Village Green and Pratt Ordway Properties are proposing an 18-story apartment tower at the corner of 10th Street and Marquette Avenue S. in downtown Minneapolis, less than a block off Nicollet Mall and atop the historic Handicraft Guild building.

The developer is proposing to tear down two of the existing, low-slung buildings and repurpose the 108-year-old Handicraft building, facing 10th Street, into a restaurant and residential amenity space.

The 293-unit residential tower would be connected to the old brick building with a three-story glass link. There would be five walk-up residential units along Marquette Avenue S.

As for parking, the developer is proposing 12 parking spaces for the entire development.

Architectural renderings submitted to the city by Minneapolis-based BKV Group show a glassy, white and gray checkered exterior with balconies jutting out.

"In keeping with the spirit of the guild industry, the building takes on a modern artisan approach to the qualities of a crafted design and structure," according to documents submitted to the city. "In a nod to capture the street's current pedestrian qualities, the base of the building will be clad in a brick veneer framework with large gridded windows and defined individual entrances."

Michigan-based Village Green is a national developer that operates a number of luxury apartment buildings in the Twin Cities, including Eitel Building City Apartments, Mill District City Apartments and Soo Line City Apartments in Minneapolis and the Penfield in St. Paul.

Pratt Ordway Properties is a Vadnais Heights-based real estate firm that owns primarily suburban properties throughout the Twin Cities metro.

The proposal comes as multiple other developers pursue high-rise apartment buildings in and around downtown Minneapolis.

Schafer Richardson is working to replace the Nye's Polonaise Room with a 30-story tower in northeast Minneapolis, Alatus wants to build a 25- to 30-story residential tower just a few blocks away and United Properties is planning a 36-story apartment and hotel tower at the Nicollet Hotel block in the central business district.

Meanwhile, Ryan Cos. has a 200-unit apartment building planned in phase one of the Downtown East redevelopment project and a 220-unit complex in phase two. Alatus is finishing up work on Latitude 45 on Washington Avenue and M.A. Mortenson is building 4Marq, a 30-story apartment tower, just blocks from United's downtown project.

Kristen Leigh Painter • 612-673-4767