The first thing Genslinger did was look downtown for a site. He saw the beautiful new Minneapolis Club building opened three years earlier at 8th Street and Second Avenue. He looked down Second Avenue toward 7th Street and saw $450,000 building (where the WCCO Building is now) that the 1,200-member Elks Club had moved into just the year before. He decided Second Avenue was "club row" and picked the lot at 615, next to the Elks Club, as the home of the athletic club-to-be.

Genslinger found that George Douglas owned the lot and went to see him. In what must have been a quick meeting of minds and purpose, the two immediately formed the MAC Advisory Committee of 23 men. Minneapolis historian Marion Shutter described them as "good solid men, who were true to the athletic idea." In 30 days the committee had 245 members and in 60 days it had 487. The Building Site Committee consisting of W.L. Harris, F.R. Salisbury, Mendon F. Schutt, G.A. Lyon, A.B. Chamberlin, Charles R. Fowler and W.M. Regan confirmed Genslinger’s site and picked the firm of Bertrand & Chamberlin as architect. W. M. Regan became chairman of the Building Committee.

Financing the clubhouse at first appeared easy, and an early officer wrote: "In financing our club originally, we based our estimates upon 2,500 resident members at $100 each and 300 life members at $500 each, making a total of $400,000 on account of initiation fees from life and resident members. In addition to this we made a first mortgage bond issue of $225,000, which were taken by one of the trust companies in our city. We also issued $150,000 second mortgage bonds, which were sold to our club members."