mill lay empty. The building was then acquired by local developer Shafer Richardson. In 2006 they launched plans to convert and preserve the A-Mill complex as the rebranded East Bank Mills, a loft-style apartment complex containing 759 to 1,095 housing units. However, this redevelopment plan fell through due to financial matters. In 2011, the National Trust for Historic Preservation included the mill on its annual list of 11 Most Endangered Places. In 2013, Twin Cities-based developer Dominium gained approval for a $100 million renovation plan to transform the A-Mill into 251 affordable live/work artist lofts. The exterior of the mill was conserved in order to preserve the historical architecture of the building. However, major changes were made to the interior of the mill and the courtyard behind it. The overall project, which included other buildings within the complex, cost a total $175 million. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1966 and is a National Historic Landmark. Architecture and engineering On the outside, the Pillsbury A-Mill is a rectangular structure measuring 175 feet (53 m) by 115 feet (35 m). The foundations are of Platteville limestone. The exterior wall thickness varies from 8'-0" (2.4 m) thick at the basement to 2'-0" (0.6 m) thick at the top of the building. The outside walls are of load-bearing stone with heavy timber framing on the interior (the timber was added after the completion of the building). There are six chimneys on the flat, gravel roof of the building. Due to vibrations of milling machines and poor design, the mill was fortified in 1905. Certain sections were rebuilt in the process. To this day, the walls bow inward on the top. Unlike other similarly large mills in the area, most notably the Washburn A Mill, the Pillsbury A-Mill never exploded or caught fire. As a result, it still contains its original wood frame. During the renovation project, a new hydroelectric turbine was installed in a tunnel below the complex. The same tunnel was originally used to mechanically power milling equipment with diverted river water. Due to the significant investment made in sustainable features such as the hydro-electric turbine and a hydrothermal system providing 75% of the building's energy needs, the project achieved LEED Gold Certification in 2017. See also Washburn A Mill Saint Anthony Falls Historic District List of contributing properties in the St. Anthony Falls Historic District