Gateway District (Minneapolis)

Gateway District (Minneapolis)

The Gateway District of Minneapolis is centered at the convergence of Hennepin Avenue, Nicollet Avenue, and Washington Avenue. Its borders are not officially designated or recognized, but are visible as the Mississippi River to the northeast, First Avenue North to the northwest, Fifth Avenue South to the southeast. and Fourth Street South to the southwest. The district includes a significant part of the Downtown West neighborhood and five blocks of the North Loop.

In the early years of Minneapolis, the neighborhood was called "Bridge Square", because it lied at the southern foot of the Hennepin Avenue Bridge and it was the commercial hub and government seat of the growing city. An early courthouse and city hall were located in a triangle-shaped building in between Washington, Hennepin and, Nicollet from 1873 to 1912. Some of the early permanent structures on the West side of Minneapolis were built directly across from that building.

The "Gateway District" was given such a name in hopes of revitalizing it at the turn of the 20th century, hoping to restore its status as the gateway into Minneapolis. Both the Minneapolis Great Northern Depot and the Milwaukee Road Depot were situated in the area, and numerous hotels and office buildings were constructed, including the Nicollet Hotel, the Hotel Vendome, the St. James Hotel, the Boston Block, and the Metropolitan building. A Depression-era renewal attempt brought the Minneapolis Main Post Office (1935) and Pioneer Square, the former of which survives.

The area remains as the historic core of the city, although much of that history was demolished in an Urban Renewal act during the late 1950's. The Metropolitan Building, demolished in 1961, is the most lamented loss of the area.

The area now boasts some of the city's finest examples of modern architecture. ING Group currently occupies the former Northwestern Insurance Building (1965), which occupies four blocks of the Gateway. The Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis was located in a suspension building (1973) at the terminus of the Nicollet Mall. It is now located on the Mississippi riverbank across Hennepin Avenue from the central Minneapolis post office.

With the construction of the new Central Library for the Minneapolis Public Library system, the old gateway has become a target for developers and planners. Minneapolis mayor R. T. Rybak has proposed a park, trees and a 10 year action plan for Washington Avenue. Whole Foods Market plans a store.

External links

* [http://www.lileks.com/mpls/gateway/index.html Mpls: Long Gone: The Gateway] , hundreds of photos of old buildings in the area since demolished

ee also

*History of Minneapolis, Minnesota


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем сделать НИР

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Minneapolis — This article is about the city in Minnesota. For other uses, see Minneapolis (disambiguation). Minneapolis   City   City of Minneapolis …   Wikipedia

  • Minneapolis, Minnesota — Infobox Settlement official name = City of Minneapolis settlement type = City nickname = City of Lakes, Mill City, Mini Apple, Twin Cities (with St. Paul, MN) motto = En Avant (French: Forward ) imagesize = image caption = Downtown Minneapolis in …   Wikipedia

  • Minneapolis South High School — Infobox Secondary school name = Minneapolis South High School established = 1885 type = Public city = Minneapolis state = Minnesota country = USA district = Minneapolis Public Schools principal = Dr. Linda Nelson grades = 9–12 students = 1800+… …   Wikipedia

  • Minneapolis City Hall — Hennepin County Courthouse U.S. National Register of Historic Places …   Wikipedia

  • History of Minneapolis, Minnesota — Minneapolis is the largest city in the state of Minnesota in the United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The origin and growth of the city was spurred by the proximity of Fort Snelling, the first major United States military… …   Wikipedia

  • Minneapolis Streetcar System — This article is about the proposed modern streetcar system in Minneapolis. For the streetcar system in the Twin Cities up to 1954, see Twin City Rapid Transit Company. The Minneapolis Streetcar System is a proposed streetcar system for the city… …   Wikipedia

  • Metropolitan Building (Minneapolis) — For the building in Detroit, Michigan, see Metropolitan Building (Detroit). The Metropolitan Building in November 1960 The Metropolitan Building, originally known as the Northwestern Guaranty Loan Building, is considered to be one of the most… …   Wikipedia

  • South High School (Minneapolis) — For schools of a similar name, see South High School. South Senior High School Location 3131 19th Avenue South Minneapolis, Minnesota …   Wikipedia

  • Washington Avenue (Minneapolis) — Washington Avenue is a major thoroughfare in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Starting north of Lowry Avenue, the street runs straight south, with Interstate 94 running alongside it until just south of West Broadway, when the freeway turns to the west.… …   Wikipedia

  • Northeast, Minneapolis — Northeast East Hennepin Avenue, looking north to the birthplace of Nordeast Nickname(s): Nordeast, Old St. Anthony …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”