Bloomington's Crowne Plaza Aire hotel to convert rooms into tiny apartments

• Hotel occupancy in the Twin Cities fell to 33% last year, and one forecast says it won't rebound to pre-pandemic levels until 2024.

If approved by Bloomington City Council, the project would be the first hotel-to-apartment conversion in recent local history.

• Kaeding would keep and renovate 135 of the hotel rooms.
• The other 295 would be converted into 229 apartments, 46 of which will be income-restricted.

What to expect: 64 of the new apartments will be 350 square feet, which would be among the smallest you'll find in the metro. City code sets a minimum of 360 square feet, so the layouts will need approval.

• Kitchenettes would be added on the wall between the bed and the bathroom of studio units.
• Other units will be as large as 1,200 square feet, combining hotel rooms.

• Construction would start in May and wrap up in December.

The bottom line: The pandemic has caused a rethinking of how we use built space.

• But one thing is clear: While demand for hotel, retail and office space has declined, need for housing is still high.

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