The Midtown Exchange Tower in Minneapolis, MN, is the culmination of a two-year effort to restore a former Sears Tower on the city’s Lake Street into thriving, mixed use development.
The building, which features more than 1.2 million square feet of leasable space, was developed through Midtown Community Works, a coalition of neighborhood groups, local government and private sector leaders in urban Minneapolis.
One of nine major mail-order and retail centers erected by Sears Roebuck & Company between 1910 and the start of the Great Depression in 1929, the 17-story structure remains the largest building in Minneapolis.
Today, the building contains more than 360,000 square-feet of office space; a Global Marketplace of ethnic businesses and entrepreneurs, which occupies more than 75,000 square feet; a 128-room full-service hotel and an eclectic mix of townhomes, condominiums and rental apartments geared to a wide range of income-earners.
Because the renovation project involved the use of federal funds, the Midtown Exchange Tower was required to adhere to guidelines established by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966. The use of PPG architectural glass and coatings was instrumental in helping the developers maintain the building’s historic character, while enhancing its energy-efficiency and environmental sustainability.
During the Midtown Exchange Tower’s exterior refurbishment, more than 15 percent of the building’s steel-framed original windows were returned to use. Five percent were re-glazed with new Sungate 500 clear 1/2-inch units, while the remaining 10 percent combined the building’s original glass with an additional lite of Sungate 500 glass to form 6-inch insulating glass units. Many of the restored steel windows were outfitted on the inside with new interior aluminum storm windows. These aluminum frames were coated with Duranar Coatings UC51733 Hartford Green.
The remaining 85 percent of windows were replaced with new casements fabricated from Solarban 60 Solar Control Low-E glass and aluminum frames coated with PPG Duranar Coatings UC51733 Hartford Green.
With the help of high-performance architectural glass and coatings from PPG, St. Cloud Window, the window manufacturer for the Midtown Exchange Tower, was able to fabricate windows that not only perform to contemporary environmental standards, but also earned the approval of both the National Historic Renovation Society and the National Parks Department.
Just as important, from an architectural and aesthetic standpoint St. Cloud Window reports that there is no discernable difference in appearance between the old windows on the Midtown Exchange Tower and the new windows.
The project is owned by Ryan Companies U.S., Inc. and The Lander Group-Sherman Associates, Inc. Partnership. The architects were: Collaborative Design Group, Minneapolis; DJR Architecture, Minneapolis; Elness Swenson Graham Architects, Inc., Minneapolis; and Perkins & Will, Minneapolis.
To learn more about the PPG IdeaScapes Renewal Program and how it can provide a comprehensive glass, coatings and paint solution for renovation or restoration projects, call 1-888-PPG-IDEA or visit www.ppgideascapes.com.