The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-05-01
UNPRECEDENTED
BUILDING ACTIVITY
1902 Will Be the Greatest Building Year in the History Of
Minneapolis
Homes, Business Buildings Factories, Elevators Flats,
Hotels-Every Kind Of Building Booming
Resume of the Remarkable Situation Conditions and
@-.. Their Causes.
Greatest Building Year in the History Of
Minneapolis.

Minneapolis is in the midst of period
of healthy and legitimate growth. Bust
ness is expanding, people are pouring into
the city by hundreds and thousands. TO
accommodate the growing needs of the
business establishments of the city and
to house the new people who are coming
here to live, an enormous amount of
building is going on. During 1901 more
building was done than in any year OF
the city's history; but for 1902 there IS
promise of a still greater volume of con-
struction. vast amount of business
building is already definitely planned and
much more is quite certain to be arranged
for during the spring and early summer.
AS for dwelling houses they will be
erected almost by the thousands this
year; there is home building epidemic
In the community-a condition which re-
fleets the prosperity and sagacity OF the
people.
The conditions which have led to this
state of affairs are not difficult of analysis.
Up to the last year or so Minneapolis has
not been growing in proportion to the
development Of the great tributary coun-
try OF the northwest In common with all
large cities growth was much hindered
for several years after '93. But in the
country regions Of Minnesota and the Da-
kotas the effects of the so-called hard
times were minimized. In some districts
the people would never have known that
times were hard had they not read OF
them in the papers. Many farmers kept
right on raising good crops and marketing
them a. fair values. Country banks filled
with the surplus moneys of the agricul-
tural classes.
A little later strong demand for north
western agricultural lands developed at
the same time that prices began to adj
vance and for several years hundreds of
thousands of people have been seeking
homes in the northwest. This has caused
rapid growth OF the country tow us, the
circulation of vast amount of money
paid for farms and equipments, a strong
demand for the goods sold or manufac-
tured in Minneapolis, and larger crops to
be marketed here. .-.zarz--s i rs.s-s
The result of all this has been a great
expansion Of business in the city. But
the growth Of the city has not kept pace
with the growth Of the country districts
The percentages of country growth and
city growth have been much out Of pro-
portion
At first the expansion of business sim
ply took up the surplus of unemployed
people or filled vacant stores and houses
Even after the existing warehouses and
dwellings were generally occupied in
vestors were slow to provide means fol
further expansion. But for a year or sc
past the pressure for room for business
and homes has been so great that it must
at last be satisfied and the result has
been a rush for improvements of every
kind. When the city felt the full effect:
of the general prosperity and began tt
really respond to existing conditions, the
result was like the rebound of an over.
stretched rubber band
This building movement has been aug