The A-Mill Artist lofts are located in the historic Pillsbury flour mill building; in the heart of downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota. Originally constructed by Charles Alfred Pillsbury in 1880, the Pillsbury flour mill was one of the largest flour mills located in the U.S. for over 40 years. Powered by water from the St. Anthony Falls, the Pillsbury flour mill produced over 17,500 barrels of flour per day with the use of two large hydro-powered turbines located in raceways under the mill. This flour was shipped from the heart of the mid-west, along the mighty Mississippi, to consumers throughout the U.S.
Recently this historic building experienced a rebirth as a LEED certified affordable artist lofts building anchoring the city’s Mills District. Dominion, a Plymouth, MN based developer, spent 150 million dollars restoring the original construction of the mill into a gathering place for both local artists and the community. The building’s 250 artist lofts, artist workshops, and social spaces, are sustainably designed utilizing hydrothermal heating and cooling, roof water irrigation, and LED lighting. The building also includes a conversion of the old neon “Pillsbury’s –Best Flour” sign.