Part of Twin Cities Then & Now, a series about the history behind Minneapolis and St. Paul neighborhoods and how it still shapes them today. Watch the episode below, or read the full story.
Quick facts: the Gateway District
- What it was: the oldest part of downtown Minneapolis, near the Mississippi River around Bridge Square, where Hennepin and Nicollet avenues met.
- What happened: between 1958 and 1963, the city cleared more than 200 buildings across roughly 25 blocks under the Gateway Center urban renewal project.
- How much of downtown: estimates range from about a third to 40 percent, depending on the source.
- The biggest loss: the Metropolitan Building (1890), a 12-story skyscraper with glass floors and a sky-lit central court. It was demolished in 1961 even though it was almost fully occupied and structurally sound.
- Its legacy: the loss helped spark the historic preservation movement in Minneapolis and across Minnesota.
Where downtown Minneapolis began
Minneapolis started at the river. Near the Mississippi, where Hennepin and Nicollet came together at a spot called Bridge Square, the city built its first real downtown: banks, hotels, offices and, in 1890, a skyscraper.
That skyscraper was the Northwestern Guaranty Loan Building, later known as the Metropolitan Building. Designed by architect E. Townsend Mix and built for about $1 million, it rose 12 stories. Inside, a central court climbed to a glass roof, and the walkways had glass floors so daylight could reach every level. There was even a garden on the roof.
It was built for Louis Menage, who made a fortune speculating in Minneapolis real estate. When the Panic of 1893 hit, his company collapsed. It is an early reminder of something every homeowner eventually learns: real estate moves in cycles.
How the old downtown became “the Gateway”
As downtown grew south, the riverfront district was left behind. In 1884 the city limited where saloons could operate, and many ended up in the old part of town. By 1902 there were more than a hundred saloons on Washington Avenue alone.
Tens of thousands of seasonal workers, including loggers, railroad crews and harvest hands, passed through Minneapolis and needed cheap rooms. Older offices and homes became boarding houses and inexpensive hotels. In the 1910s the city cleared four blocks for a classical park and pavilion to greet travelers arriving by train, and gave the area a new name: the Gateway.
When the seasonal work dried up, as logging mechanized and flour milling shifted to Buffalo, New York, many of those workers stayed. By the 1940s, thousands of older, mostly retired workers lived in the district, and most of its buildings did not meet fire or sanitation codes.
Why Minneapolis tore it down
City boosters began describing the Gateway as “a cancer” at the heart of the city. Federal urban renewal programs helped cities pay to clear areas labeled as blight, and the 1956 federal highway program gave planners another reason to remake downtown. The Minneapolis City Council approved the Gateway Center plan unanimously, and it was described as the largest urban renewal project in the country up to that time.
Demolition began in 1958. By 1963 the heart of the old city was gone. The Metropolitan Building sat at the edge of the district, but planners considered it to be in “the wrong neighborhood,” and demolition started in 1961.
What replaced it
A few modern office buildings went up, including one designed by Minoru Yamasaki, who later designed the World Trade Center. But development deals fell through, and for decades much of the Gateway was surface parking. Today the city’s Minneapolis 2040 plan calls for high-rise offices and apartments in the area.
What the Gateway teaches Twin Cities homeowners
The Gateway story is about how a city decides what land is worth. Once an area was labeled blight, its value was judged by what could be built there rather than by what was already standing. Some of the buildings did need serious work; others, like the Metropolitan, did not.
Every home in the Twin Cities sits on a story like this one. A city plan, a highway or a zoning rule can shape what’s around a property and how buyers see it for decades. When you’re pricing a home, the same principle applies: value comes from the home itself and from the neighborhood and plans around it.
Frequently asked questions
What was the Gateway District in Minneapolis?
The Gateway District was the oldest part of downtown Minneapolis, near the Mississippi River around Bridge Square. It was largely demolished between 1958 and 1963 as part of the Gateway Center urban renewal project.
Why was the Metropolitan Building demolished?
The Metropolitan Building was demolished in 1961 as part of urban renewal. Although it was almost fully occupied and structurally sound, planners considered it to be in the wrong neighborhood. Its loss is still described as the city’s greatest architectural loss.
Can you still see pieces of the Metropolitan Building?
Yes. Ice House Plaza, at 26th Street and Nicollet Avenue in south Minneapolis, includes stone blocks salvaged from the Metropolitan Building, along with a fountain and benches made from its remnants.
How much of downtown Minneapolis was torn down?
More than 200 buildings across roughly 22 to 25 blocks. Depending on the source, that was about a third to 40 percent of downtown at the time.
Thinking about buying or selling in the Twin Cities?
I’m Jose Ramirez, a REALTOR® with Keller Williams Realty Integrity Lakes, and I’ve helped Twin Cities families buy and sell homes for more than 11 years. If you’re curious what your home is worth today, or you want a step-by-step plan for selling, these free resources are a good place to start. Se habla español.
Sources
- MNopedia (Minnesota Historical Society): Gateway District (Skid Row), Minneapolis
- Historyapolis Project (University of Minnesota), “A cancer at the heart of the city” (2014)
- MinnPost, “9 worst urban planning moves in Twin Cities history” (2012)
- Wikipedia: Metropolitan Building (Minneapolis)
- Archiseek: 1890 – Metropolitan Building, Minneapolis
Historic images in the video: Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division (public domain). Jose Ramirez, REALTOR® | Jose Ramirez Team | Keller Williams Realty Integrity Lakes, 800 N Washington Ave Suite 460, Minneapolis, MN 55401. MN License #40422762. Each Keller Williams office is independently owned and operated. Equal Housing Opportunity.
