Gateway District (Minneapolis)
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The Gateway District of Minneapolis is centered at the convergence of Hennepin Avenue, Nicollet Avenue, and Washington Avenue, as well as several surrounding blocks surrounding the intersection. It is a part of the Downtown West neighborhood.
In the early days of Minneapolis, the neighborhood was called "Bridge Square", because it was the commercial hub and government seat of the growing city, and it lied at the southern foot of the Hennepin Avenue Bridge. Both the courthouse and city hall were located in a triangle-shaped building in between Washington, Hennepin and, Nicollet from 1873 to 1912. Some of the first structures on the West side of Minneapolis were built directly across from that building.
The "Gateway District" was given such a name in hopes of revitalizing it at the turn of the 20th century, hoping to restore its status as the gateway into Minneapolis. Both the Great Northern Railroad Station and the Milwaukee Road Depot were situated in the area, and numerous hotels and offices were constructed, including the Nicollet Hotel, the Hotel Vendome, the St. James Hotel, the Boston Block, and the Metropolitan building. The area remains as the historic core of the city, although much of that history was demolished in an Urban Renewal act during the late 1950's. Notable buildings that were lost include the Metropolitan Building (in 1961), and the Nicollet Hotel (in 1990). Today, most of the neighborhood is dedicated to parking.
With the construction of the new Central Library for the Minneapolis Public Library system, the old gateway has become an opportunity for developers and planners to re-establish significance to the neighborhood.
[edit] External links
- Mpls: Long Gone: The Gateway, hundreds of photos of old buildings in the area since demolished