Hook and Ladder Apartments

Hook & Ladder Apartments, located in the heart of the NE Minneapolis Arts District, is comprised of 118 affordable apartment homes including Minnesota’s first multi-family homes built to stringent Passive House Institute US (PHIUS) certification standards. The two-building development includes one building constructed using Green Communities criteria, and the other to PHIUS certification standards. Third-party experts will study the environmental performance of the development’s two adjacent buildings and share the results with the industry.

The neighborhood was a popular destination for Eastern Europeans emigrating at the beginning of the 20th century. Today, it is filled with many small businesses, restaurants, art galleries, and artist workspaces. The neighborhood’s other amenities include Jackson Square Park, Edison Senior High School, and a branch of the Hennepin County Public Library.

A vibrant and active organization, the Holland Neighborhood Association supported and helped build awareness for Hook & Ladder Apartments. Because of Hook & Ladder’s commitment to the arts, the Northeast Minneapolis Arts Association and members of the Northeast Minneapolis Arts District continue to be strong supporters of the development. (The buildings feature works by artists who live and/or work in Northeast Minneapolis.)

The overarching goal for Hook & Ladder was not just sustainability but a more beautiful, comfortable, and high-quality living environment than what affordable housing typically provides. To that end, the project also includes a maker space; a fitness center; a community room; a bike storage area; a dog run; a playground; gardening plots; and a butterfly-friendly landscape featuring native plants and rain gardens.

Hook & Ladder Apartments contributed to a cleaner neighborhood before a single nail was pounded. While creating spaces for enjoyment was the crux, design elements of the Hook & Ladder landscape reflect sustainability as fundamental. It is, in fact, inherently sustainable because it is an infill development project. The land was previously used by industry; before construction began, $600,000 was invested in soil remediation throughout the site.

Newport Midwest also partnered with Hennepin County’s Family Navigation program to make 10 three-bedroom units available to homeless families earning less than 30 percent of AMI. The partnership also includes Project-Based Section 8 rental assistance via Minneapolis Public Housing Authority for these families.

Hook and Ladder Apartments was named a Finance and Commerce Top Project of 2019.