Minneapolis grew steadily from the late 19th century to the mid-20th century, reaching a peak population of 521,718 in 1950. Subsequently, the city population declined until about 1990, when it stabilized, and people moved to the suburbs.
In the 1990s, the last wave of downtown development added 40-story and lower towers to the skyscrapers in the vicinity of Target, Ameriprise, and AT&T. By 1994, Stone Arch Bridge was opened to pedestrians, enabling the formation of a trail connection and providing views of Saint Anthony Falls. The old commercial buildings were adapted for new uses. The Whitney Hotel was built in the former Standard Mill, while the North Star Lofts were renovated from the former North Star Woolen Mills. Other developments, such as Saint Anthony Main and several condominiums and townhouse projects, offer residents the chance to live within sight of Saint Anthony Falls.
The development of vertical residential housing followed the development of corporate housing. Downtown West and former milling districts became dotted with high-rise condos during the 1970s condo boom. Riverside Plaza was the tallest building outside the Downtown area. The complex contains six towers, most of which are mixed-income properties. As opposed to the plain modern and brutalist concrete styles of that period, residential buildings with varying colors and architecture themes appeared in the late 1990s to early 2000s.
These fascinating photos will take you back to the 1990s in Minneapolis.
There are a lot of not fascinating photos to slog through here.