Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for Mill District City Apartments

November 10, 2010

Amidst all the changes in the downtown Minneapolis Gayborhood at least one is a delight.  Last Wednesday Village Green held a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate to near completion and grand opening of the Mill City District Apartments (MDCA).  Located on the corner of Washington and Portland this development is one of the most accessible rentals in downtown Minneapolis.  Featuring all of the amenities of many of the high end condos surrounding the complex it went one step further by utilizing green construction methods and innovative design.  The treatments and finishes include granite, tile, cork and natural fiber.  One of the more unique wall finishes is the green wall adjacent the shared courtyard that (although still under construction at the time of the ribbon cutting) will be anything but typical for a rental property.

Some of the colors and fixtures selected brought me right back to the Mary Tyler Moore show of the late 1970’s.  In fact, the tile selected for the decorative ceiling element in the foyer reminds me of the classic Chanel purse so many carried during the same era.  With mod lighting, bold colors and fashionable wall finishes this is the type of housing  any proud Mary would love to call home.  The glossy promotional materials boasting pictures of happy single twenty-somethings and a gay couple interspersed with images of your swanky new lifestyle suggest that MDCA is much more than an apartment.  in fact, they even state in their marketing “…MDCA isn’t like an apartment, it’s more like an urban resort”.

Situated closely to the arts, exercise, dining, entertainment and clubbing they have set the stage for a different type of demographic moving into downtown.  By the time you add up all the features this property throws at the renter in what they call “LeasEquity” – everything from heated underground garages, rent credit toward home purchase, personal concierge services, indoor/outdoor pool with movie theater and more – you will quickly see the added value of living in this unique community.  One of my favorite elements of the apartments are the five foot showers with rain showerheads.  But the absolute cream on top is that every unit also comes equipped with a full-size washer/dryer!  If you don’t already know any LGBTQ folk who’ve decided to move into MDCA do some checking around.  The word is out and we know our vlaue.  Chances are likely you know someone who has already decided to call this their new home.