Join Coliseum building owners Janice Downing and Alicia Belton, FAIA to tour the ongoing renovation of the Historic Coliseum.

The Historic Coliseum Building was the hub of the Longfellow neighborhood. Built in 1917 in the Classical Revival style by the Hedwell Investment Company, it was conceived as a commercial building with uses for retail and office, a ballroom, and as home to Freeman’s Department store. It received a place on the National Register of Historic Places in 2022.

Redesign, a nonprofit community development corporation, purchased the property in 2021 to redevelop the property in alignment with broader community values related to equity, wealth creation, and shared ownership. As it was designed for its original use, the building will house retail, office, restaurant, event, and conference spaces.

We invite you to come tour with members of the development team to experience how the Historic Coliseum Building aligns with the AIA Framework for Design Excellence.

Transportation will be provided to the project site and back to the AIA-MN conference venue. Participants should bring their own safety hats and vests.

The tour will be led by Alicia Belton, FAIA, NOMA, founder and princial of Urban Design Perspectives, and Janice Downing, President of CommonSense Consulting@Work. 

*IMPORTANT NOTE: This tour is a scheduled event as part of the AIA-MN annual conference. Pre-registration is required. For those who do not plan to attend any Conference sessions but who wish to participate in this tour, they must pre-register, along with a $45 fee. Please contact Amber Allardyce at AIA-MN for assistance (612-338-6763 or allardyce@aia-mn.org).