Washburn Lofts
Located on the picturesque riverfront in Downtown Minneapolis' Historic Mill District, the exclusive residences at Washburn Lofts are generally recognized as the most sought-after homes in downtown.

Each of the 22 lofts are created from the 1914 Washburn Crosby Utility Building, a National Historic Landmark. The building was once home to The Betty Crocker Kitchen, WCCO Radio, and was the epicenter of world flour production for nearly half a century.

Everything at Washburn Lofts plays out on a grand scale including its rich history, amazing views, expansive interior spaces, and unbeatable riverfront location. Its key architectural features have been preserved, creating dramatic interior features for the luxury loft residences now housed there.

Hoffman Parkin was the original marketing team selling each and every home at Washburn to the wonderful residents who had the inspired vision to buy invest in what has become a truly world-class address.

Historical Background
Washburn Lofts is, without a doubt, the most historically significant residential building in Downtown Minneapolis.

It was created from the Washburn Crosby Utility Building owned by the Washburn Crosby Company (the forerunner of General Mills.) Designed by Architects Hewitt & Brown and originally constructed in 1914, the Utility Building is part of the Washburn Crosby Complex. This complex includes the Washburn Crosby "A" Mill, its Wheat House, the Humboldt Mill, a series of grain elevators, and several smaller structures. This complex is part of the larger West Side Milling District, which includes the North Star Blanket Factory (now North Star Lofts). Originally constructed between 1878 and 1880, the Washburn Crosby Complex's grain processing operated for over a century and was the center of worldwide flour production, giving Minneapolis its moniker "The Mill City."

The 10 story Utility Building served primarily as a repair and maintenance facility for Washburn Crosby's extensive milling operations. The building was also the original home of the Betty Crocker Kitchen where new recipes were tested and “The Betty Crocker Cooking School of the Air” was broadcast on WCCO radio (the call letters came from Washburn Crosby Company).

The three terra cotta figures at the top of the building's south facade were designed by Minneapolis sculptor John Karl Daniels, best known for his sculpture of Leif Ericson on the grounds of the Minnesota State Capitol.
The three millers depict the history of flour milling technology advancing from mortar and pestle to an updated version of the same tools, to a fully erect modern miller overseeing a milling machine. While it’s difficult to see from this distance, the machine could be a “middlings purifier,” a device introduced here around the turn of the century to sift husks from wheat, leaving the pure white flour heralded worldwide for its Gold Medal quality.

Carved by Daniels at half size and enlarged to eight feet in height by a commercial reproduction firm, these regionalist idealizations of the working man are fitting ornamentation. Most chilling about the works is their accidental accuracy. Like so many flesh-and-blood workers of Mill City’s heyday, the central figure has lost an arm. This industry of pulleys and water wheels, flour-dust explosions, and churning gears propelled Minneapolis to the top of another less-lauded industry—production of prosthetic limbs.

After the 1930s, as Minneapolis lost its lead in the milling industry to East Coast facilities, most of the mills shut down one by one. The Washburn Crosby Complex was eventually shuttered in 1965 and many neighboring buildings were demolished or simply vacated and left to decay and vandalism. 

For a period during the 70s and early 80s, the raw spaces in the Washburn Crosby (now General Mills) Utility Building were leased to office tenants including, interestingly enough, several of the prominent architects who would later be passionately involved in its revitalization. The complex was eventually totally abandonded and overrun by the homeless, graffiti artists, and urban explorers as a master plan for the complex failed to materialize.

The entire West Side Milling District was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1983, preventing its inevitable demolition. However, the designation did not bring immediate redevelopment and, sadly, the neighboring Washburn A Mill suffered its legendary fire in 1991 resulting in a near-total loss, including most of the historic milling equipment that had once put Minneapolis on the word stage.

The city acquired the Washburn Crosby Complex in April 1992. In a long-term effort to rejuvenate the newly-discovered riverfront, the city partnered with the Minnesota Historical Society and awarded Brighton Development the rights to redevelop the complex into housing, offices, and the award-winning Mill City Museum.

The design of the new Washburn Lofts was created by (the late) architect Paul Madsen who was just finishing a string of successful luxury riverfront projects for Brighton, including Lourdes Square Townhomes, North Star Lofts, and Stone Arch Lofts. Kraus-Anderson Construction began construction in 2001 and the first new residents arrived in 2002. In 2003 the Minneapolis Historical Preservation Commission awarded Washburn Lofts the Preservation Award from for New Construction within a Historic District.

This is probably one of the best articles describing the history of the mills
http://articles.citypages.com/1997-06-11/news/lost-city/

Washburn Lofts Today
Washburn Lofts was, from its initial conception, intended to offer the most exclusive luxury homes on the riverfront. Paul Madsen's designs delivered on the promise with 22 loft condominiums ranging in size from 1,400 to 8,762 square feet. Rather than relying on standard floor plans, Madsen customized each home individually to take full advantage of the breathtaking views, enormous windows, and unique architectural features in the original structure.

Ceiling heights of 12 feet are standard throughout. The individual homes celebrate their industrial character with exposed concrete structural systems and masonry walls. Rather than covering up existing surfaces, new and old are juxtaposed and create dynamic interplay.

Units on the north side of the building have balconies or verandas that provide a view of the river and lofts on the south side have views of the city skyline. The west facade exposes the concrete structural framework with brick infill and has verandas cut back into the volume of the building.

Three below-grade levels provide parking and mechanical space for the building. Washburn Lofts shares its condominium association along with underground parking and storage with the adjacent Stone Arch Lofts.

A public walkway and stairway between this and the neighboring Stone Arch Lofts connects 2nd Street to West River Parkway, Mill Ruins Park, and the Stone Arch Bridge.

Some of the prominent architects & designers who customized the individual homes at Washburn include the late Paul Madsen and his architectural partner Kim Bretheim, Meyer Scherer & Rockcastle, James Dayton, and Andrew Flesher.