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Work progesses on former Minneapolis Sears building
Larger view
The atrium. (MPR Photo/Art Hughes)
The developers of the former Sears building on Minneapolis' Lake Street say they've completed two of the biggest remaining construction agreements. As heavy, round-the-clock construction continues, many prospective tenants say a vision is forming of a retail space similar to Seattle's Pike Place Market and other destination shopping areas

Minneapolis, Minn. — Rick Collins' shoes turn grey as he trudges through the half inch of powder that covers nearly everything in the million square feet of what is now called the Midtown Exchange. But the vice president of Ryan Construction, the lead developer of the $189 million project, didn't seem to mind.

"As you can see, it's a typical construction site," Collins said over the roar of concrete saws. "It's dirty, dusty, noisy -- and a lot of fun to be around."

Collins leads the way up a creaky temporary elevator and four flights of stairs, to reach the crown jewel of the development on the very top floor of the building's central tower.

"This will be one condominium unit," Collins said as he stands in the middle of a large, unfinished room. "Unit number 1600. This unit has the most spectacular windows, and therefore views, and ceiling height. The 14th floor unit has its own exterior floor deck."

The penthouse has 34-foot ceilings and majestic windows all around. It's part of the plan by Sherman Associates to build 89 condos and another 219 rental apartments -- a deal which Ryan finalized last month.

"These were major milestones," Collins said. "Many, many people had been involved in all the various aspects of that. We wanted to give them a chance to look at this project as more than the legal documents they've been working with, and give them a chance to look at the real estate."

Collins said the development is so big and complex, only now are people able to envision the plan to turn the imposing concrete warehouse and retail store into inviting office and living space, with modern amenities and abundant natural light.

The vision is also starting to come into focus for a variety of groups hoping to make up the Global Marketplace -- a planned collection of different ethnic food and merchandise sellers on the building's ground level.

Mike Temali, director of the Neighborhood Development Center, one of the marketplace's lead organizers, said he's gotten more than 100 applications from potential vendors.

"Everything from Scandinavian pastries, to Somali lunches, to Italian delis, to African American soul food to American Indian wild rice and fry bread," Temali said.

The Marketplace is aiming to open to the public in the summer of 2006. Temali said organizers will start deciding on the vendors this spring.

One of the groups recruiting businesses is the African Development Center, which works with small, mainly Somali entrepreneurs that now locate in collective shopping centers called suuks.

"This is going to be a different ball game," said Hussein Samatar, the African Development Center's director. "This is not something Minnesota has seen so far, even (in the Midwest). We really hope and work hard for this to be the Pike Place of Seattle, or other well known markets around this nation."

The close proximity of a Somali Halal meat market with a booth selling tamales wrapped in banana leaves, Samatar said, will not only be exciting for consumers. It will also be a source of small-scale diplomacy for the city's many immigrants.

The concept calls for new startup businesses as well as more recognizable anchor tenants. So far, the anchor business that's shown the most interest does not come from the most recent of Minnesota's immigrant groups.

Kieran Folliard, the owner of Kieran's and the Local in Minneapolis, and the Liffey in St. Paul -- all Irish-themed pubs, said the Global Marketplace is attractive as a business opportunity. But he also sees it as a chance to contribute to a promising project that could make a big difference in one of Minneapolis' most troubled neighborhoods.

"There's a long ways to go yet on the development of it and how it's going to look eventually," Folliard said. "But if it looks anything like what I see in my head, then we'll be very interested in being involved."

Developers maintain they're still on schedule to open offices for Allina Hospital and a new hotel within a year.

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