Designed by the Minneapolis architectural and engineering firm of Hewitt and Brown, construction on the 13 story Northstar East building began in 1916. An early downtown home for the Pillsbury Corporation, the Art Nouveau office tower was completed the following year. The building was eventually renamed The Metropolitan Bank Building. The bank hired Chicago architects, Weary & Alford for the design of their offices and first floor lobby. In the 1980’s a dark glass curtainwall has replaced the building’s original spandrel panels. The contrast between the glass and the buildings original stonework became more pronounced when Northstar East’s limestone facade was tuckpointed and cleaned in 2008.
