Downtown East

Construction of US Bank Stadium, the Wells Fargo Towers, and RBC Gateway in Downtown East.

Downtown East is a neighborhood anchored by U.S. Bank Stadium, which opened in 2016 on the site of the demolished Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome and became the home of the Minnesota Vikings. The $1.1 billion venue, designed by HKS Architects and built by Mortenson Construction, features the largest transparent ETFE roof in North America and can seat more than 66,000 people.

The stadium was the catalyst for a wholesale transformation of a district that had long been dominated by rail yards and surface parking lots. Ryan Companies developed the adjacent mixed-use project that replaced the former Star Tribune building at 425 Portland Avenue South — demolished in 2015 — with two Wells Fargo office towers, a public plaza, and new residential buildings including the Edition Apartments. The Armory, a historic former military building, anchors the redevelopment area near the downtown core alongside these newer towers. This set follows the neighborhood from the early tower-crane phase of construction through its emergence as a built-out business and residential district, including the nearby RBC Gateway development underway by 2019.

Tower cranes at the RNBC Gateway site
September 12, 2019 — A tower crane at the site of the new RBC Gateway development in Downtown Minneapolis.
The Armory and Downtown East redevelopment area in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
January 4, 2018 — The Armory and Downtown East in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The former armory anchors the redevelopment area near the city’s downtown core, with newer office towers and the Gold Medal Flour building nearby.
US Bank Stadium and Edition Apartments in downtown Minneapolis at dusk
July 12, 2017 — US Bank Stadium, a multi-purpose venue completed in 2016, anchors the Downtown East neighborhood of Minneapolis. Adjacent to the stadium is the Edition Apartments, a residential building that contributes to the area's mixed-use development.
Flour Mills off Washington Ave in Minneapolis
February 18, 2016 — A look at Washington Avenue in Downtown Minneapolis with the old flour mills in the background.
Development of US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis
January 14, 2016 — US Bank Stadium under construction in Downtown Minneapolis in January 2016.
US Bank Stadium under construction with Minneapolis skyline and downtown buildings visible in the background.
August 13, 2015 — US Bank Stadium replaced the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome on the same downtown Minneapolis site, opening in 2016 as the home of the Minnesota Vikings. The $1.1 billion project, designed by HKS Inc. and built by Mortenson Construction, seats about 66,000 for football and can expand to roughly 73,000 for events like the Super Bowl, which it hosted in 2018. Its roof is framed with five massive steel trusses and covered in a translucent ETFE membrane, a lighter alternative to glass that lets natural light reach the field. The stadium anchors the broader Downtown East redevelopment, which also added office towers, a public park, and new housing to a district once dominated by rail yards and surface parking lots.
Construction cranes are visible over new building developments in Minneapolis's Downtown East neighborhood in 2015.
August 7, 2015 — Construction cranes dominate the Minneapolis skyline in the Downtown East neighborhood during 2015. The image captures the ongoing development of new buildings, including what appears to be a stadium structure in the background, alongside existing architecture. This period marked significant growth and transformation for the area, reflecting its importance as a hub for commerce and public life in the city.
US Bank Stadium construction in Minneapolis, July 2015. The new multi-purpose venue was built to replace the Metrodome and host the Minnesota Vikings.
July 27, 2015 — Construction of US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis's Downtown East neighborhood was underway in July 2015. This multi-purpose stadium was built to replace the Metrodome and serve as the home for the Minnesota Vikings. The project aimed to provide a modern venue for professional football, concerts, and other large-scale events. Its development marked a significant investment in the city's infrastructure and entertainment capacity.
Wells Fargo Towers under construction in downtown Minneapolis with several cranes.
July 27, 2015 — Construction of the Wells Fargo Towers in Downtown East, Minneapolis, in July 2015. These two skyscrapers, completed in 2019, house offices for Wells Fargo and other businesses. The project was a significant development in the Downtown East area, aiming to revitalize the neighborhood and create a new business hub.
US Bank Stadium steel frame construction in Minneapolis, Minnesota, with towering cranes against a night sky.
July 15, 2015 — Construction of U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota, highlights the complex steel framework and towering cranes that defined its assembly. The project, initiated in December 2013 on the former site of the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, was designed by HKS Architects and constructed by Mortenson. Completed in 2016, the $1.1 billion venue became one of North America's most technically complex indoor stadiums, featuring a fixed roof, extensive glass curtain walls, and massive steel trusses.
Minneapolis downtown skyline with US Bank Stadium under construction in 2015.
June 21, 2015 — US Bank Stadium, seen here under construction, opened in 2016 as the home of the Minnesota Vikings on the site of the demolished Metrodome. The stadium seats roughly 66,000 and cost about $1.1 billion to build, with a design featuring the largest transparent ETFE roof in North America. Ryan Companies developed the adjacent Downtown East project, including the two office towers visible here that became the Wells Fargo operations center, adding roughly 1.1 million square feet of workspace for thousands of employees. The stadium and towers were built together as part of a broader redevelopment of the former industrial rail yards east of downtown Minneapolis.
Construction cranes and structural steel framework at the US Bank Stadium site in downtown Minneapolis at dusk.
September 27, 2014 — US Bank Stadium rose on the site of the demolished Metrodome in the Downtown East neighborhood of Minneapolis, replacing the Vikings' home of nearly three decades. Ryan Companies led construction on the $1.1 billion project, with HKS Inc. serving as architect. The stadium's fixed-and-operable roof, framed by five massive steel-and-glass ridge trusses, required some of the largest tower cranes ever assembled in the region to lift its structural steel into place. Construction ran from 2013 to 2016, and the Minnesota Vikings played their first game there in September 2016. The building can seat over 66,000 for football and has hosted Super Bowl LII and the NCAA Final Four.
Star Tribune Building in downtown Minneapolis at night with illuminated skyscrapers in background.
April 26, 2014 — The Star Tribune building stood at 425 Portland Avenue South, serving as the newspaper's headquarters and printing plant for more than six decades after its construction in the late 1940s. The Star Tribune sold the property in 2013 and relocated downtown as part of a broader consolidation of its operations. Crews demolished the building in 2015 to clear the site for Downtown East, a mixed-use redevelopment tied to the construction of US Bank Stadium. Two Wells Fargo office towers and a public plaza now occupy the former newspaper site.

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