3000 FRANCE AVE.

The round building at 3000 France (at Highway 7) was built by Motor Travel Services in 1959/1961. (Better Housing 1956) The original intent was to build a two-story office building and an attached 45-unit motel. The design was by James R. Dresser, a protégé of Frank Lloyd Wright. The building boasted 25,000 sq. ft. Hoffman Callan Printing, run by Eliot Hoffman, was another original tenant of the building.

In 1962, Bernard Horovitz (owner of Bernie’s Deli and Bakery) was listed as the owner.

On July 1, 1974, the building was occupied by Maritz Laboratories, owned by C.J. Korbecki and headquartered in St. Louis. Galaxy Film Service was also housed in the round building (1973-74).

In 1980 it was purchased by Country Club Market, which built an underground vault under the parking lot to house its huge mainframe computer. Country Club occupied in January 1981, but eventually went bankrupt

In 1989 the building was sold to As Soon As Possible (ASAP) printing and design company, owned by Theodore Politis. In 1993, there was also an entity called PPP&W involved.

Perhaps due to its unique shape and position, other addresses have been associated with this property. They include a house at 4221 Minnetonka Blvd. (now a commercial building built in 1976), a house removed in 1963 at 3900 W. 31st Street (not a current address), and 3907 Highway 7 (its legal address).