$3.7M downtown Minneapolis condo offers riverfront views, luxe amenities

When friends visit Scott Ross in his Minneapolis condominium, they pull out their phones and take photos of the broad cityscape beyond his floor-to-ceiling bay windows.

Mississippi River. Gold Medal Park. Guthrie Theater. Stone Arch Bridge.

“At night, the whole city just lights up,” Ross said. “It’s kind of like living in an airplane.”

Ross’ condo is in the Eleven, a 550-foot, 42-story tower that became a new addition to the Minneapolis skyline in 2022. His place is on the 26th floor: High enough, he said, for the weather to sometimes be different from the 75-foot outdoor pool on the eighth floor.

“This is not for people that have a fear of heights,” Ross said.

Nor is it an ideal fit for Pepper, the 75-pound sheepadoodle (a mix of poodle and sheep dog) Ross adopted during the pandemic.

Despite Ross’ appreciation of the building’s assets — its attractive design, numerous amenities, helpful concierge service — he doesn’t love the inconvenience of living there with a large dog.

So Ross has relocated to the Lake of the Isles area of Minneapolis and put his condo on the market for just under $3.7 million.

Ross, a dermatologist who grew up in Minneapolis, was living in a large lakeside house in Wayzata when he read a 2019 Star Tribune story about approval for the Eleven. The nearly $190 million financing package would construct the tallest and most expensive condominium building in Minnesota.

The story mentioned the involvement of New York-based Robert A.M. Stern Architects, which designed buildings Ross admired in New York City and Chicago.

“I realized this was going to be a completely different condominium,” he said, referencing other options in the city.

When the Eleven opened, he was its second occupant.

His place has two bedrooms, three bathrooms and a library. The oak-floored open living area holds: a great room with a gas fireplace; a dining room; and a kitchen with white oak cabinetry, marble countertops and high-end appliances. Bay windows line the walls, giving the feeling of being “on top of the world,” per Ross.

The primary suite has a marble bathroom with a soaking tub, walk-in shower and radiant-heated floors. The second bedroom also has an en suite bath along with a built-in desk, powder room and laundry.

Outside on the 195-square-foot terrace, the ceiling’s heat lamps stretch the two-season porch closer to three seasons, Ross said.

“My favorite thing is just sitting out on the deck at night and looking out there when the lights come on, and the sun sets,” he said.

A $2,850 monthly homeowners association fee pays for the building’s amenities, including an around-the-clock door attendant, infrared sauna, golf simulator, pet spa, library and indoor sport court for pickleball and basketball. There are also steam rooms and “destination dispatch” elevators designed to minimize wait times by grouping passengers with similar destinations into the same lift.

“The people that work there make it really easy for you,” he said. “If you travel a lot, you just lock your door, and you leave, and you don’t have to worry about anything.”

The only feature missing, Ross said, is a ground-floor restaurant. There’s space for one, but none has opened yet.

In the meantime, Eleven residents needn’t starve; some dining spots are in walking distance of the building: Chloe, Farmers Kitchen and Bar, Umbra, Alma, the James Beard Award-winning Owamni. Entertainment and arts destinations are also nearby.

The Mill District area was an industrial milling hub and became “one of the most walkable neighborhoods in Minneapolis,” said Christie Hantge, executive director of the Downtown Minneapolis Neighborhood Association.

In the 1840s, nearby lumber mills took advantage of the power of St. Anthony Falls. Around 1880, flour mills joined them, leading the city to become the “Flour Milling Capital of the World,” according to the Minnesota Historical Society’s website. That past is still visible at the nearby Mill City Museum and Mill Ruins Park.

For Ross, one of the best parts of living at the Eleven were his building neighbors.

“There are people from all over the country, even the world. People from France are there, Germany … all walks of life,” he said.

They do have at least one thing in common, though.

“Most of them have been pretty successful,” he said.

Jim Schwarz of Sotheby’s International Realty (612-251-7201, jim.schwarz@lakesmn.co) has the $3,695,000 listing.