Photos: The Lorient
The Lorient is designed to impress.
If you’re a bit rusty on your geography, the seaport town of Lorient, France will soon be on the map in Edina. This summer, 4500 France Ave. will become a little more French.
What once was the site of Westgate Theater and Edina Cleaners will be transformed from an industrial corner into a bustling oasis with The Lorient, a new luxury living community. With its name inspired by said small French town, The Lorient is a curated and cultured project developed by president of Orion Investments Ted Carlson. Carlson and his team have set out to revitalize the northeast gateway into Edina by creating a boutique living space that instills the classic elegance and discerning taste we associate with the French sensibility.
With four floors, 45 units and 6,500 square feet of restaurant and retail space, The Lorient won’t be like any place you see in Uptown, on Excelsior or on Grand. The Lorient is reminiscent of projects you’d find in Chicago or New York with higher aesthetics and sophisticated design. The Lorient is designed to impress.
Geared toward empty nesters ready to leave the single-family home lifestyle behind, the units will have condo-level finishes that boast wood floors, heated bathroom floors, tall finished ceilings, quartz countertops, high-end stainless steel appliances, underground heated parking, outdoor terraces, chef-grade kitchens and enviable skylines.
“We’re building a project that we would want to live in when we’re empty nesters,” Carlson says.
Carlson has lived in Edina for over 16 years and with his development team also residing in Edina, the community’s needs are always at the center of any design choice. To better serve the neighborhood, project plans include a park on the west side, public parking to support local businesses, manicured landscaping and engaging sidewalks with an art feature on the corner.
“A lot of different things went into designing this project to fit within the culture and feel of the neighborhood,” says Carlson. “The scope of the project got smaller. We would have liked to have gone with a little larger project on that corner but we shrunk it and think it fits within the plan for that area of Edina very well.”
Carlson hopes the project will breathe new life into the neighborhood, making it the spot for date night, meeting with friends and family dining. Who will fill the restaurant space is still a mystery. Carlson is in talks with multiple restaurateurs to decide which restaurant best compliments the community. As for the retail space, expect to see service-oriented retailers like hair-and-nail salons or a fitness center.
The Lorient is set to open its doors August 2020. Rent for the luxury, boutique apartments starts at $2,500.
As work gets underway on the corner of France Avenue and Sunnyside Road, Carlson and his team are excited to be part of a project that will change their community for the better.
The Lorient
4500 France Ave. S.
For leasing information, visit thelorient.com
