A Wee Bit of History...

If you are wondering where I am most of the time these days - it is in the historic Flour Exchange Building. The windows are extra large as this was where flour was graded in the old days. What is so nice is that our office is flooded with lots of natural light. We have offices on the third and fifth floors.

   

We are located across the street from the Grain Exchange Building. The Minneapolis Grain Exchange (MGEX) was formed in 1881 as a regional cash marketplace to promote fair trade and to prevent trade abuses in wheat, oats and corn. This particular building is really beautiful inside and out, however, it could use a serious update! Their trade floor has been officially moved to Chicago. It's very cool that the trade floor has been preserved.

  

 The Corn Exchange Building also located across the street in another direction was destroyed in a fire in September, 1965. A parking garage was built in its place.  I could not locate any photos of the Corn Exchange Building.


The Lumber Exchange Building was the first skyscraper built in Minneapolis and dates to 1885. It was designed in the Richardsonian Romanesque style by Franklin B. Long and Frederick Kees and was billed as one of the first fireproof buildings in the country. It is the oldest high-rise building standing in Minneapolis, and is the oldest building outside of New York City with 12 or more floors. 

  

 Can you imagine years ago how Minneapolis was the center of trading for the Midwest!?!

 What to know how close we are to the Federal Courthouse?.... we share a common wall in our fifth floor suite.  You can see the Flour Exchange Building (12 story structure on the right side)

 City Hall (photo below) is across the street and the clock tower is the view from my office window. With the new Vikings Stadium being built (a couple of blocks east)....it's a great location to work in downtown Minneapolis!

 I almost forgot to mention that the light rail is only block away.