneapolis Minnesota. It was the first building for the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. It was designed by Cass Gilbert, architect of the Minnesota State Capitol building. It is located at 510 Marquette Avenue, at the corner of Marquette Avenue and 5th Street South in Minneapolis, right next to the Nicollet Mall station of the METRO Blue and Green light rail lines, and across from the Soo Line Building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Railroad and Bank Building</span> Historic building in Saint Paul, Minnesota, U.S.

The Railroad and Bank Building at 176 E. 5th Street in St. Paul, Minnesota, renamed Great Northern Building in 2019, was the largest office building in the Upper Midwest from its completion in 1914 until 1973. For most of its existence, it was the headquarters of the business empire created by 19th century railroad entrepreneur James J. Hill. The building is the work of architect Charles Sumner Frost and is a contributing property of the St. Paul's Lowertown Historic District. After the decline of the railroads in the United States, the building has been used as leased office space with some retail operations on the lower floors.

References

  1. 1 2 "National Register of Historic Places: Weekly List of Actions Taken on Properties: 5/12/08 through 5/16/08". National Park Service. 2008-05-23. Retrieved 2008-09-03.
  2. 1 2 Leigh Painter, Kristen (17 November 2015). "Owners celebrate the Soo Line Building's Centennial". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2021-06-15.
  3. 1 2 3 "Soo Line Building welcomes first tenants in downtown Minneapolis". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2021-06-15.
  4. 1 2 Janet Moore, Soo Line's conversion to apartments is close to reality Archived 2012-08-18 at the Wayback Machine , Star Tribune, April 12, 2012, accessed August 6, 2013.
  5. Jim Butcha and Janet Moore, Downtown Minneapolis offices find new life as apartments, Star Tribune, March 31, 2013, accessed August 6, 2013.
  6. Sam Black, Renderings unveiled for Soo Line apartments, Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal, July 5, 2013, accessed August 6, 2013.
  7. Rick Nelson, Schnitzel and foie gras for the Soo Line Building, Star Tribune, August 6, 2013, accessed August 6, 2013.
  8. Johnston, Louis D. (2021-03-31). "With the Canadian Pacific-Kansas City Southern railroad merger, a long chapter of Minnesota economic history comes to a close". MinnPost. Retrieved 2021-06-15.
  9. Hammerand, Jim (13 November 2013). "Tour the Soo Line Building City Apartments luxury units (Photos)". www.bizjournals.com. Retrieved 2021-06-15.
  10. Black, Sam (5 April 2012). "One Financial Plaza in Minneapolis to be renamed to Canadian Pacific Plaza". www.bizjournals.com. Retrieved 2021-06-15.