When Maya Petrovic was growing up in a Minneapolis suburb, she dreamed of living in a downtown condo with a rooftop deck.
"I always gravitated toward the city and people," she said.
She got her wish in 2004 after she and Rob Colasanti moved to the top floor of the Bookmen Lofts in Minneapolis' North Loop neighborhood.
Architect James Dayton designed the conversion of the 1916 five-story brick building to condos. It was formerly the offices and distribution center of Bookmen Inc., a family-owned regional book wholesaler that was sold to the Ingram Book Group in 2002.
"We were attracted to the raw space with light brick walls and a skylight and saw the potential for the rooftop deck," said Petrovic, a freelance writer.
Dayton helped them choose materials to enhance the classic minimalist loft interior defined by an open floor plan, 10-foot ceilings, distressed concrete floors and exposed duct work. He designed the steel spiral staircase that leads to a lofted space that has a wet bar. From there, Petrovic and Colasanti can step onto the 25- by 23-foot private rooftop deck that offers 360-degree views of the Minneapolis skyline and new Target Field. Inside the condo, they star-gaze through a window-size skylight. Other luxe features include a spa-style master bathroom outfitted with a chromatherapy-lit soaking tub.
The couple also bought into the Bookmen for its ideal location close to Mississippi River trails, a fenced dog park where they can exercise their Great Dane and scores of eclectic restaurants. Colasanti can even walk to his job as manager of the Fine Line Music Cafe.
Petrovic and Colasanti are selling their corner unit and plan to rent a condo. They no longer want to be tied down by homeownership. But since they will be staying in the North Loop, the only amenity they'll have to give up is the one-of-a-kind rooftop deck.
