RENOVATION STORY
HIGHLIGHT CENTER
807 BROADWAY
AVENUE, NE
NORTHEAST, MINNEAPOLIS
2014
QUICK FACTS
Address: 807 Broadway Street NE, Minneapolis
Built: Circa 1913
Building size: Approximately 170,000 SF
Prior uses: Heavy manufacturing & office
Re-development timeline: Hillcrest first purchased this property in July 2014 and completed remediation, renovated, and leased more than 75% of the space by the end of 2015.
Fact: The site offers recycling and organics collection, and provides information regarding waste reduction to tenants. Highlight Center is diverting almost 50% of its waste to recycling and organics collection. In 2020, Highlight Center will house approximately 1,000 living- wage jobs.
Project award: 2017 NAIOP Award of Excellence
Grant support: The property benefited from two grants, $576,700 from the Metropolitan Livable Communities Tax Base Revitalization Account ACM and LBP contamination was abated during construction. The project was also awarded a $198,850 grant from the DEED Redevelopment Grant Program to assist with the site’s layer of contaminated soil when installing the stormwater system, parking area, and other utilities renovation/ redevelopment.
For nearly a century, the building at 807 Broadway Street NE helped illuminate Northeast Minneapolis—first as a light bulb factory and then as the headquarters for the Minneapolis Public Schools. Today, it serves as a bright model for redevelopment in adaptive reuse.
Highlight Center offers newly renovated creative office space. The building has been respectfully rehabilitated with historic details intact. The fascia and wooden floors were carefully sandblasted and restored. Open floor plans, tall ceilings, and enlarged windows now welcome in ample light. Exposed brick walls and original wood posts and beams connect the viewer to the past, while a modern pallet of finishes create a warm space perfect for creative firms.
Environmentally conscience, the property offers electric vehicle charging stations, recycling and organics waste collection, efficient lighting and water fixtures throughout, 33 kWh of solar on the roof, and pollinator friendly landscaping.
Site modernization and amenities appealing to today’s employee include secured bicycle racks and showers, modern HVAC systems providing efficient heating and cooling, new elevators offer easy access to all levels, and larger windows to increase light and improve energy efficiency.
Landscaping was replaced with pollinator-friendly species, and native and drought tolerant plants were chosen to minimize water use. A pet-friendly landscaped area is available to tenants. Stormwater management incorporates underground collection, landscaped swales, and a green roof.
Significant investment was made in an indoor bike locker room with showers, bike racks, a fix-it station and lockers. In addition, bike racks are conveniently located in three areas on the exterior of the buildings. A former drive entrance was converted to a landscaped plaza with common space benches, and sidewalk improvements were made to better promote pedestrian connectivity.
Highlight Center has become an asset within the community. The multi-tenant complex includes Able Seedhouse and Brewery, Animales food truck, and Minnesota Nice Cream, the online sports platform developer, Sportsengine (NBC), and other commercial office tenants bringing nearly 1,000 high quality jobs living wage jobs to the site. A century after it was first constructed, Highlight Center is continuing to bring light and life to our community.