By the Closer Look Inspectors team · Facts checked October 2026 against the sources listed below · About our inspectors
A commercial property inspection shows how a Crystal building has aged since the city's postwar boom. The city's own census summary shows a population of 5,713 in 1950 and 24,280 in 1960, and its chronology says village sewer construction began in 1954, so older roofs, piping and wiring are a fair question on many properties.
Get Your Free Instant QuoteCall or text (612) 457-1634
Commercial buildings in and around Crystal
From a village of 5,713 to a city of 24,280
Crystal's own census summary lists a population of 5,713 in 1950 and 24,280 in 1960. The city's history chronology records that construction of the village sewer system began in 1954, that the Village of Crystal became the City of Crystal in 1960, and that installation of the city's water system began in 1964.
Growth that compressed into a decade or so can produce buildings, and the pipes and wiring that serve them, of similar age. For a commercial owner, that can mean original roofs, original boilers and aging service lines nearing replacement at the same time. For a buyer or lender, the question is which of those have been renewed and which have not.
West Broadway and Bass Lake Road: the Town Center
A city handout says Crystal has approximately 500,000 square feet of commercial space in its main commercial area at West Broadway and 56th Avenue North (Bass Lake Road), anchored by Target and the Crystal Shopping Center. The same area is the city's Town Center redevelopment area, where the city is actively encouraging new multi-family residential development, and the handout places one proposed Blue Line Extension station near 56th Avenue North and County Road 81/Bottineau Boulevard.
The Economic Development Authority's 2025 annual report describes a Town Center Vision Plan, a 25-year vision for incremental redevelopment and infrastructure improvements, and says existing uses may remain. Strip centers and mixed-use blocks that stay in place while neighbors redevelop face their own wear: roof drainage, parking surfaces and tenant spaces that have been fitted out many times. Thermal imaging can show moisture in low-slope roofs and warm electrical connections in older panels.
Hangars and shops at Crystal Airport
The Metropolitan Airports Commission purchased Crystal Airport in 1948. Its airfield is approximately 436 acres, and the airport is home to aircraft parts and maintenance facilities, a flight-training operation and a medical flight provider.
Hangars and aviation shops are large-span buildings with big doors, long roof sections and heating and electrical loads that differ from an office. On an airfield the Metropolitan Airports Commission has owned since 1948, buildings can date from many different years, so each hangar or shop is its own question. Roof condition, door systems, slabs and electrical service are central questions in buildings like these.
Commercial buildings we inspect
Quick answers
How old are Crystal's commercial buildings?
The city's census summary lists 5,713 residents in 1950 and 24,280 in 1960, and its chronology says village sewer construction began in 1954 and city water system installation in 1964. A boom like that points to heavy construction in the postwar decades, though individual commercial buildings vary and additions and renovations since then differ from building to building.
What is happening with Crystal's Town Center commercial area?
A city handout puts approximately 500,000 square feet of commercial space in the area around West Broadway and 56th Avenue North, anchored by Target and the Crystal Shopping Center, and calls it the Town Center redevelopment area. The Economic Development Authority describes a 25-year Town Center Vision Plan for incremental redevelopment and says existing uses may remain.
What kinds of commercial buildings are at Crystal Airport?
The Metropolitan Airports Commission says the airport is home to aircraft parts and maintenance facilities, a flight-training operation and a medical flight provider, on an airfield of approximately 436 acres. Hangars and shops are large-span buildings, which makes roof condition, door systems and electrical service key questions.
Sources
- City of Crystal: Summary of U.S. Census Data, 1950-2020 (PDF)
- City of Crystal: Crystal History Chronology (PDF)
- City of Crystal: Why Choose Crystal? (development handout)
- City of Crystal: Economic Development Authority 2025 Annual Report (PDF)
- Metropolitan Airports Commission: Crystal Airport
Nearby towns
Commercial property inspection in Minnesota and Iowa · Home inspection in Crystal
Buying, leasing or financing a commercial building in Crystal? Build a free instant quote, or call or text (612) 457-1634.
Get Your Free Instant Quote