Dayton's Department Store Added To Historic Places Register

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – The former Dayton's Department store in Minneapolis has been added to the National Register of Historic Places.

The building has been a landmark in downtown for more than 100 years. Being part of the National Register of Historic Places will help protect the former department store.

"Excited is a total underestimation of how we feel about bringing it to this point," said Meghan Elliott, founding principal at New History.

The title brings new meaning to the Dayton's Project-- a renovation of the former Dayton's store, that would eventually become Marshall Field's, then Macy's and close in 2017. The Dayton's Project will be a twelve-story mixed-use space with dining, offices and retail.

"We have changed a lot and our building bones haven't quite changed as much, so we're working to make those bones work again," said Elliott.

There will be visible touches of the past woven into the new building. Many historic elements are being kept and restored, including lights and the iconic Art Deco bathrooms.

"We'll still have the high ceilings, the plaster capitols, the plaster molding work throughout the ceilings," said Brian Whiting.

The $214 million Dayton's Project will now also be eligible for the Historic Tax Program that encourages private sector investment in the rehabilitation and re-use of historic buildings.

"It brings 20% of what the developers spend on the project back in the form of tax credit and then our state matches that," said Elliott.

Right now, developers say they are just slightly ahead of schedule. They're completing finishing up the infrastructure and will be then filling out the tenant spaces.

The Dayton's Project is scheduled to open in the Spring of 2020.