In one of Minneapolis’ fastest-growing neighborhoods, among converted warehouses and trendy restaurants, sits Brunsfield North Loop, an award-winning apartment community filled with energy-efficient units and high-end features. The sought-after boutique building has won awards for its modern and sustainable design and was even named the best property for new Twin Cities residents in 2014.

Given the buzz about his building and the cool factor associated with the North Loop neighborhood, you would think that Shane Bacon, resident manager for the Brunsfield North Loop property, could just open the doors and let the leases flow. To be sure, demand for his property is incredibly high. He receives regular inquiries from people across the country, from New York to California, who have never even been to Minneapolis but are interested in being a part of the North Loop community.

“The North Loop neighborhood is pretty exciting,” he said. “There are a lot of great buildings, bars and restaurants that have moved into the area. And, the population boom has been incredible. The building has received a lot of press. People gravitate toward our community.”

But Shane, who has a degree in housing studies from the University of Minnesota, views his role as much more than renewing and driving new leases. It is his job “to build the community.” That’s always his focus, especially with the influx of new area residents. He provides ample opportunities for people to gather in the neighborhood at the newest dinner spot, sample drinks from a top mixologist or catch a Twins game.

“It goes back to community development and connecting them to the neighborhood,” he said.

That, he continued, is the key to keeping residents happy and occupancy healthy.

During his five years as a member of the Steven Scott Management team, Shane has managed a number of properties in the Twin Cities. Of all the buildings, he calls Brunsfield North Loop the most unique, with the deepest resident connections. Its residents are “the coolest,” he said.

And while his modesty would never allow him to admit it, the reason his residents feel so rooted to the Brunsfield community is because Shane is taking exciting, innovative and thoughtful steps to provide experiences that connect them to the neighborhood at large and, even more importantly, to each other.

Small building, big sense of community

With 47 units, Brunsfield North Loop is a boutique-size property. Shane said that is one of its greatest amenities. “With the smaller building, we don’t have a large pool or those sorts of things,” he said. “So, we’ve put a lot of thought into creating truly unique amenities that are more meaningful to residents. Residents care more about their neighbors and meeting each other.”

One of the most unique amenities is the large urban garden, which is tended by a professional gardening service during the spring and summer growing months. Once a week, they harvest a wide assortment of freshly grown vegetables and set them out for residents to pick up what they want. Any surplus produce is donated to a local food bank.

If someone needs fresh basil or greens during the growing season, they can go outside and pick what they want. Residents often get together for a “salad party” — they head to the garden and toss their haul together, showcasing what they picked in their own “backyard.”

“People love the fresh produce,” Shane said.

The garden fosters a sense of community and ownership when residents step outside of the building. And when they step inside, residents are encouraged to customize their apartment homes to help them feel at home. Residents can consult with the on-call interior designer, for free, to figure out how to best design their spaces. They can paint or wallpaper and “make it their own,” Shane said.

The most successful and exciting amenity is the art gallery space in the lobby of the building. Twice a year, Shane features a new installation for the residents and the public. The most recent installation was also the most popular: Pet Portraits.

At no cost to the residents, a professional photographer took portraits of every pet at the Brunsfield building — 36 cats and dogs in all. Shane had the pictures professionally framed and then hosted an unveiling party for his residents.

“They each introduced their pet and revealed the picture,” he said. “It turned out really well. First, the photos looked great. It was fun and unique. We made it personal and meaningful for our residents. They loved it. There were some tears. Everyone was so grateful to have amazing portraits of their pets.”

Encouraging community stewardship

Brunsfield North Loop has become a community staple, making a name for itself in the larger neighborhood by hosting community events and creating volunteer opportunities for residents — both of which are spearheaded by Shane.

Shane made the building a checkpoint in a The Urban Dash, an annual scavenger hunt race. This past year, they set up a mini-golf course on the property. Shane opens his doors to give the building greater visibility and generate interest from prospects. He also sponsors resident teams and provides them with Brunsfield-branded t-shirts.

“There are about 400-500 runners and they all come through our building at some point during the race,” he shared. “It’s a great marketing tool.”

With his focus on community development, Shane is constantly thinking of new ways to connect his residents to each other and to the larger community. Last year he and 12 residents volunteered together at the Ronald McDonald House.

“I wanted to find a way for our residents to come together to help out,” he explained.

They planned and prepared an entire evening for all of the children and their families, which included a still-talked-about mashed potato bar and a face painter. It was a powerful experience and helped create strong bonds among the residents. He plans to do it again in 2016.

“We encouraged everyone to look toward the greater community, and by doing so, we deepened the sense of community inside our building.”

All of Shane’s work with events, leasing, marketing and community building are anchored in creating a positive and personal experience for his residents.

“I never think of residents as a unit number,” he said. “They are individuals, couples and families. I take the time to get to know them on a personal level, because everyone has their own definition of home.”