Pillsbury Creative Commons aims to redefine the role of an arts-focused campus, supporting culture-related economic development and housing, as well as workforce training and community building in South Minneapolis.
Led by the nonprofit Pillsbury United Communities, the multiphase commercial property two blocks north of George Floyd Square along Chicago Avenue is a $35 million redevelopment of the longtime home of Pillsbury House + Theatre, an organization with more than 30 years of community‑rooted arts, education, and economic development work.
The design seeks to positively influence the community beyond the building's walls, which led the project to be awarded the CoStar Impact Award for commercial development of the year in Minneapolis by a panel of local real estate professionals.
The development marks an "innovative use that will help to advance the neighborhood and support the local economy," said Andrew Babula, one of the judges and director of the real estate program at the University of St. Thomas Opus College of Business.
The completion of the project's first phase last summer included a two‑story technical arts and media campus featuring professional broadcast and recording studios for radio station KRSM 98.9 FM. It also has flexible performance and gathering spaces, artist live‑work studios, and outdoor amenities, including a green roof and upper‑level deck.
A second phase, currently underway, includes the adaptive reuse of a neighboring auto‑body garage that will create a hands‑on training space for Pillsbury House + Theatre’s technical arts training program and position the campus as a long‑term workforce pipeline in set design, fabrication, and production.
The project was financed through a public‑private and philanthropic partnership, with Element Commercial Real Estate serving as the owner’s representative from the feasibility study through the opening. The project designers sought to create a new commercial model integrating creative production, workforce development, artist housing, and community commons into a flexible campus.
The Pillsbury Creative Commons designers and builders said it was planned to be a platform for economic access that sets a new benchmark for impact‑driven commercial development and proving that sustained investment in arts, culture, and people can deliver long-term returns for the community.
About the project: Pillsbury Creative Commons was designed in collaboration with Gensler and built by Flannery Construction. They said the aims of the project are to emphasize transparency, accessibility, and street‑level engagement, serving as an open civic anchor rather than a closed institution.
What the judges said: The project brings a "new buyer to Minneapolis, providing hoped-for new energy to downtown," said Pete Guidera, managing director, CB-Commercial Coalition Group, Coldwell Banker Commercial Realty.
"So cool! What a great addition to that South Minneapolis neighborhood. It's a great way to support and create community," said Susan Picotte, senior vice president, asset management and operations support, Centerspace.
They made it happen: Noel Raymond, co-artistic director, Pillsbury United Communities; Signe V. Harriday, artistic producing director at Pillsbury House + Theatre; Mike Hoyt, creative community liaison, Pillsbury United Communities; Kristen Murray, director of development, Element Commercial Real Estate; JoAnna Hicks, co-founder & principal, Element Commercial Real Estate; William Baxley, Managing Director of the Minneapolis office for Gensler; Jessie Bauldry, design director, associate, Gensler; Jamey Flannery, president, Flannery Construction; Nancy St. Germaine-Diaz, project manager, Flannery Construction; Abbie Raudabaugh, preconstruction manager, Flannery Construction Inc.
CoStar Research Manager Alyssa Ricca contributed to this report.
This article was updated on March 25 to update some of the individuals listed under They made it happen.