After 13 months of renovation and restoration, the Arcade Building is getting close to ready as apartments, artist lofts and the expanded downtown campus of Webster University.
Officials of Dominium Development, the Arcade's Minneapolis-based owner and redeveloper, gave tours of the building Thursday. Jeff Huggett, the Dominium vice president in charge of the $118 million project, said several times that apartment leasing is underway.
A Dec. 1 opening is planned. Huggett said a quarter of the 282 lofts and apartments already are spoken for.
Beth Stroble, Webster's president, was among the visitors who toured the building, which remains a workzone.
Built more than a century ago as stores and offices, the Arcade's redo as apartments is downtown ×îÐÂÐÓ°ÉÔ´´' largest residential project since the Mansion House towers went up in the 1960s.
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Dominium is redoing the Arcade as 80 market-rate apartments, 202 artists' lofts and two floors of classrooms, offices and other facilities for the expanded downtown ×îÐÂÐÓ°ÉÔ´´ campus of Webster, which will keep its existing space at the Old Post Office.
The project includes installation of 2,500 windows whose appearance must match the originals to be in compliance with standards required to get historic preservation tax credits.
A panel of art experts will screen potential occupants of the artists' lofts, which will have rents lower than the market-rate units. Loft renters must meet income guidelines.
The new Arcade will have a recording studio, a dance studio and places for artists to sculpt and paint. Webster will occupy the first two floors, including the building's namesake arcade.
