New Ownership Promises Continued Investment in Barrel House

The Barrel House is located at 111 3rd Avenue S.           Photo: Redline Property Partners

Following a sale to new ownership last year, real estate investment and management firm Redline Property Partners recently announced that it will remain on board as the asset manager and property manager for the Barrel House - a landmark fixture in the famed Minneapolis Mill District. Redline said it will build on the prior owners’ vision to continue transforming the historic property.

Situated at the 3rd Avenue Bridge entrance with stunning views of the waterfront, Barrel House enjoys a prestigious riverfront address, prominent visibility and convenient access to all major highways and to downtown’s housing, hotels, shopping, dining and entertainment.

“Barrel House meets the needs of today’s office tenants, providing an unrivaled location in downtown Minneapolis, unique amenities and an exceptional experience at great value,” said Andrew Webb, Redline’s president and managing partner. “The building’s new owner, along with Redline, will continue to invest in Barrel House to ensure its place as a top-tier creative office property in downtown Minneapolis for years to come.”

New amenities and upgrades planned for Barrel House include upgrading its rooftop deck, converting space for retail and entertainment use and creating spec suites and a podcast room. Improvements are planned for early 2024, with anticipated delivery mid-year.

Redline was part of the previous ownership group that purchased and restored the historic 90,000-square-foot mill building to its original “brick and timber” roots in 2016. The group also added significant modern-day amenities such as an outdoor roof-top deck overlooking the Mississippi River, an indoor atrium lounge and multiple meeting spaces throughout the building.

Built in 1880, the Barrel House was originally home to Hall & Dann Barrel Company, which made flour barrels for the booming Minneapolis milling industry.

To deliver the best service possible, Redline has engaged CBRE and Assembly as the property’s new leasing team. Team members include Ann Rinde and Joe Conzemius from CBRE and Nick Peterson and Merrie Sjogren from Assembly.

“Environments that foster connection and community are top priority for companies in the market right now, as organizational culture is more important than ever,” said the new primary leasing representative for Barrel House, Ann Rinde of CBRE. “Barrel House provides the perfect setting to achieve these goals with its inspiring onsite experience, collaboration-based amenities and prominent location along the riverfront. We look forward to welcoming new tenants to the Mill District and to Barrel House.” 

Check Out Everything the Free February 17 Community Connections Conference Has to Offer!

Community Connections Conference
9a -4p Saturday, February 17
Minneapolis Convention Center, first floor, Hall E
Lunch is included. Metro Transit offers free rides to the conference.

Minneapolis residents can sign up now for the free 2024 Community Connections Conference on February 17. Join in for a fun day of learning and connecting. Get involved in your local community. Meet the people behind important City services, community groups and other institutions. The conference is free and open to everyone.

Program

This year program is built around the theme of “Open city, your Minneapolis.” This theme was chose to showcase how Minneapolis is a transparent, accessible city open to everyone, open to new ideas and open for business. It highlight the ways you can get involved in both government decision-making and your local community, as well as celebrate the many parts of the city reopening and recovering after the pandemic.

This year's conference will have workshops, music and dance, activities for the whole family, an exhibit hall, and a community dialogue on youth and community safety.

Exhibits

Among the 150 exhibits, you can find:

• Jobs and paid internships for young people at the City of Minneapolis.
• Pathways to green careers and other job opportunities.
• The City Clerk’s booth on how to connect with the Minneapolis City Council; how to make your voice heard; and how to view the City Council’s ordinances, resolutions and meetings online.
• A free COVID vaccine clinic. No insurance needed.
• An indoor soccer field with the New Americans Youth Soccer Club.
• Minnesota Zoo animals.

Learn about:

• What all the different City departments do.
• How to save someone’s life with CPR and practice it on a mannequin.
• Immigration and other legal help.
• Opioid addiction resources.
• Crime prevention and services for victims.
• Community air pollution monitoring.
• Voting in elections.
• Resources to get rid of lead in your home. You can even bring in toys or ceramics you’d like to test for lead.

Breakout sessions

Join your choice of breakout sessions including:

• Your rights as a renter.
• Buying your first home.
• The Minneapolis Climate Equity Action Plan and how the City puts resources toward projects in communities that need it most.
• Voter engagement.
• Community dialogue on being a safe, healthy, and child friendly city.

Stories Connect Us All: The Carp Who Would Not Quit and Other Animal Stories at Children's Theatre Company

Article by Becky Fillinger, photos provided

The Carp Who Would Not Quit and Other Animal Stories is on stage at the Children's Theatre Company until February 18. We talked to Writer and Director, Reiko Ho, about the inspiration for the stories, creating content for children, and how the lessons imparted can inspire audiences of all ages – we all need to persevere to swim up life’s waterfalls!

Q:  We’re so excited about The Carp Who Would Not Quit and Other Animal Stories now on stage at the Children's Theatre Company. Does your work focus exclusively in writing and directing plays for children? What do you find most rewarding about working in children's theatre? 

Reiko HoA:  We are so excited to be sharing this play with children and families in Minneapolis! My focus of my Master’s Degree was Theatre for Youth; however, I do work for many different sectors, not just for children. Last season, I created and directed an original show about the Asian-American experience with students from the University of Hawaiʻi at Manoa. I also directed the regional premiere of Lloyd Suh’s The Chinese Lady in Florida, and then directed its Hawaiʻi premiere last June.

Creating and directing for young people has always been a focus and passion. I believe we make change by serving our youth. It is a great honor, delight, and responsibility knowing that one of my TYA shows might be the very first show that a child ever sees. I love making theatre that is rooted in joy and inspires empathy. Stories connect us all.

Q:  What inspired you when creating The Carp Who Would Not Quit and Other Animal Stories? 

A:  The Carp Who Would Not Quit is inspired by my own childhood memories and fondness for the Japanese folktales I read as a child. I thought of my own family and great-grandmother, who was a picture bride sent to work the plantations in Hawaiʻi, while I was creating the piece. There are also many Japanese theatrical conventions and original music used for the storytelling and the amazing cast was instrumental while creating the production. I could not have created the show without them.

Q:  Can you share a bit about your creative process when developing a play? 

A:  My creative process always starts with the story itself. For me, finding the heart of the story is always most important. Theatre is the art of the human heart. The way the storytelling unfolds should be organic to the story or text. I love using movement, music, design, lights, and what the actors bring, to help breathe life into a story.

Q:  Does your work typically focus on Asian or Asian-American theater and themes? 

A:  My work does often focus on Asian and Asian-American theater and themes because of my own Asian ancestry. However, I am a passionate advocate for giving voice to stories that reflect the diverse community of my island home including stories by marginalized groups like the LGBTQ community, indigenous Hawaiian stories, or stories by women. I think representation on-stage (and off) is so important.

Many times, I find myself creating content, because there is none that reflects that particular voice, especially for TYA.  

Q:  Is this a touring production? If yes, where has it been staged before Minneapolis?

A:  Yes, this is a touring production commissioned by Honolulu Theatre for Youth (HTY). The cast and I are all full-time resident artists at HTY. This past September, the team started by touring the different Hawaiian Islands, then began a 14-venue tour of the continental US that took the team across the country from the Smith Performing Arts Center in Las Vegas to theaters big and small, finally ending in Atlanta in mid-November.

Q:  What advice do you have for aspiring playwrights and directors interested in creating content for children? 

A:  Finding your own voice and being authentic is so important when creating any content, but especially content for children. They recognize truth. Growing up in Hawaiʻi taught me that even difficult truths can be shared if done with aloha—love. Always create with aloha.

Q:  I searched for you in LinkedIn. Are you the same Reiko Ho who owns Red Lotus Hawaii in Honolulu? If so, please tell us more about your martial arts expertise. 

A: Yes, that’s me! I am a 4th degree black-belt and master in Hapkido, a Korean martial art. I owned my own dojo called Red Lotus Hawaii for 13 years before shutting the doors in the pandemic. Being a martial artist colors many aspects of my artistic life. I am always striving for excellence and treat every space as a dojo, a learning space. Like the koi in The Carp Who Would Not Quit, I find that the perseverance and dedication I learned while training, helps me swim up life’s waterfalls.