An eccentric millionaire, Wilbur Foshay built the art deco Foshay Tower in 1929 just before the Wall Street stock market crash, and held a grand opening featuring a performance by John Philip Souza. Foshay Tower was the first skyscraper erected west of the Mississippi, towering above the other buildings in Downtown Minneapolis for 42 years. Often promoted as "the best address in the Northwest," the Foshay Tower proved to visitors, and the world, that the city was a major urban area.

The officer tower, modeled after the Washington Monument, was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977. Inside the tower, a recent renovation has polished up the art deco grills, elegant marble floors and etched glass. An outside observation deck at the top of the tower provides a view of the city.

Upland says the intimate floor plates offer an excellent opportunity for smaller tenants. "Too often, today's corporate world of cubicles lack personality," says Brier Swing, a marketing coordinator for Upland. "Creative people seek inspiration from their environment, which they say they find in the Foshay." Upland specializes in commercial real estate sales and leasing services throughout the Twin Cities.