The Downtown Council, eager for more people to see and consider apartments in downtown Minneapolis, is staging the Explore Downtown Living event on May 16 and 17.

Nearly two dozen of the newest apartment buildings in the city will host custom tours. Those buildings are in five neighborhoods, including the North Loop, Loring Park, Central Business District, Downtown East/Mill District and Northeast.

In a statement, Steve Cramer, president and CEO of the Minneapolis Downtown Council and Downtown Improvement District, said the group is working hard to get people to live downtown by promoting the growing number of housing options.

"We want to make sure people have a chance to explore downtown and decide which neighborhood works best for their lifestyle," he said.

Almost 39,000 people live downtown, and the population has been steadily increasing since 2006.

The group has launched a new website, www.exploredtliving.com, which will showcase some of the housing options and amenities. It also includes highlights about specific neighborhoods, maps and identifies, biking, car-sharing, parking and shopping opportunities.

Explore Downtown has also created "Living Field Guides" that will be available at some of the apartment buildings that will be on the tour. Registration is required and can be done on the website.

"Explore Downtown Living is all about showing off the great variety of neighborhoods and living options that exist, so people can see and find what fits them best," said Mike Ryan, chairman of the 2025 Plan Development Committee and director of architecture and engineering at Ryan Companies.

One of the 2025 Plan's 10 main initiatives calls for increasing downtown's residential population to 70,000 by 2025, from 37,500 today.

Jim Buchta