Ryan Companies US, Inc. Unveils New Corporate and Regional Offices in Downtown East

Ryan Companies today unveiled the Millwright office building, the latest addition to the five block $588M Downtown East development. Millwright is the sixth project designed and built by Ryan Companies in the iconic East Town neighborhood of the Minneapolis Central Business District (CBD).

Ryan Companies will utilize 65,000 square feet of the 174,000 SF-building for its 500 corporate and regional employees. The remaining 109,000 SF is being marketed for lease and has already attracted positive attention for its exterior character, interior flexibility and state-of-the-art building system, as well as its proximity to the light rail, skyway systems, the Commons public green space and US Bank stadium.

The four-story building features a brick facade with large archways and paned windows bringing an abundance of natural light into the open office spaces and providing an authentic urban pedestrian feel at the street level. “This design is just right for the location as it relates well to the historic buildings in the area while providing the technology and amenities today’s businesses are looking for in order to attract top talent,” said Collin Barr, President, Ryan Companies North Region. 

Mike Ryan, President, Ryan A+E, and his team were charged with creating a building that would incorporate the nuances of today’s forward-thinking work environments while honoring the historical elements of the Warehouse and Mills districts. “The historical characteristics of the building are a reference to the outstanding warehouse architecture found throughout Minneapolis—in the Mills District, Warehouse District and North Loop,” said Ryan. “We are proud of its contribution to the city’s architectural transition.”

Ashley Wurster, Director of Interior Design for Ryan A+E, led the interior design team in creating a space that honored the history of the company while providing a modern work environment that emphasizes collaboration and creativity.  “There is always a heightened focus and sensitivity when you’re designing the place where you and your team will be working together, the excitement in the air today is a great affirmation of our work,” said Wurster.

Millwright’s interior design incorporated the materials used in the industry such as a portion of a salvaged tower crane for a light fixture over the two-story atrium, custom rebar lamps, and an authentic “gang box” construction-storage-trailer-inspired collaboration space in the center of the office. The use of wood elements throughout create a warm character and feel while steel, concrete, glass and brick bring in the elements that characterize the industry.  The living green wall provides an outdoor feel in the lower level open meeting area. Lastly, the iconic Ryan Chevrolet truck, well known for its appearance in marketing and customer calendars over the nearly 80 year history of the company, greets customers upon entry into Ryan’s Millwright space.

Tenants will enjoy many of the building’s exterior and interior features including third floor arched windows, brick exterior that rolls into the main lobby and the tiered floor plate of the main lobby that allows for various seating configurations in front of a large screen. The lobby features rolled steel creating an authentic industrial feel, a visual connection to the skyway corridor where artist, Mark Herman created a signature full wall mural and a view of the bike room—a major amenity of the building.

Ryan Companies brought its full suite of services to the Millwright project including development, construction, architecture and engineering, capital markets and real estate management. The next project in the Downtown East development is Block One. Ryan Companies has plans for a 450,000 SF multi-tenant office tower above the current Minnesota Sports Facilities Association (MSFA) parking ramp located at 4th Street and Park Avenue, adjacent to the US Bank Stadium.  Block One is currently being marketed for tenants and is expected to be completed in late 2019.

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About Ryan Companies US, Inc.

Founded in 1938, Ryan Companies offers comprehensive commercial real estate services as a national developer, architect, capital investment consultant, builder and real estate manager with a focus on bringing lasting value to its customers and the communities in which it works. Ryan market depth includes retail, industrial, healthcare and senior living. Ryan development and corporate build-to-suit work spans a wide range of product types including office, mixed-use, hospitality, multifamily housing and mission critical facilities. Ryan has nearly 1,300 employees in 13 offices and has completed projects in 38 states. For more information, visit ryancompanies.com.