3514 Commercial Avenue, Sandstone, MN
39,000+
sq.ft
3
acres
$17M
total cost
32
workforce apartments
Jillpine partnered with the City of Sandstone Economic Development Authority (EDA) to generate much-needed workforce housing. The Bookmatch (formerly the historic Sandstone School) created 32 apartments, and the auditorium will be the new home for the Sandstone History and Art Center. The three-acre site is ideally located along the I-35 corridor between the Twin Cities and Duluth. The building is next to Panther Park playground, and near Banning State Park, Robinson Quarry Park, the Wild and Scenic Kettle River, and the downtown commercial district of Sandstone.
This challenging redevelopment project was only possible with the widespread support of the community and numerous funders. The project was certified for state and federal historic tax credits.
Lack of housing is a barrier to growth of regional businesses, and buildings like the historic Sandstone School create a win for a community in need of more housing options, businesses who are growing their teams, and a city with a historic core.
Project Partners
Developer
Funders
Interior Clean-up Team
Roof Design Team
Roof Construction Team
Housing Design Team
Housing Construction Team
Jillpine
Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Grant
The League of Minnesota Cities
Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED)
Minnesota Housing Finance Agency
Minnesota Climate Innovation Finance Agency (MnCIFA)
Minnesota Department of Commerce
Enhanced Historic Credit Partners
US Environmental Protection Agency
MAVO Systems, Braun Intertec, New History
Meyer Borgman Johnson, Miller Dunwiddie, Gardner Builders, Jepsen, Inc., Braun Intertec, New History
Frerichs Construction, The Jamar Company, Red Cedar Steel, Advantage Scaffold & Ladder
LHB, Meyer Borgman Johnson, Climate Makers, Callan Engineers, David Heide Design Studio, Maslon, Siegel Brill, New History, Mercury Mosaics, Architectural Antiques
Lead by Gardner Builders
This project has been financed in part with funds provided by the State of Minnesota from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund through the Minnesota Historical Society.
This project has been financed in part by USEPA, MCRLF Funds and the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development's Brownfields and Redevelopment Unit.
521 W. 2nd Street, Duluth, MN
35,000
sq.ft
$11.2M
total cost
33
apartments
14
months
I don’t fall in love with buildings, I fall in love with solutions. The solution for a vacant county jail is hard to see: the tiny cells are the actual structural system, the building is full of lead paint, and there’s no obvious reuse for an obsolete jail – but the historic building overlooks Lake Superior in a neighborhood that needs workforce housing. In 14 months, I worked with my partner Jon Commers to close a $4 million gap, re-engineer the housing design solution to work for the building and the budget, gather public funding support, and close on 12 different funding sources.
Leijona now provides 33 units of mixed-income housing in Downtown Duluth.
Project Partners
Developers
Architect
Builder
Engineering
Historic Consultant
Lender
State Historic Tax Credit Investors
Additional Project Funding Sources
This project has been financed in part with funds provided by the State of Minnesota from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund through the Minnesota Historical Society.