Upscale hotel planned for Minneapolis landmark

One of the most recognizable and architecturally significant buildings in downtown Minneapolis is about to be transformed into a 165-room hotel with rooftop bar, restaurants and public spaces intended for cultural events.

Local developer Chad Tepley of CDT Realty said plans are drawn for 20 Washington Ave. S., the six-story Minoru Yamasaki building known for its dramatic white columns and green marble exterior. Tepley purchased it in November for $7.1 million. Paperwork needs to be finalized before he names his hotel partner, but Tepley said it’s a boutique chain with experience in historical transformations. Tepley is currently in the process of getting the property listed on the historic register, which could unlock tax credits for the project, and said he expects construction to begin early next year. He expects a summer of 2028 opening.

“We want to make sure it’s not just visitors that get to experience the building, but also the local community,” said Tepley, who believes this project can finally realize the vision Yamasaki had for 20 Washington as a gateway to the city, with its soaring portico designed to create sightlines from the Mississippi River to downtown. Opened in 1965 as the Northwestern National Life Building, it has always been used as office space, most recently by Voya Financial, which moved across the street in 2023.

Tepley said the original design naturally lends the building to becoming a hotel, even down to the loading dock and service elevator that reaches all floors, including what will become the penthouse level. Hotel rooms will follow the lines of the arched floor-to-ceiling windows, with both standard rooms and larger suites.

“We don’t have to cut out huge sections of floor to make light wells, which are often the things you have to deal with in these older buildings,” Tepley said. “I’ve even wondered if maybe Yamasaki wasn’t so thrilled with it being used as an office building. Maybe he always intended this.”

Yamasaki designed the World Trade Center’s twin towers in New York City. Legendary for his mid-century style, which combined classic elements with modern shapes, the architect has fan clubs around the world. Tepley believes that “starchitect” appeal will be a driver to the hotel at 20 Washington. In terms of where it will sit in the market for nightly rates, Tepley said he sees this hotel positioned “between Four Seasons and Hewing.”

The biggest construction feat will entail moving the heating and cooling system from the upper level, which has 18-foot ceilings in some parts, to create ballrooms and an indoor pool that looks out on the city. Structural engineers have given the green light to build a rooftop deck over the portico, creating around 17,000-square feet for a restaurant and lounge. In all, the project will include 40,000 feet of amenity space.

While I didn’t want to put a damper on what is clearly an exciting project for the city, I did ask Tepley if the recent Hospitality Minnesota report, which described the industry as “on the brink of no return,” gave him pause.

“It certainly makes you nervous,” he said. “But I believe in it so much. It’s such a unique building and such a unique opportunity to drive this part of downtown.”

Life Time leans in to health tech

Bullish on metabolic testing since 2005, Life Time just announced plans to roll out the SpiroFit VO2 at all of its clubs across North America. Athletech News called it “the metric every longevity-minded consumer suddenly wants to know.”

Once reserved for elite athletes, metabolic testing, which shows calories burned at different heart-rate levels and whether those calories come primarily from fat or carbohydrates, has become a mainstream wellness tool. That’s right in line with the Chanhassen-based company’s move away from the traditional gym model to capture more high-end health and wellness spending, a shift my colleague Carson Hartzog recently discussed with founder and CEO Bahram Akradi.

“We’re delivering clinical-level insight in a way that fits seamlessly into the club experience and helps members understand how their bodies burn sugar and fat and apply that knowledge across our programs to train smarter and see measurable progress,” said Danny King, director of performance and recovery at Life Time.

Metabolic testing costs $149 at Life Time’s Minnesota clubs. That’s on top of monthly membership fees.

Source: Startribune.com