The Beach Club Residences (formerly, Calhoun Beach Club) is an apartment community, health club, and commercial center in

Minneapolis, Minnesota Minneapolis is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 429,954 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the state's List of cities in Minnesota, most populous city. Locat ...

, United States, just across Lake Street from its namesake Lake Calhoun (now called

Bde Maka Ska Bde Maka Ska ( , previously named Lake Calhoun) is the largest lake in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States, and part of the city's Grand Rounds National Scenic Byway#Paths_around_lakes, Chain of Lakes. Surrounded by city park land and circled b ...

). Its founders intended the club to meet their residential, recreational, and entertainment needs in one building. The original building was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

on December 23, 2003. It is considered significant as a rare local example of an

apartment hotel An apartment hotel or aparthotel (also residential hotel or extended-stay hotel) is a serviced apartment complex that uses a hotel-style booking system. It is similar to renting an apartment, but with no fixed contracts and occupants can "check ...

, a distinctive urban housing option of American cities in the 1920s.

History

Construction of the building began in 1928, but it was delayed for approximately 18 years due to the

Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...

. After

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

construction was completed, and it became a lively social club. Financial hard times in the early 1950s forced the club into bankruptcy. The building was converted to a

hotel A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a re ...

in 1954 and was marketed as a place for social events such as proms, parties, luncheons, banquets, and wedding receptions. The upper floors were converted into fashionable apartments. WTCN (now

KARE Kare or KARE may refer to: * Kare (Žitorađa), a village in Serbia * Kare language, several languages with the name * Kare (surname), a surname (including a list of people with the name) * Kare Kauks (born 1961), Estonian singer * Kåre or Kaar ...

television and

WWTC WWTC (1280 AM broadcasting, AM, "The Patriot") is a commercial radio station city of license, licensed to Minneapolis, Minnesota, and serving the Minneapolis-St. Paul, Twin Cities region. It is owned by Salem Media Group and broadcasts a conse ...

radio) moved its radio and TV studios to the second and third floors around that time. Staples of WTCN programming, such as the children's program ''Lunch with Casey'' with

Roger Awsumb Roger Awsumb (July 10, 1928 – July 15, 2002) was an American television show host and radio broadcaster in Minneapolis–Saint Paul and Brainerd, Minnesota. He is most known for his lead role in the children's television show he created, ''Lu ...

, ''Matinee Movie'' with Mel Jass and ''All Star Wrestling'' with

Verne Gagne the Minnesota Golden Gophers wrestling, Minnesota Golden Gophers Laverne Clarence "Verne" Gagne ( ; February 26, 1926 – April 27, 2015) was an American amateur wrestling, amateur and professional wrestling, professional wrestler, Amer ...

, aired live in the building. From 1963 to 1972, the property was renamed Calhoun Beach Manor, operating as a home for the elderly. In 1977 the building was restored to its intended use as a sports and social club. The

handball Handball (also known as team handball, European handball, Olympic handball or indoor handball) is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each (six outcourt players and a goalkeeper) pass a ball using their hands with the aim of thr ...

and

squash Squash most often refers to: * Squash (sport), the high-speed racquet sport also known as squash racquets * Squash (plant), the fruit of vines of the genus ''Cucurbita'' Squash may also refer to: Sports * Squash (professional wrestling), an extr ...

courts and the

swimming pool A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, paddling pool, or simply pool, is a structure designed to hold water to enable Human swimming, swimming and associated activities. Pools can be built into the ground (in-ground pools) or built abo ...

were restored, and the club installed

tennis court A tennis court is the venue where the sport of tennis is played. It is a firm rectangular surface with a low net stretched across the centre. The same surface can be used to play both Types of tennis match, doubles and singles matches. A variet ...

steam room A steam bath is a steam-filled room or steam-filled cabinet designed for the purpose of relaxation and holistic treatment. Steam baths have been formally recognized since ancient Greek and Roman Empire, Roman times, yet variations can be found t ...

sauna A sauna (, ) is a room or building designed as a place to experience dry or wet heat sessions or an establishment with one or more of these facilities. The steam and high heat make the bathers perspire. A thermometer in a sauna is used to meas ...

s, sunrooms, and a

jogging Jogging is a form of trotting or running at a slow or leisurely pace. The main intention is to increase physical fitness with less stress on the body than from faster running but more than walking, or to maintain a steady speed for longer periods ...

track. At that time, the lobby was restored in an

Art Deco Art Deco, short for the French (), is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design that first Art Deco in Paris, appeared in Paris in the 1910s just before World War I and flourished in the United States and Europe during the 1920 ...

style. Later, in the 1980s, the club added more facilities, such as an

aerobics Aerobics is a form of physical exercise that combines rhythmic aerobic exercise with stretching and strength training routines with the goal of improving all elements of fitness (Flexibility (anatomy), flexibility, Muscle, muscular strength, and ...

studio,

volleyball Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules. It has been a part of the official program of the Summ ...

and

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...

courts, and additional exercise equipment. In 1997 a tower addition designed by KKE architects was constructed. In 2001 the property was renovated and converted to luxury apartments. The original building – the oldest high-rise residential building outside of downtown Minneapolis' core – was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 23, 2003. In 2020, the owner and operator of the luxury apartment community updated the building's name t
The Beach Club Residences

The Beach Club Residences

The Beach Club Residences community is located in the Uptown-Lakes area, overlooking

Lake of the Isles Lake of the Isles ( Dakota: ''Wíta Tópa'', "Four Islands") is a lake in Minneapolis, Minnesota, connected to Cedar Lake and Bde Maka Ska. The lake is part of the city's Chain of Lakes and has an area of , of shoreline with a little under three ...

, Cedar Lake and downtown

Minneapolis Minneapolis is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 429,954 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the state's List of cities in Minnesota, most populous city. Locat ...

, MN. The community consists of 332 apartment homes, divided among 57 different floorplans. Apartment homes vary from studios up to 4-bedrooms, which range from to . The property is currently owned and operated by Air Communities.

Calhoun Beach Club Commercial Tenants

The Beach Club includes 11 retails spaces, seven of which are currently occupied by the Chilango restaurant, Sash Salon, Strauman Holistic Chiropractic, Uptime Nutrition, D'Amico Catering and Sales, Beck and Tysver, and the Beach Health Club. The Beach Health Club features high-tech fitness equipment, a full range of exercise and fitness classes including

Pilates Pilates (; ) is a type of mind-body exercise developed in the early 20th century by German physical trainer Joseph Pilates, after whom it was named. Pilates called his method "Contrology". Pilates uses a combination of around 50 repetitive e ...

ballroom dancing Ballroom dance is a set of European partner dances, which are enjoyed both socially and competitively around the world, mostly because of its performance and entertainment aspects. Ballroom dancing is also widely enjoyed on stage, film, and te ...

, strength-building,

yoga Yoga (UK: , US: ; 'yoga' ; ) is a group of physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines that originated with its own philosophy in ancient India, aimed at controlling body and mind to attain various salvation goals, as pra ...

and a running club. In addition, The Beach Club has indoor and outdoor pools, restaurants, a full-service salon, fitness classes, outdoor recreational equipment, and a tanning salon.

Gallery

File:Calhoun bathroom.jpg, An apartment's bathroom in the historic Beach Club Residences apartment community File:Calhoun Courtyard.jpg, The apartment community's courtyard File:Calhoun kitchen.jpg, An apartment's kitchen in the apartment community. File:Calhoun living room.jpg, An apartment's living room in the apartment community File:Calhoun Tennis Courts.jpg, Tennis courts on the property. File:Calhoun the-View- 01.jpg, The View restaurant and bar.

References

External links

Calhoun Beach Club Apartments
{{National Register of Historic Places in Minnesota Apartment buildings in Minnesota National Register of Historic Places in Minneapolis Residential buildings completed in 1946 Residential buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Minnesota