Western Specialty Contractors Makes Basement Concrete Repairs to Minneapolis’ Historic Northrup King Building Complex for Artist Lofts
Western Specialty Contractors’ Minneapolis branch recently restored concrete and provided waterproofing for the new Artspace NKB Lofts, the $62 million redevelopment of three industrial buildings connected to the historic Northrup King Building, the largest complex of artist studios in the state of Minnesota.
Located at 1500 Jackson St. NE in the Northeast Minneapolis Arts District, the Artspace NKB Lofts will be part of the Northrup King campus, which comprises 10 buildings and is home to 350 tenants, including artists and various small businesses and nonprofit organizations. The 13acre complex was first constructed in 1917 for the Northrup King & Co. seed company and is currently owned by Artspace Projects, Inc.
The 169,000 sq ft Artspace NKB Lofts will create 84 live/work affordable housing units for artists and their families, including one, two and three-bedroom floor plans. The redevelopment will also create 8,120 sq ft of commercial space for creatives.
Western was hired by commercial general contractor Watson-Forsberg in August 2025 to make concrete repairs to the basement level of the second building. The scope of work included 600+ partial-depth overhead repairs, 200+ sq ft of full-depth floor repairs, and application of 400 sq ft of traffic coating.
Several subcontractors were working alongside Western in the same buildings, so Western had to coordinate times for its crews to work in specific spaces to avoid interfering with other subcontractors.
The high-profile renovation project is being overseen by the City of Minneapolis and is expected to 11 Lowry Ave., NE be completed in 2026. Western completed the concrete repairs and waterproofing within budget and on schedule in October 2025. Cuningham Group is the architect on the project.
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About Western Specialty Contractors
Family-owned and operated for more than 100 years, Western Specialty Contractors is the nation’s largest specialty contractor in masonry and concrete restoration, waterproofing, and specialty roofing. Western offers a nationwide network of expertise that building owners, engineers, architects, and property managers can count on to develop cost-effective, corrective measures that can add years of useful life to a variety of structures, including industrial, commercial, healthcare, historic, educational and government buildings, parking structures, and sports stadiums. Western is headquartered in St. Louis, MO, with 30 branch offices nationwide and employs more than 1,200 salaried and hourly professionals who offer the best, time-tested techniques and innovative technology. For more information about Western Specialty Contractors, visit https://westernspecialtycontractors.com.