Downtown St. Cloud Lofts Project Set for 2016

ST. CLOUD - A brief ceremony was held this (Friday) morning at the site of the future downtown St. Cloud lofts. Developer Makenda LLC spokesman Rod Lindquist says there will be 47 units.

There will be studios, one-bedroom and two-bedroom units. They'll have high ceilings, it's a loft so a lot of glass, and wood floors. Just the kind of contemporary kind of thing that urbanization is causing.

Lindquist says the six-story building will also include a community room, a fitness center, and a roof top terrace. He says the lofts will start at $170,000, with the penthouse space going for about $350,000.

Lindquist says they're working with the city for parking in the new ramp.

There are 19 stalls that will be available to purchase in the main building. The rest of the parking will be just 50 feet away in the new ramp. The owners association will lease the space.

Downtown Council President Pegg Gustafson says "The Lofts" are a game-changer for downtown St. Cloud.

In order to have the vibrant 24-7 downtown that people keep talking about, we have to have market rate housing. And, we believe that if this is successful, which it will be, this is just the beginning.

Work on the $9 million project is expected to begin late next month. Lindquist says he hopes residents will be able to start moving in time for Christmas next year.

The building will be along St. Germain Street at the former site of the Dan Marsh building.