Small fire burns inside new downtown Minneapolis hotel

A small fire burned briefly inside a new downtown hotel and restaurant Thursday morning, authorities said.

The 183-room Canopy Hotel, a Hilton property in the 700 block of 3rd Street S., caught fire about 8:15 a.m., according to the Fire Department.

Fire crews located smoke and flames in a space between the first floor and the basement, said Assistant Fire Chief Bryan Tyner.

The firefighters used hoses to extinguish the flames within an hour as an evacuation was initiated.

There were no reported injuries, and the fire's cause remains under investigation.

The $63 million hotel and Umbra restaurant opened in February in Mill District space previously occupied by the Advance Thresher/Emerson-Newton Implement Co.

Thresher Square is actually two buildings that were constructed side by side, one in 1900 (which is six stories) and the other in 1904 (which is seven stories).

Farm equipment such as threshers, which are used to remove seeds from stalks, was manufactured at Thresher Square until the 1980s, when it was converted into offices. Sherman bought the property in 2015 for $7 million. Ultimately, strong interest swayed him to turn Thresher Square into a hotel.

Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482