Historic Grain Elevator Preservation Project to Begin Monday, April 9 - West River Road to Be Closed Weekdays

Traffic along West River Parkway to be diverted, Mill City Museum to remain open.

WHAT:      

The Minnesota Historical Society is undertaking a major exterior repair project on the Washburn Crosby Elevator No. 1, located adjacent to Mill City Museum. The elevator is part of the historic Washburn “A” Mill Complex, a National Landmark and contributing property within Minneapolis’ St. Anthony Falls Historic District.

In order to create a construction safety perimeter, a section of West River Parkway will be closed to automobile and pedestrian traffic during the week. Bicyclists will also be re-routed.

Mill City Museum will continue to operate normally, with no disruption to current programming.

WHEN/WHERE:

Road closure begins Monday, April 9

The Parkway will be closed Monday – Friday, 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., from 11th Avenue South to Portland Avenue. Construction will be completed by Nov. 30, 2012.

ABOUT:

Built between 1906-1908 by the Haglin Stahr Company of Minneapolis the elevator was one of the first large scale concrete grain storage facilities with exposed circular bin construction in the country.

The Washburn Crosby Company, which became General Mills in 1928, operated the grain elevator until the mid-1980s. In 1988 the City of Minneapolis acquired the historic structure. The Minnesota Historical Society purchased the property in 1998 in preparation for the redevelopment of the Washburn “A” Mill Complex into Mill City Museum.

The current exterior repair project will stabilize deteriorated elements:

• The bin roof will be replaced,

• the headhouse roofing will be repaired and stabilized,

• the exterior grain bin concrete will be repaired, and

• the headhouse windows/door openings will be secured.

 The project team includes MacDonald & Mack Architects, Meyer Borgman Johnson Structural Engineers, CMPI and Cy-Con, Inc. This project has been reviewed and approved by the Minneapolis Heritage Preservation Commission, the National Park Service’s Mississippi National River & Recreation