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Minneapolis couple restores Pillsbury Castle
The mansion has sat in the Whittier neighborhood since 1903. The project involves 30 designers working on 30 different rooms.
MINNEAPOLIS — Many of us would like a bit more space at home, whether that’s more storage or extra room for hobbies. But can you imagine buying a castle?
That’s what one couple did in Minneapolis and they’re working to bring it into the 21st century while preserving its original charm.
“This is what we’re deeming the Pillsbury Castle,” Matthew Trettel said.
Trettel and his partner Ryan Hanson are restoring the mansion and planning to live in the home once it’s complete, calling the effort the Pillsbury Castle Project.
“Alfred Pillsbury was the son of the cofounder of Pillsbury so, think of the doughboy,” Trettel said. “When his father passed away, we believe this is what he spent his inheritance on.”
The mansion has sat in Minneapolis’ Whittier Neighborhood since 1903.
Trettel and Hanson are redoing the HVAC, plumbing, electrical and more. They’re also focusing on deconstruction rather than demolition for the wood floors, light fixtures, tile and other elements of the home, working with Birch Group and others to reuse much of the home.
“1,000 square feet of this beautiful birch flooring is going to have a new home down in Clear Lake,” said Jeremy Marshik with LumberStash.
“We got creative, partnerships with NARI (National Association of the Remodeling Industry) and ASID (American Society of Interior Designers) have allowed us to bring in sponsors. Like Warners’ Stellian is sponsoring all the appliances in the kitchen. A lot of companies are coming forward to help us with the project because they understand the value of maintaining the important residences of Minneapolis,” Trettel said. “It’s the only Pillsbury Mansion that’s left as a single-family home. Everything else has been destroyed, sadly, or converted.”
Trettel noted many of the unique details in every room.
“This is Honduran Mahagony,” said Trettel, pointing to details on the wall. “Each room has a different species of wood, which is really interesting.”
The floors in the home creak with every step.
“It’s a technique called the Nightingale Technique. It’s a Japanese way that floors are installed. It’s meant to creak,” Trettel said. “It was a security system of 1903 so you would know if somebody else was in the house because you could hear them.”
The basement features a library and a full bank vault, as well.
“Shipped it over from England. It’s a 17th-century library. They basically built the house around it,” Trettel said.
The couple said they’re proud of this project and the opportunity to be stewards of the home.
“We want to have a family so, for the next 20 years, this will be our family home,” Trettel said. “To realize that we’re taking a piece of history and we’re moving it forward. It will be our legacy. It will be what we are remembered for.”
The project involves 30 designers working on 30 different rooms in the home.
The home will open to the public as the Design Home 2024 with the ASID for tours in May 2024, following the restoration. The tours will benefit an area non-profit.
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A criminal complaint alleges the suspect was driving nearly 100 mph at the time of the crash.
MINNEAPOLIS — Criminal charges have been filed against a St. Paul man in connection with a multi-vehicle crash Wednesday night in Minneapolis that left one person dead and several others injured.
The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office said Talon Covie-Carderell Walker, 29, is now charged with one count of criminal vehicular homicide.
According to a criminal complaint filed in the case, prosecutors believe Walker was driving a Chevy Avalanche pickup truck at high speeds when he started a chain-reaction crash on the I-94 exit to Dunwoody Boulevard on Wednesday evening. A total of seven vehicles were involved.
The State Patrol said Natalie Gubbay, 26, who was driving one of the other vehicles, died at the scene. Several others were hospitalized following the crash, including Walker. Two children were also among those injured.
The complaint alleges Walker was driving nearly 100 mph at the time of the crash. Investigators also said an open bottle of liquor was found in Walker’s vehicle. Results of a blood alcohol test are pending, according to the complaint, but investigators said Walker has previous driving convictions and lost his license in 2021.
Industry experts say several airlines were already waiting for deliveries of Boeing airplanes before the strike started.
MINNEAPOLIS — This week union workers who build planes for Boeing rejected a new contract deal.
64% of the 32,000 machinists voted against the deal in another major setback for the company. The strike that has halted most of Boeing’s aircraft production for over a month will continue.
The strike is further delaying deliveries for many Boeing customers who are already dealing with production delays.
It could soon have a big impact across the country, from concerns over plane safety to the cost of flying.
Hassan Shahidi with the Flight Safety Foundation says many airlines were already waiting for Boeing airplanes before the strike started.
“Prior to the strike there were already challenges,” Shahidi says. “This strike is exacerbating the situation even further.”
Shahidi says some of the airlines may have aging airplanes that will have to stay in use longer than the companies had planned for, but he argues that is a minor issue and he is not worried about passenger safety.
“All aircraft that are flying are certified by the FAA, are airworthy and safe,” Shahidi says.
He argues a much larger issue is how the strike will impact the airline industry’s plans to grow in the coming years.
He says most of the orders for new Boeing airplanes are from airlines that are expanding to meet passenger demand.
“To have other companies trying to come in and meet that gap is going to be challenging in terms of both supplies, labor and processes that are going to be needed to produce the highest quality of airplanes,” Shahidi says.
According to Delta’s website, the airline recently ordered 100 Boeing 737’s with an option to buy 30 more.
Those planes are scheduled to be delivered sometime next year and the company says some of those airplanes will be deployed to MSP.
KARE 11 reached out to Delta to see if the Boeing strike could affect the delivery of those planes, and whether the strike could impact Delta’s ability to add new flights in the coming years, but we haven’t heard back from the company at this time.
Sun Country says their entire fleet is made up of 43 Boeing airplanes.
A company spokesperson says all of Sun Country’s airplanes are “mid-life aircraft” meaning they are purchased used from other companies.
This spokesperson says this unique business model will insulate Sun Country from the impacts of the Boeing strike, and the company won’t see a shortage of airplanes anytime soon.
KARE 11 also reached out to the Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport to see if the airport and local travelers will see any impacts of the Boeing strike.
An MSP spokesperson sent KARE-11 the following statement:
“We do not anticipate any immediate impacts at MSP from the Boeing strike. While a strike could push back delivery of aircraft to airlines and lead to future schedule adjustments by those airlines, any impacts would not be expected to affect MSP any more than other airports across the country.”
The victim’s wife identified their neighbor as the likely suspect following ongoing disputes.
MINNEAPOLIS — A shooting that followed months of alleged harassment from one neighbor to another has escalated to a public sparring session between the Minneapolis Police Department and City Council.
According to court documents, MPD was called to a hospital in the city for reports of a gunshot victim on Oct. 23. Upon arrival, the officers learned a man, identified as Davis Maturi, had been shot and was transported to the hospital from his home on Grand Avenue in Minneapolis.
The criminal complaint in the case said Maturi’s wife told officers that their neighbor, identified as 54-year-old John Sawchak, “almost certainly” was the person who shot her husband, alleging that Sawchak had harassed and threatened the couple for months.
Mrs. Maturi allegedly told officers that her husband was pruning a tree near their property line on that day.
“Touch my tree again and I’ll kill you,” the suspect allegedly told the victim, according to the complaint.
The charging documents lists seven prior police records of incidents between the neighbors before the October shooting, including several allegations of threats and racism by Sawchak against Maturi.
Maturi remains hospitalized with a fractured spine. Sawchak is not currently in police custody.
A letter from ranking members of the Minneapolis City Council to Mayor Jacob Frey shows anger and blame being directed at the MPD for allegedly failing to act on Maturi’s numerous complaints against Sawchak before the shooting, and failing to arrest him immediately after the shooting.
“MPD still has not arrested the suspect despite charges from the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office for Attempted Murder, 1st Degree Assault, Stalking, and Harassment and a request from the HCAO for a warrant with $1 million bail. MPD told the HCAO they do not intend to execute the warrant ‘for reasons of officer safety,’” said the letter from the Minneapolis City Council.
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara scheduled a news conference on Friday afternoon to respond to the council’s accusations.
The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office confirmed Friday that it filed charges against Sawchak.
“After Mr. Sawchak shot Mr. Moturi on Oct. 23, the case was submitted to our office on Oct. 24. We immediately charged Mr. Sawchak with attempted murder, first-degree assault, and felony harassment and stalking, enhanced for racial bias,” said a statement from the office.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
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