The Dinkydome, Near the U. of Minnesota, Will Get a Renovation

The Dinkydome, a landmark in the Dinkytown neighborhood near the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, will undergo a renovation that will make it part of an upscale apartment complex, according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

The 90-year-old Dinkydome began as home to the Minnesota Bible College, but it has long housed businesses related to the university, fast-food restaurants, and a coffee shop. The $40-million, privately financed redevelopment includes adding a 10-story building to the block where the Dinkydome sits, just across the street from a main entrance to the university.

The project will include renovation of the glass dome at the center of the building. “You just don’t see buildings with domes like that very often,” Charlene Roise, president of a consulting firm that researches the histories of properties, told the Star Tribune. “It’s a building that makes a statement.”

The story notes that developers had considered tearing down the building before they realized its value.