In 1905 W. J. Keith announced that he had led a contract to see. F. Haglin for a Modern Family hotel and apartment house to cost $225,000. It was to be a 6 story and basement fireproof structure facing Loring park where Kenwood Parkway joins Hennepin and Lyndale Avenues. Already excavation was finished. Mr. Haglin began the foundation and the hotel was slated for occupancy on September 1st, 1906.
In many ways the hotel, which was known as the Plaza, was unlike anything of its kind in Minneapolis. In some features, which Mr. Keith studied out on his visits to Europe, the Plaza was entirely new to this country. Ornamentaly, the hotel introduced a strong suggestion of the German city the exterior resembled in some of the substantial structures of Berlin. In the concrete, outside work, which Mr. Keith had given thorough test in his office building at 917 Hennepin and found to be perfectly satisfactory, with the type of architecture, made the building unique. In appointments the new hotel included several features of equipment not possessed by any other hotel in the city.
Among them was the palm arcades leading from the main entrance around a cafe and palm room which could be transformed into one of the largest dancing rooms in the city. A large mean dining room provided individual tables for tenants and their families. A private banquet room, garden billiard and recreation room, bowling alleys, a gymnasium and a hairdressing establishment,made the hotel one of the most well appointed addresses in the city.
The main floor was at the corner under a glass and ornamental iron canopy, through a lobby 30 by 35 feet of beautiful marble and tile work. The other floors were arranged in single rooms with bath and suites of varying sizes. The outlook from every apartment was a street while a large area gave ample light and air in the rear. The construction was of concrete and steel interior with curved grey granite concrete over brick exterior. The basement trimmings were of Bedford stone. Mr. Keith made the venture with the belief that the call for a family hotel which had been growing louder each successive year was genuine. He spared no expense and used his best observation in eastern and foreign cities for adoption in the Plaza.
Unusual circumstances made the site very desirable in the arrangement of the building and it’s appointments such as to satisfy visitors to the City of Lakes. The hotel will had 350 feet of street frontage and 100 acres of park outlook. The remaining 100 feet of outline was toward the south allowing sunlight to enter the interior. Across Hennepin Avenue, Loring Park with 40 acres, diagonally across Lyndale was the Parade of 50 acres and directly opposite was the side of the new Armory building. Skating and tennis were offered in Loring Park and in the Parade devotees of golf found excellent opportunities. Looking toward town the fine vista was broken only by the construction of the $1,000,000 pro-cathedral which was being erected where Hennepin Avenue turns east.
– Cobbled together from articles in The Minneapolis Journal
1905 and 1906
The Hotel Plaza was demolished to make way for the Interstate in 1960