At a former flour mill in downtown Minneapolis, BKV Group designed a project that hits on a host of development techniques and community features all in one space—adaptive reuse, senior living and care, mixed-use elements, and affordability.
While the team repurposed an existing mill on the site into a modern office space, the developers built a new building, Abiitan Mill City, that provides 86 independent-living residences and 48 memory-care and assisted-living units for seniors. A second new building, Mill City Quarter, offers 150 one- and two-bedroom homes to area residents in need of affordable housing—all 150 units are reserved for those earning 60% or less of the metro median income. The affordable phase of the project also includes 15,000 square feet of commercial retail space.
Residents of the buildings have access to a business center, a community clubroom, a fitness center, laundry rooms on each floor, patio and grilling areas, a sky deck, and a bike- and car- share program.
At the center of the property is a woonerf, a Dutch term that describes a pedestrian-friendly “living street.” The space connects the residences with the retail space, nearby Mississippi River and biking trails, and public transit and includes landscaped open spaces and parks. The primary building entrances and the amenity and common spaces within each building are organized around the woonerf and include a café–coffee shop, numerous restaurants, fitness clubs, and medical services.
The designers drew from the industrial aesthetic of the original historic mill complex when designing the new buildings.
“Strong influence was drawn from the adjacent metal-clad and steel Milwaukee Road train shed, known for its rhythmic and repetitive structure, including the perforated, curved bracket details reflected in the curved forms of the ‘round’ scheme,” says BKV Group. “The building exteriors includes metal panels, creatively detailed cement board panels, decorative metal grills, glass, and some masonry. The team designed a hybrid wood-and-steel structure to support the decorative metal cross bracing that is a gesture to the intricate detailing of the nearby historic depot.”
