Crane Ordway building opening in Lowertown
Finance & Commerce, 08/24/06

The historic Crane Ordway warehouse at 281 E. Fifth Street in St. Paul's Lowertown neighborhood will re-open today as a 70-unit affordable apartment building.

Minneapolis-based nonprofit developer Central Community Housing Trust (CCHT) spent $11.5 million renovating the building, which had been vacant since 1973.

The opening ceremony will begin at 11:30 a.m. with tours. Speakers at the event will include St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman; Carleen Rhodes, president of the Saint Paul Foundation; and Tim Marx, commissioner of the Minnesota Housing and Finance Agency.

Units in the building, ranging from 450 to 650 square feet, will be available for $390 to $610 a month for people meeting low-income requirements, according to George Hornik, CCHT communications manager. So far, CCHT has secured leases for 32 units.

The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a part of the Lowertown Historic District.

 Learn more about Crane Ordway