As a little boy, Tony Abena fondly remembers spending time with his father in the garage. Today, the Edina resident carries on that family tradition with his own kids. And while the idea is the same, the garage is anything but.

For the last year and a half, Abena has set up shop in a car condo at the Auto MotorPlex Minneapolis, off of Audubon Road in Chanhassen. He is one of more than 70 owners at the complex and one of the many who have turned their spaces into the envy of men the world over.

Abena’s garage loft is plush with leather couches in front of flat-screen televisions, stone slab coffee tables and oriental rugs. But, to be sure that this place is ruled by men, scattered around are also Phillips 66 signs, fur pelts and neon green alien heads.

“It’s mostly a man cave,” said Abena.

His condo was one of several on display last Saturday morning, as the Auto MotorPlex Minneapolis hosted its last Cars & Café of the year. The free event, held from 8 -11 a.m. the first Saturday of the month from June through November, allows members of the general public to check out some of the spaces the condo owners have created, in addition to ogling the cars stored there.

Cars & Café

Cars & Café has been hugely popular since it kicked off earlier this year. Owner Bruno Silikowski estimated that some of the biggest events have attracted upward of 1,500 attendees and hundreds of cars.

For visitors, there are rows of Porsches, collections of Ferraris, and plenty of Cameros with their hoods popped. And then there are the cars one doesn’t see every day – a Bentley, a Cobra, a Noble to name a few.

Armed with complimentary cups of coffee and donut holes from the 4,600squarefoot clubhouse, people wander among the new and classic cars, glancing through windows at the immaculate interiors and peeking under the hood to check out the souped-up engines.

“It’s a great event,” said Silikowski.

He’s proud to show off the place he has built after breaking ground two and a half years ago. “I wanted to create the center of motorsports in the Twin Cities,” he said.

Silikowski believes he’s well on his way, with condos continuing to sell despite the down economy.

“We’ve got this sort of unmet need,” he said. “A place for people who love their vehicles.”

But these are no ordinary storage facilities. Silikowski’s complex is designed to look like an old European village. “It’s a country club for car owners,” he said.

Those that have bought into the concept have gobbled up most of the 85 condos (starting at $39,000 and heading up to $99,000) constructed thus far.

They come from as close as Chaska, Waconia and Eden Prairie and as far as Lakeville and Plymouth to take advantage of the site and the community Silikowski has created. “As far as communities go, this is a community,” he said.

Silikowski boasts a range of ownership situations, from buddies looking for a place to work on their classic cars, to married couples that come to hang out together, to men that come to get away. They generally find common ground in a shared love of things with motors.

Toy box

“There’s a nice variety of people here,” said condo owner Jeff Stoebner, of Chaska. “I’ve probably made 30 new friends.”

Stoebner owns three garages at the facility – one for his “stuff” – cars, a replica tugboat, Christmas decorations, etc., one he plans to rent out, and one for his toys. It is the latter one that seems to get all of the attention during Cars & Café events.

“This is the sickest garage I’ve ever seen,” said one young attendee.  

Stoebner created a vision for his condo before he even bought it and has carried it out to an extreme.

“At first when I learned about the condos, I thought heated storage is good,” he said. “Then I realized we could play out here.”

And play the Stoebners do. Inside his “toy” condo, there is little room for any actual vehicles. That’s because the space is occupied by things like a basketball court, a projection television, air hockey, a foosball table, riding simulators, Ms. Pacman, a punching bag and even a disco ball. Thirsty after all that fun? There’s a root beer tap. Hungry? The kitchen’s upstairs.

“It’s better than I thought,” said Stoebner. “It evolved as I thought more about what I could do out here.”

Like Abena, Stoebner has created a place for the whole family to enjoy, but others are looking for a place all to themselves.

Eden Prairie resident Eduardo Freitas doesn’t own one of the car condos yet, but he’s considering one to store his cars, a boat and himself from time to time.  

“It’s simple,” he said when asked to explain his interest. “It’s a place where I can hide away from home. A place where you are in control of something in the household.”

Freitas also likes the atmosphere of the complex. “I haven’t seen a place like this before,” he said.

Automotive cabin

Drew and Janet Richardson, of Waconia, purchased one of the condos as a project. “We love building stuff and working on stuff,” explained Drew.

For the Richardsons, the car condo is a getaway they are drawn to “two to three times a week plus weekends.”

They purchased it a year ago and have since put their sweat equity into giving it that “old hardware store” look, distressing the wood flooring and adding steel cables to the stairs.

“We call it our automotive cabin,” said Drew.

Josh Taylor’s condo is a project palace as well, but more for cars than the space itself. Sure, he’s added a catwalk to the loft area so he could access his “cigar deck,” but the focus of his space is on the vehicles they work on – like the Camero and the BMW. 

Taylor, who bought the condo with a buddy, liked the complex for its close proximity to his Eden Prairie home, but he also appreciated that it was different from other storage facilities.

“There’s nothing else like it,” he said. “Others are not a place you want to hang out at.”

“Everybody’s cool here,” Taylor added. “I didn’t realize how many other guys I would end up meeting. The camaraderie is great.”

Most that have purchased condos seem to agree- Auto MotorPlex Minneapolis is different. For many of the owners, it has become a second home. Abena is one owner that sees it as such.

“You said if mom ever kicks you out, this is your backup plan,” offered his son Mitchell.

-Mollee Francisco, staff writer