Perched atop the distinctive 301 Kenwood Parkway building, directly across from the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden and neighboring the Walker Art Center, one of Minneapolis' most remarkable residences is entering an entirely new chapter. After serving for more than two decades as a deeply personal home and gallery for passionate art collectors, the sixth-floor penthouse has been carefully transformed – not into a finished luxury residence, but into something far rarer: possibility.
Today, the approximately 7,000-square-foot full-floor residence has been stripped back to its architectural bones, offering buyers the chance to create a one-of-a-kind home in one of the city's most coveted locations. Whether reimagined as one expansive residence or divided into two separate luxury condominiums, the space represents something increasingly difficult to find in Minneapolis – a blank canvas.
And perhaps nowhere is that metaphor more fitting.
The previous owners, Doris and Leo Hadras, were devoted art collectors who envisioned their home as an extension of the artwork they loved. By combining two condominium units into one extraordinary residence, they created a space that featured its own gallery corridor, allowing art to become part of the home's everyday experience.
"It actually had a gallery space within the unit that sort of ran through these two units, and it's kind of what tied them together," explains Ellyn Wolfenson, realtor and estate representative. "They were really tremendous art collectors, and they decided that they were going to not only reinvent the home that they moved from into this condo unit, but they were going to make it an art gallery."
The residence was thoughtfully customized to suit their lifestyle, creating an environment unlike any other in the building. It reflected their passions beautifully and served them perfectly for many years. But like every great work of design, architecture evolves alongside the people who inhabit it.
Wolfenson and business partner Matt Baker recognized that the home's next chapter required a different approach. Rather than asking buyers to imagine removing layers of previous construction, they made the bold decision to remove everything first.
"We were going to have to demolish everything so people could really see what it could be," Wolfenson says.
That decision proved far more complex than anticipated.
What was initially expected to take just a couple of weeks stretched into nearly two months. Because of the boutique building's design, demolition debris couldn't simply be hauled through the elevators. Every piece had to be carefully removed using cranes and specialized chutes, creating an intricate logistical project unlike a typical renovation.
"It was supposed to take two weeks," Baker recalls. "It took two months. It was complicated in the nature of the building."
Today, visitors stepping off the building's private elevator are greeted not by polished finishes, but by exposed concrete floors, unfinished ceilings and uninterrupted space. Rather than feeling incomplete, the shell reveals something even more compelling – the architecture itself.
"It's rough," Wolfenson says. "But it's a blank canvas."
That idea became the guiding philosophy behind the project. Instead of marketing the property as a resale condominium, Baker believes it should be viewed almost as a new construction opportunity.
"There are so few new construction opportunities," he says. "We're basically wiping the canvas clean." The comparison feels especially appropriate given the building's artistic surroundings.
Standing across from the Sculpture Garden, the residence enjoys sweeping views that encompass downtown Minneapolis, the Walker Art Center, the Basilica of Saint Mary and the city's skyline. Large expanses of glass transform the ever-changing landscape into living artwork, with each season bringing a different visual experience.
"The outdoors is really art," Baker says. "Much of this unit, the way it's integrated into the site and faces the Walker Art Center... the outdoors is really art."
That relationship between architecture and landscape has long made 301 Kenwood Parkway one of Minneapolis' most recognizable residential buildings. Home to only about a dozen residences, the boutique property offers a level of privacy rarely found in urban living while placing residents within walking distance of museums, theaters, sporting venues, lakes, trails and downtown attractions.
"It's such a cool building," Wolfenson says. "It's just a really unique opportunity to have this magnificent building in this unbelievable location and have a buyer be able to reimagine and reinvent—from the ground up—a fresh start."
The lifestyle extends well beyond the walls of the residence itself.
Residents can stroll through the Sculpture Garden before dinner, bike to Target Field, spend afternoons at the Walker Art Center, or enjoy easy access to Minneapolis' Chain of Lakes, the Guthrie Theater and the city's vibrant Warehouse District. Few addresses combine cultural landmarks, outdoor recreation and downtown convenience as seamlessly.
For prospective buyers, flexibility may be the greatest luxury of all.
The sixth floor can remain a dramatic full-floor residence of roughly 7,000 square feet, or it can once again become two separate homes of approximately 3,000 and 4,000 square feet. Each option is being offered as a shell, allowing future owners to select their own architect, designer and builder to create a residence tailored entirely to their vision.
Concept renderings and virtual designs will help buyers imagine the possibilities, but the final expression remains intentionally unwritten.
"It's the opportunity to come in and do what you want, the way you want it," Baker says. "People don't have to remodel someone else's decorating or pay a lot of money for what somebody else has done."
Instead, they're beginning with pure potential, which in many ways, mirrors the creative process itself. Artists often begin with a blank canvas. Architects begin with an empty structure. Every masterpiece starts with possibility.
Wolfenson believes the home's previous owners would appreciate that philosophy. "I think they would be really proud and excited to be presenting this space to somebody else to have the same opportunity they had," she says.
As the property prepares to debut on the market, it stands as something more than another luxury listing. It is a rare invitation to participate in the next chapter of an architectural landmark.
The walls may have come down, but the vision has only grown larger.
Across from one of Minnesota's most celebrated collections of public art, a new masterpiece is waiting—not to be admired, but to be created.
Interested in working with Ellyn and Matt? Contact Ellyn by phone at (612)-644-3033 or by email at ejwolfenson@cbrealty.com. Contact Matt by phone at (612)-860-4222 or by email at mbaker@cbburnet.com.