I am all for adaptive reuse 
. There are many creative ways of using an old building for a new purpose.
The trend in Minneapolis right now appears to be towards hotels. Just this year, the Ivy Hotel opened in a 1930s ziggurat-style building. The W Minneapolis hotel in the 1929 Foshay Tower followed suit. Last year the Westin opened in the former Farmers and Mechanics Bank building .
"The latest is The Hotel Minneapolis . This one is especially cool since it is in what was once home to Midland National Bank.
The bank started in 1909 as Scandinavian-American National Bank, one of many Scandinavian banks in Minneapolis that began in the early 1880s. In 1915, it moved into the Security Building, built by Security Bank in 1906, complete with Italian marble. In 1917, Scandinavian-American National Bank changed its name to Midland National Bank (scroll down) and in 1929 joined the newly organized Northwestern Bancorporation (the forerunner of Norwest) in an effort to survive the depression. A 1939 renovation included renaming the building to the Midland Bank Building. Other changes included a drive-through banking window in 1956. In 1984, Midland officially became part of Norwest Corporation, which joined with Wells Fargo in 1998.
The Midland bank building is now the Hotel Minneapolis. Where once you stood in line for a teller, you now lounge and sip cocktails. Those magnificent columns, which once stood for credibility and stability, now lend a cool vibe to the restaurant Max . Midland's gorgeous vault doors, uncovered during a 1978 restoration, now open to reveal a wine cellar. There is a Wells Fargo banking store there still, on the skyway level — they just built the hotel around it.
But it all makes me think that this would be a great idea for a new bank store. Set-up a savings account, get a safe deposit box, eat dinner, hang out at the bar...
Well, maybe not.
The museum staffers at there. Very fun! But don't try going downstairs - its the kitchen. (good save, Melissa!)