Northeast Minnesota Earns Top Project Awards

Friday, July 23, 2021

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Northeast Minnesota Earns Four Top Project Awards

On Thursday, July 22, business and community leaders along with APEX’s Matt Shermoen gathered in Minneapolis to honor Finance & Commerce’s Top Projects of 2020, which recognized projects based on several factors: the degree of difficulty, creativity in design, innovative construction techniques, cooperation among contractors, and management and sustainability efforts.

APEX President and CEO, Brian Hanson, commented “The entire region came together to drive progress over the past year despite many unforeseen challenges. These projects represent forward-thinking, hard work and a commitment to improving quality of life in northern Minnesota.”

Cantilever Distillery and Hotel

The beautiful new Cantilever Distillery and Hotel sits right in the heart of Ranier, Minnesota - the furthest point north in the U.S. aside from Alaska. It welcomes a renaissance of locally distilled spirits, high-quality craft cocktails and an atmosphere unlike anything else in the region. The 26,000 square foot facility includes a 31-room boutique hotel, a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility for making spirits, a cocktail room, a restaurant, a yoga studio, a private events space and an expansive rooftop bar with a sauna and hot tub. It’s a truly creative and multipurpose space that maximizes every square inch of its footprint.

St. Luke’s Lake View Hospital Expansion

The new main entrance at the St. Luke’s Lake View Hospital campus in Two Harbors, Minnesota, was designed for patient comfort. It’s lovely. It’s welcoming. It’s polished, professional and private. It’s everything leadership hoped to accomplish with the 36,000 square foot expansion and enhancement project and more. The newly combined facility features the hospital in one wing, the renovated primary care clinic and newly built specialty care clinic in another wing, and an infusion center in the final wing. The project also included a 2,000 square foot community conference center. APEX investor-member, Kraus-Anderson Construction Company, was the general contractor on this project.

St. Luke’s Emergency Department and Cath Labs

St. Luke’s new emergency department and Cath Labs in Duluth, Minnesota, was a complex, multi-year project completed in 2020. Each project phase supported a single goal: improving patient care for all with the best possible facility. Today, the emergency department includes 27 exam rooms, 4 trauma rooms, 2 behavioral health treatment rooms, 2 triage rooms, a large decontamination area, and direct access from the helistop and ambulance garage to the emergency department, surgery and Cath lab. The beautiful renovation ensures patients receive the highest quality care, streamlined for better patient outcomes.

Carlton Lofts Renovation

What was once Cloquet High School has been transformed into Carlton Lofts, a historical renovation that created 57 affordable housing units in Cloquet, Minnesota. The design honors the building’s past by maintaining corridors, flooring and ceiling heights. The library space became five loft-style apartments with mezzanines. The gym became a fitness and recreation space that doubles as community space for parties and events. As a historic building under the National Register of Historic Places, the project included navigating additional requirements and restrictions to preserve the space and bring it up to modern standards. The result is a beautiful, energy-efficient space that welcomes the future while honoring the past.

Category: APEX