Capella Tower is located in the heart of downtown Minneapolis and is known for its distinct cylindrical shape and crown of lights. The property has over 1.4 million square feet of space and consists of two towers joined by a three-story atrium.
This case study shares how AVI Systems helped the property’s management company, CBRE, create an exclusive, skyway-level conference center available only to Capella Tower tenants. The space, known as The Collaborative, provides tenants with a convenient and stylish workspace away from the office.
Click the video below to learn more about this project.
The Challenge
The existing business center at Capella Tower was the first shared business center in downtown Minneapolis. Originally built in the '90s, the center’s technology was outdated, and its location within the building made it hard for external visitors to access.
Initial conversations about updating the space started before COVID hit, but the need became even more critical in its aftermath. When a skyway-level bank relocated within the building, its property managers saw it as an opportunity to completely renovate the space and turn it into a modern business center and tenant amenity.
“Many of our tenants were looking for ways to attract their employees back into the office and to provide something those employees couldn’t get at home,” said Laura Anderson, Community Manager, CBRE.
Because CBRE had previously worked with AVI Systems in several other areas of the building, they requested a bid on this project and once again chose AVI as their partner.
“We’ve had a great working relationship with AVI Systems. I’ve been really impressed with their expertise and the engineering side of the house,” says Nathan Reed, General Manager, CBRE.
The Solution
The project team set out to create a highly aesthetic conference center that seamlessly incorporated technology and offered a consistent user experience throughout.
Blending the audiovisual technology with the building’s architecture was important from a planning standpoint,” said Loren Sposito, Executive Account Manager, AVI Systems. “And because this is a multi-tenant space, it was essential that people be able to easily use their own devices to run meetings or share content.”
Beyond ease of use, consistency was also a consideration. “We wanted to ensure that no matter what room you’re in, the technology worked the same way — whether you’re presenting in the board room or having a quick huddle meeting,” says Anderson.
The finished result is a 13,000-square-foot modern business center called The Collaborative. The space consists of several zones for greeting outside guests, hosting meetings and events, or just hanging out away from the office:
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When asked how the technology integrates into the architecture, Reed says, “The technology in the space is subtle — it’s there if people need it, and if they don’t, it’s in the background. For example, our Frame TVs display art, but they can also switch to cable TV or be used by tenants for Presentations.”
The Results Human Impact
The Collaborative opened at Capella Tower in March 2024 and is already creating impact and driving results.
“We invested in this space because we want to be the best building in downtown Minneapolis and a place that our tenants want to work in,” says Anderson. “The Collaborative really fits the Capella Tower brand and the experience CBRE wants to deliver.”
CBRE is measuring its success in several ways:
- Pre-booking — Tenants started pre-booking the space even before it opened, indicating strong interest and demand.
- Tenant traffic — While tenant traffic isn’t back to pre-pandemic levels, Anderson notes that downtown Minneapolis is lively again as more employers have brought their teams back to the office for a few days each week. Both Anderson and Reed have heard that The Collaborative has helped draw tenants back to the space, and CBRE has seen an increase in the number of tenants onsite.
- “Tuesday through Thursday are our busiest days at the building. On those days, you’ll be lucky to find a seat in The Collaborative over the lunch hour,” says Anderson. “Other times of the day, people come down to the space when they need a refresh or change of scenery. It’s so fun to see when the space is bustling with people.”
- Meeting room utilization — Meeting rooms tend to be booked out two to three weeks in advance and are even used outside of working hours for various events. “We’re seeing great utilization from our tenants.
The space is used five days a week and meets our tenant’s needs from morning to night,” says Reed. “I think the space plays a big role in our tenants getting some of their employees back to the office and being excited about being here.”
