Midtown Exchange
Minneapolis, MN

Located in the heart of Midtown Minneapolis, Midtown Exchange has become a symbol of urban revitalization in a community that faced decades of disinvestment. Originally a Sears retail and catalogue outlet, the 1 million SF building sat empty for ten years as a series of developers worked on plans for renovation.

Minneapolis based Ryan Companies eventually became the master developer and the building and site have now been transformed into a medical corporate headquarters, Sheraton Hotel, ownership and rental housing, and a global marketplace that showcases foods and goods from around the world in a year 'round indoor market.

CLOSE Landscape Architecture+ was retained as urban and site design lead for the project, which abuts the Midtown Greenway, another CLOSE master plan for a bicycle commuter/transit corridor through Midtown Minneapolis. We worked with the adjoining neighborhoods to develop a plan that allows for continuing urban infill in this regenerating community.

The recently completed project has drawn national acclaim and multiple awards for its creative development strategies and innovative design for adaptive reuse and urban revitalization.