The NDDC’s E. R. Team (the Expansion and Redevelopment Committee) toured the current Lockwood Opera House Project (formerly Jacobsen’s Family Store) with project partner Bob Kuyper on Wednesday morning.

(L to R) me, Dan Bergeson, Joe Grundhoefer, Vic Summa, Keith Covey, Bob Kuyper

The project is moving steadily along and tour participants were able to see the three commercial condos on the ground floor with the preserved and restored tin plate ceilings in each space. The three spaces will soon be home to two existing businesses and one new business, each offering an exciting selection of products and retailing vitality to Division Street.

Upstairs, four dramatic residential condos are coming together. They are all about 2,000 square feet in size. Two have 16 foot ceilings and lofted spaces, one has a screened-in porch and one has a deck on a private courtyard.

The E. R. Team was particularly interested in the commercial condo concept. Although it has been done “up in the Cities”, (see this Strib article titled Condos go commercial), it is new to Northfield. The concept brings ownership to a greater number of people and spurs increased investment in the community. We think that Northfield will see more of this approach in the near future.

See the ongoing photo gallery of the Lockwood project on Northfield.org.