The Mill is a kind of coworking space for "makers" in the industrial arts.
It includes a woodworking and metal shop, classroom, laser cutting and three-dimensional printing equipment, and a gallery space in its Northeast Minneapolis building, according to its website.
Previously, the 6,000-square-foot warehouse space was occupied by the Land O’Lakes company and later, a company called Hillcrest Development, according to The Mill’s founder, Brian Boyle.
Most recently, the warehouse had been used to manufacture washers and dryers before it sat vacant for some time, he adds.
When Boyle started to build out The Mill, which officially opened on Jan. 21, the space had an open floor plan, “with no walls or phone. It was just a big box,” he says.
That being said, “It’s a great location with great light,” he says, adding, “One wall is all windows.”
Right now, Boyle is still in the process of dividing the space to accommodate different kinds of maker-related activities, including an area for large assembly projects.
“Making” is a new term that literally describes making things, "something that has been going on forever," he says. Boyle, who took inspiration from similar places in San Francisco, wants to “add the capabilities that this equipment affords for whoever wants to do it.”
In this setting, “Anyone who wants to fabricate something can collaborate with others.”
“One of the great benefits is the idea of shared resources,” he says. “It’s hard to justify the purchase of this equipment for individuals.” It’s also a way to train people to use the equipment safely and responsibly.
Further, with people who have different areas of expertise to turn to, “It expands people’s creativity and what they can do.”
Source: Brian Boyle, The Mill
Writer: Anna Pratt