Renaissance Box

Renaissance Box provides 70 high-quality, affordable apartment homes near Lowertown St. Paul for individuals and households earning low to moderate incomes. Located within close proximity to a variety of employment opportunities and several transportation options, Renaissance Box will have a positive impact on Wacouta Commons' evolution into a thriving urban neighborhood.

Aeon's 12th historical renovation is transforming a blighted warehouse destined for foreclosure into a flourishing part of the Wacouta Commons neighborhood fabric. Renaissance Box stands as an attractive, vibrant residential building that complements and enriches the character of the surrounding community.

Renaissance Box features efficiency, one- and two-bedroom apartment homes, each of which offers residents several unique features. Each unit features large windows that provide abundant natural lighting and dynamic views of either the surrounding neighborhood or downtown St. Paul. Column capitals dating to the original 1914 construction are visible in individual units and hallways, while the loft-style apartments include exposed brick, concrete floors and open ceilings.

Learn more about Renaissance Box - or apply online - at www.renaissancebox.com

Development history

The Renaissance Box building, originally built in 1914, was home to the O'Donnell Shoe Factory, which provided jobs for various immigrant populations that came to St. Paul to make a better life for their families. By 1928, O'Donnell was the largest shoe manufacturer in the state of Minnesota.

Following its shoe factory days, the building was used by various commercial and retail owners, but remained an underutilized community asset. Aeon purchased the mostly vacant building out of a foreclosure situation in 2006.

The redevelopment of Renaissance Box is paying tribute to Minnesota's history while meeting today's needs for quality affordable homes. Aeon has obtained a historic designation for the building from the State Historic Preservation Office.

Aeon - a leader in historic preservation - has preserved this building in a sustainable and feasible way through a partnership with the Center for Sustainable Building Research and the Center for Energy and Environment.

Learn more about Renaissance Box's development or its historic past.