Finance and Commerce Daily Newspaper, MN articles from April 2007

Finance and Commerce Daily Newspaper, MN archives from April 2007

Ex-president of Minneapolis-based ad firm to open brand strategy and interactive marketing firm.
April 2, 2007... Byline: Bob Geiger Rob White, ex-president of Minneapolis-based Fallon Worldwide, plans to open a brand strategy and interactive marketing firm called Zeus Jones Ltd. with four other ex-Fallon executives. The curiously named firm pairs...

Twin Cities apartment owners are breathing new life into old properties.
April 3, 2007... Byline: Adam Johnson Twin Cities apartment owners are breathing new life into old properties, thanks to a recovery in the rental market. The Shepherd Park Plaza in St. Paul was "the place to live" when it was built 30 years ago, according...

Farmington school district officials promote $24M sports complex.
April 3, 2007... Byline: Brian Johnson Can swimming, running and other vigorous physical activities lead to better test scores? Farmington school district officials and others believe so, and the district is connecting the dots between exercise and...

Group files suit against Farmington sports complex boosters.
April 3, 2007... Byline: Brian Johnson A group that's urging Farmington voters to reject a $24 million bond referendum that would pay for a new sports complex in the Farmington School District has filed a complaint against the Farmington School Board and...

'Best value' bill still alive in Minnesota Senate.
April 3, 2007... Byline: Brian Johnson The "best value" contracting bill was clinically dead for about 10 minutes last week before a Senate committee performed CPR on the hot-button measure and brought it back to life. The bill authorizes state and local...

Minnesota Dept. of Transportation receives $288M bid for Crosstown interchange project.
April 3, 2007... Byline: Adam Johnson The Crosstown interchange project received a low construction bid of $288 million last Friday, slightly higher than the engineer's estimate of $286 million. Ames Construction, Lunda Construction and Shafer Construction...

Boards seek control over Minnesota's construction codes.
April 3, 2007... Byline: Adam Johnson A measure that would take away construction code-making power from a state commissioner and put it in the hands of industry groups is drawing cheers and jeers at the Capitol. If passed, a House bill authored by Rep....

Midtown Bike Station construction bids rejected by Minneapolis City Council.
April 3, 2007... Byline: Adam Johnson Hope for the long-gestating Midtown Bike Project is dim but not yet gone. On Friday, the Minneapolis City Council rejected the three bids entered for project construction, as the lowest bid came in almost 50 percent...

Bell Museum project is golden opportunity for the University of Minnesota.
April 3, 2007... Byline: Brian Johnson From a sustainability standpoint, the University of Minnesota wants its new Bell Museum to be as good as gold. And the project team says it won't require a lot of fancy bells and whistles to reach that status. The...

Former Billy Graham headquarters in Minneapolis to be converted to science center.
April 3, 2007... Byline: Brian Johnson Minneapolis Community and Technical College is expanding its presence on Hennepin Avenue. The downtown Minneapolis school plans to begin construction this spring on an $18.9 million renovation that will convert the...

Mark Dierling named VP of Midwest chapter of Design-Build Institute of America.
April 3, 2007... Byline: Finance and Commerce Staff Mark Dierling of the Short Elliot Hendrickson (SEH) engineering and architectural firm of Minneapolis has been named vice president of the upper Midwest chapter of the Design-Build Institute of America...

Three employees advance at Minneapolis-based Kraus-Anderson Construction Co.
April 3, 2007... Byline: Finance and Commerce Staff Jason Peterson has been promoted to project manager in the small projects group at Minneapolis-based Kraus-Anderson Construction Co. Peterson has been with Kraus-Anderson since 2003, serving as a project...

Westwood Professional Services of Eden Prairie sponsors seminar to look at archaeological issues.
April 3, 2007... Byline: Finance and Commerce Staff Westwood Professional Services Inc. of Eden Prairie is sponsoring a seminar on archaeological issues related to land development and construction projects. The event will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m....

Westwood Professional Services Inc. of Eden Prairie hires two archaeological experts.
April 3, 2007... Byline: Finance and Commerce Staff Two cultural resource specialists have been hired at Westwood Professional Services Inc. of Eden Prairie. Annie Anderson previously worked with the Mississippi Valley Archaeology Center in Wisconsin,...

Minneapolis-based Dolan Media Company acquires Mississippi Business Journal.
April 3, 2007... Byline: Finance and Commerce Staff Report Dolan Media Company acquired the assets of Mississippi Business Journal, the state's leading business publication, from Venture Publications, Inc. on March 30. The 28-year-old weekly tabloid...

Minneapolis-based Upland Real Estate Group hires chief counsel.
April 5, 2007... Byline: Finance and Commerce Staff Todd Phillips is the new chief counsel for Minneapolis-based Upland Real Estate Group. In addition, Phillips serves as the chief financial officer for the firm's private equity arm. Phillips previously was...

Prime University Avenue property in St. Paul to be redeveloped.
April 5, 2007... Byline: Finance and Commerce Staff Now that Midway Chevrolet is merging with a suburban new-car dealership, the Krebsbach family will be looking to redevelop 5 acres of prime property on University Avenue in St. Paul. The possibilities are...

Bloomington-based Welsh to manage Woodbury warehouse in Twin Cities.
April 5, 2007... Byline: Finance and Commerce Staff Boston-based High Street Equity Advisors LLC continued its industrial buying spree in the Twin Cities, acquiring a 252,000-square-foot warehouse in Woodbury last week. High Street now owns 772,151 square...

New workforce center opens in St. Paul.
April 5, 2007... Byline: Finance and Commerce Staff State, county and city officials today will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony to usher in the new St. Paul WorkForce Center. Dan McElroy, commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic...

Zenith condo project under way in downtown Minneapolis.
April 5, 2007... Byline: Finance and Commerce Staff Sherman Associates has begun construction on its Zenith Condominiums in downtown Minneapolis and has signed a major tenant for the first phase of the project. University of Minnesota Physicians, a...

Hotel market in Twin Cities displays a few chinks in its armor.
April 5, 2007... Byline: Mark Anderson Investors and guests have been flocking to hotels during the last few years, but a new study indicates the Twin Cities market might be softening just as a raft of new hotels is getting ready to open. The...

Dallas firm to buy 701 Building in Minneapolis.
April 5, 2007... Byline: Burl Gilyard Dallas-based Cawley Partners has a contract to purchase the 701 Building, a 280,000-square-foot office tower in downtown Minneapolis that has been for sale for more than a year. Christine Curtis-Carr, director of...

Plymouth-based Moen Leuer Commercial Inc. to close on Blaine development.
April 5, 2007... Byline: Burl Gilyard It's been a long road to redevelopment in Blaine for Plymouth-based Moen Leuer Commercial Inc. But the firm is expected to close later this month on a 132-acre site at the northeast quadrant of Interstate 35W and 95th...

Minneapolis-area chapters of American Institute of Architects to celebrate group's sesquicentennial.
April 5, 2007... Byline: Todd Messelt Local chapters of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) will celebrate the group's 150th year with a series of activities designed to improve Twin Cities neighborhoods. The pro bono work will be carried out by...

35/13 Crossings to add office warehouse space in Burnsville, Minnesota.
April 5, 2007... Byline: Burl Gilyard Tightening industrial vacancies in the metro's southeast market are driving the construction of a 180,000-square-foot project in Burnsville. Bloomington-based United Properties is developing the spec office warehouse...

Minnesota Marketing Briefs: April 7, 2007.
April 7, 2007... Byline: Bob Geiger United Airlines bumped longtime agency Fallon Minneapolis this week in favor of a local startup firm whose offices won't open until next month. Chicago-based United named Minneapolis-based Barrie D'Rozario Murphy (BDM)...

Working to bridge the new 'digital divide'.
April 7, 2007... Byline: Charley Shaw During this week's Easter/ Passover break, state Rep. Brita Sailer spoke with residents from her northwestern Minnesota district who were concerned about a lack of connection. But political dialogue wasn't the missing...

Minnesota homeowner who won construction defect dispute wants to recoup attorney fees.
April 10, 2007... Byline: Brian Johnson When a major homebuilder offered Ed Seifert $15,000 to settle a construction defect dispute related to Seifert's water-damaged home last spring, the Shoreview resident was inclined to accept. The money represented a...

Minneapolis VA Medical Center breaking ground on spinal center.
April 10, 2007... Byline: Adam Johnson Officials will break ground this week on an addition at the Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Medical Center that will house a cutting-edge Spinal Cord Injury/Disorder Center. The 68,000-square-foot inpatient facility will...

AGC-Minnesota takes former state lawmaker's commentary in stride.
April 10, 2007... Byline: Brian Johnson Former State Rep. Phil Krinkie, in a recent opinion piece for the St. Paul Legal Ledger, laid some heavy leather on those who want to raise taxes for transportation funding. But it seems at least one...

Minnesota Department of Transportation numbers don't tell the whole story.
April 10, 2007... Byline: Brian Johnson The Minnesota Department of Transportation announced last week that its 2007 summer construction program includes more than 150 new and carry-over projects with a total value of $1.5 billion. Those are big numbers,...

Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry agrees to building code amendment.
April 10, 2007... Byline: Adam Johnson By summer, Minnesota's residential building code will require home builders to install pan flashing under all exterior doors and windows, an amendment initially opposed by the agency that sets the code. The Minnesota...

Minneapolis-based CineMagic Theatres returning to Burnsville Center shopping mall.
April 10, 2007... Byline: Adam Johnson After a five-year absence, movie magic will soon return to Burnsville. Later this month, Minneapolis-based CineMagic Theatres will begin site work on a 15-screen cinemaplex near the Burnsville Center shopping mall....

Two join staff of Minneapolis-based Landform.
April 10, 2007... Byline: Finance and Commerce Staff Landform, an architectural, engineering and planning firm in Minneapolis, has added two people to its staff. Jennifer Zierke and Jennifer Haskamp joined the firm's planning and urban design studio....

Minnesota Department of Transportation's 'Unweave the Weave' open house set for today.
April 10, 2007... Byline: Finance and Commerce Staff Residents, commuters and businesses can view this year's construction plans, activities and staging for the Unweave the Weave project on Interstates 35E and 694. An open house will be held from 3 to 6...

Quality Bicycle Products' office/warehouse addition in Bloomington earns LEED gold.
April 10, 2007... Byline: Finance and Commerce Staff The U.S. Green Building Council has awarded environmental certification to Quality Bicycle Products' office/warehouse addition south of Hyland Park in Bloomington. The addition, which includes 100,000...

Minneapolis-based Shea Inc. promotes four workers.
April 10, 2007... Byline: Finance and Commerce Staff Shea Inc., a Minneapolis-based marketing and architectural design firm, has promoted four employees. Jim Ruckle was named vice president of architecture, Susan Donahue was promoted to creative director,...

Transportation rally slated for Thursday on steps of Minnesota Capitol.
April 10, 2007... Byline: Finance and Commerce Staff A transportation funding rally is set for Thursday on the steps of the state Capitol. The event, set for 10 to 11 a.m., is intended to "show legislators that there is support for a gas tax increase" for...

Two Minneapolis-area cases raise troubling question: Are property appraisers for hire?
April 12, 2007... Byline: Bill Clements In the business of property appraising, the acronym MAI possesses two meanings. One refers to a professional license the Chicago-based Appraisal Institute confers on appraisers. The other meaning is a painful, insider...

Appraisal at the heart of Minnesota Twins site tussle.
April 12, 2007... Byline: Bill Clements Conflict over land value was the major issue that held up construction of the new Twins ballpark in Minneapolis. Hennepin County plans to acquire 370,000 square feet or just more than 8 acres of the two parcels in...

Access is factor in St. Paul bus barn appraisal.
April 12, 2007... Byline: Bill Clements Two different property appraisals are causing problems for land swap negotiations involving the bus barn site at Snelling Avenue and Interstate 94 in St. Paul. One appraisal puts the value of the 9.93-acre parcel at...

Midtown Global Market in Minneapolis gets off to a promising start.(Company overview)
April 12, 2007... Byline: Mark Anderson Nothing about the redevelopment of the Midtown Exchange has been simple. And building a base of shoppers at the Midtown Global Market, the 57,000-square-foot retail mall at the front door of the south Minneapolis...

Brooks Bros. signs lease at City Center in downtown Minneapolis.
April 12, 2007... Byline: Burl Gilyard Upscale men's clothier Brooks Brothers has inked a lease at the City Center retail complex in downtown Minneapolis. Jennifer Haussner, an executive assistant with Brooks Brothers in New York City, said the store is...

Rider Bennett closing opens prime office space in downtown Minneapolis.
April 12, 2007... Byline: Burl Gilyard Minneapolis-based Rider Bennett announced Tuesday that the 47-year-old law firm is dissolving at the end of May. The firm's closing will likely free up more space in the downtown Minneapolis office market. Rider...

Pier 1 looks to exit Excelsior & Grand space in Twin Cities.
April 12, 2007... Byline: Burl Gilyard Retailer Pier 1 Imports is trying to sublease its space at Excelsior & Grand, a mixed-use project in St. Louis Park. Pier 1 opened the store in June 2005 after closing a location in the Uptown area of Minneapolis. ...

Twin Cities Power Brokers named for 2006.
April 12, 2007... Byline: Michael Krieger Finance and Commerce, along with the real estate research firm CoStar Group, have named the winners of the first Power Brokers awards in the Twin Cities. The awards recognize 14 brokerage firms and 45 individual...

Big Lake hopes to distinguish itself with mixed-use development.
April 12, 2007... Byline: Bob Geiger After playing second fiddle to neighboring Elk River and Monticello, Big Lake hopes to distinguish itself with mixed-use development around its Northstar Commuter Rail station. Scheduled to link the city of 9,000 with...

Welsh Cos. to build new HQ in Minnetonka.
April 12, 2007... Byline: Burl Gilyard Welsh Cos. announced plans on Wednesday to build a new headquarters in Minnetonka to accommodate its growth. The project calls for a 100,000-square-foot building in the southeast quadrant of Interstate 494 and Highway...

Developer returns to Heritage Preservation Commission with Plan B for Pacific Block in Minneapolis.
April 12, 2007... Byline: Mark Anderson Steve Minn will try again next week to win a regulatory thumbs-up for a $100 million redevelopment that he is proposing for the 200 block of North Washington Avenue, home to the Monte Carlo Bar and Restaurant. The...

New cable TV program highlights Miinneapolis lofts.
April 12, 2007... Byline: Bob Geiger Minneapolis condo projects have plugged into cable TV. Cable provider Comcast plans to feature five Minneapolis condo projects later this month on a local lifestyle program called "Lofts of Minneapolis." Two 30-minute...

Minnesota chapter of CREW Network sponsors event focusing on careers in real estate.
April 12, 2007... Byline: Finance and Commerce Staff The Minnesota chapter of CREW Network (commercial real estate women) will sponsor a day-long event called CREW Careers on Saturday, April 21, at the Dorsey Whitney law firm, 225 S. Sixth St., in...

Minneapolis-based Upland Real Estate Group completes deal for Sherwin Williams store in Blaine.
April 12, 2007... Byline: Finance and Commerce Staff Minneapolis-based Upland Real Estate Group Inc. last week announced the September sale of a Blaine site containing a new 5,000-square-foot Sherwin Williams paint store. The limited warranty deed sale of...

Panel to discuss future of retail in Minnesota.
April 12, 2007... Byline: Finance and Commerce Staff The Minnesota Shopping Center Association will present a program called "2010 & 2020: Minnesota's Demographic and Retail Future" on Wednesday, May 2. The discussion will focus on how changing demographics...

Minnesota Marketing Briefs: April 14, 2007.
April 14, 2007... Byline: Bob Geiger Could a laptop computer spur further decline of general circulation newspapers in the Twin Cities? Minneapolis public relations executive and former journalist Paul Maccabee thinks so. He said splashy play about a St....

Asbestos removal and remediation in Minnesota is still going strong.
April 17, 2007... Byline: Adam Johnson Like most people, Dan Locher had assumed that the asbestos abatement industry would have a limited lifespan, fading out of existence as the fibrous carcinogen was systematically removed from both public and private...

What does building 'green' mean?
April 17, 2007... Byline: Brian Johnson Construction attorney Brian Anderson knows what it's like when a green building feature gives a builder the blues. One of Anderson's builder clients completed a project that involved a geothermal heating system with...

New law in Minnesota requires fuller coverage for homebuilders.
April 17, 2007... Byline: Adam Johnson Residential building contractors should check their liability insurance policies, because there's a chance they lack full coverage and don't even know it. A bill signed by Gov. Tim Pawlenty on March 29 requires...

Minn. House bill requires contractors to register to make sure no one is cheating the system.
April 17, 2007... Byline: Brian Johnson Bill Becker doesn't mind competition for his New Brighton-based floor installation business, but he says it's tough to compete with independent contractors who don't always play by the rules. Some of those...

Judge dismisses complaint against Farmington schools.
April 17, 2007... Byline: Brian Johnson A $24 million bond referendum that would pay for a new sports complex in Farmington is ready to go before area voters now that an administrative law judge has dismissed a Farmington resident's complaint. Judge...

Construction workers rally at Minnesota Capitol in support of increased transportation funding.
April 17, 2007... Byline: Adam Johnson A sea of hard hats and bright yellow vests filled the state Capitol mall last Thursday, as hundreds of construction workers rallied in support of increased transportation funding. Framed by a bevy of heavy construction...

Eden Prairie-based Westwood Professional Services promotes Greenhagen to VP.
April 17, 2007... Byline: Finance and Commerce Staff Paul Greenhagen has been promoted to vice president at Eden Prairie-based Westwood Professional Services Inc. Greenhagen, who has more than 27 years of experience, previously was the director of surveying...

Minnesota Department of Transportation plans open houses on highway projects.
April 17, 2007... Byline: Finance and Commerce Staff The Minnesota Department of Transportation will hold open houses for two highway improvement projects in south-central Minnesota. On Thursday, MnDOT representatives will discuss transportation improvements...

Minnesota-based Schoell Madson names board member.
April 17, 2007... Byline: Finance and Commerce Staff F. Walter Riebenack has been named to the board of directors of Schoell Madson. Riebenack has experience as a board member at Valley National Gases Inc. and as a director and officer of Site-Blauvelt...

Three join St. Paul office of Howard R. Green.
April 17, 2007... Byline: Finance and Commerce Staff The St. Paul office of Howard R. Green Co. has added three employees. Mark Stone was hired as a project engineer and Mike Berg and Brendan Moore as staff engineers. Stone, who has a degree in civil...

Bloomington-based Welsh Construction tapped for Jostens renovation project.
April 17, 2007... Byline: Finance and Commerce Staff Bloomington-based Welsh Construction will handle the $1.35 million renovation of a tool manufacturing facility for Jostens Inc. The 34,000-square-foot facility will be located in the Armstrong II...

Midway Chevrolet in St. Paul to shut down, merge with Merit Chevrolet of Maplewood.
April 19, 2007... Byline: Bill Clements A handshake and an hour was all it took for the Krebsbach family to acquire nearly 4 acres of prime University Avenue property in St. Paul. "[The deal] could never happen today," Tom Krebsbach Jr. said with a laugh,...

Developer Larry Abdo plans his next 'adventure' in downtown Minneapolis.
April 19, 2007... Byline: Burl Gilyard Developer Larry Abdo has closed on the purchase of 1016 Marquette Ave., a 0.10-acre site where he plans to put up a boutique office building. Abdo hopes to begin construction by the middle of the year on the...

Fund managed by Minneapolis-based Hoyt Properties buys $62M industrial portfolio.
April 19, 2007... Byline: Burl Gilyard Stone Arch Fund II, a real estate fund managed by Minneapolis-based Hoyt Properties, closed in early April on the $62 million acquisition of a 25-building Twin Cities industrial portfolio. The 1.2 million-square-foot...

Dallas-based Cawley Partners closes on purchase of 701 Building in downtown Minneapolis.
April 19, 2007... Byline: Burl Gilyard Dallas-based Cawley Partners closed on its purchase of the 701 Building in downtown Minneapolis on Monday. The deal for the 280,000-square-foot building, which is two-thirds empty, marks the first local acquisition...

Chicago firm buys Symphony Place in downtown Minneapolis.
April 19, 2007... Byline: Mark Anderson Chicago-based real estate specialist Waterton Associates LLC is the new owner of Symphony Place, a 250-unit luxury apartment building at 1117 Marquette Ave., next to Orchestra Hall in downtown Minneapolis. The...

Savage firm buys pair of Lyndale Avenue buildings in Richfield.
April 19, 2007... Byline: Bob Geiger Savage-based HNC Properties LLC has acquired two buildings at West 65th Street and Lyndale Avenue South in Richfield. The firm paid $2.3 million -- about $58 per square foot -- for the one-story buildings at 6439 and...

High asking price sinks southwest Minneapolis condominium project.
April 19, 2007... Byline: Bob Geiger Mounds View developer Randy Noecker is 0-2 in completing southwest Minneapolis condominium projects after high land prices dunked the potential sale of the Aqua City Motel on Lyndale Avenue South. Noecker withdrew as a...

Minneapolis-based Griffin Cos. finds space for new massage center in Plymouth.
April 19, 2007... Byline: Finance and Commerce Staff A new massage clinic will open soon in the new Rockridge Center shopping mall in Plymouth. Suzie Rettinger of Minneapolis-based real estate firm Griffin Cos. facilitated the lease of 2,663 square feet in...

Westin Minneapolis hotel names management team.
April 19, 2007... Byline: Finance and Commerce Staff The Westin Minneapolis hotel, which is scheduled to open at 88 S. Sixth St. in downtown on May 3, announced its management team this week. Industry vet Bill Weiberg will serve as general manager and...

Minneapolis office of Staubach Co. closes two building deals.
April 19, 2007... Byline: Finance and Commerce Staff The Minneapolis office of the Staubach Co., based in suburban Dallas, has completed two building-purchase deals, both in the $3 million range, representing the seller in each case. March 7 was the closing...

Industry veteran joins Minneapolis-based Upland Real Estate Group.
April 19, 2007... Byline: Finance and Commerce Staff Minneapolis-based Upland Real Estate Group has announced the addition of Twin Cities commercial real estate veteran Edward Engler to its brokerage arm. Engler specializes in office and industrial sales and...

New apparel shop set for Gaviidae Common in downtown Minneapolis.
April 19, 2007... Byline: Finance and Commerce Staff Edina-based apparel company Len Druskin will open a store late this summer in Gaviidae Common in downtown Minneapolis. The family-owned firm also announced the hiring of former Lifetime Fitness exec Todd...

Northstar Center in downtown Minneapolis sold to Santa Ana, Calif.-based Triple Net.
April 19, 2007... Byline: Finance and Commerce Staff Santa Ana, Calif.-based Triple Net Properties LLC has acquired Northstar Center in downtown Minneapolis in a joint venture with Pacific Coast Capital Partners of Los Angeles. Terms of the deal, which...

Minnesota Marketing Briefs: April 21, 2007.
April 21, 2007... Byline: Bob Geiger In what amounts to a campaign 2008 warm-up for fiscal conservatives, the Taxpayers League of Minnesota this week launched an ad campaign attacking DFL House and Senate members for trying to boost taxes by nearly $5...

Anoka County wants to build a regional crime lab.
April 24, 2007... Byline: Brian Johnson Television shows like "CSI: Miami" make it look so easy. Investigators scour a crime scene, gather DNA and fingerprints, and send the evidence off to a crime lab that processes the data in the blink of an eye. Presto...

Growing pains for Washington County legal system.
April 24, 2007... Byline: Adam Johnson As Stillwater attempts to maintain its image as a relaxing getaway, the booming population in the city and surrounding Washington County is increasing pressure on its courts and law enforcement services. Now, officials...

University of Minnesota Rochester researchers attempt to combine existing energy technologies.
April 24, 2007... Byline: Adam Johnson Instead of inventing revolutionary new technology, why not combine existing technologies to increase energy efficiency? A team of researchers at the University of Minnesota Rochester is attempting to do just that,...

New Minneapolis restaurant to serve up smorgasbord of green building features.
April 24, 2007... Byline: Brian Johnson Salad won't be the only green in Kim Bartmann's new restaurant. The Red Stag restaurant, scheduled to open this summer in Northeast Minneapolis, will serve up a smorgasbord of green building features ranging from...

Eden Prairie community center is catching up with the competition -- at last.
April 24, 2007... Byline: Adam Johnson The secret to getting in shape hasn't changed much over the past 25 years: exercise and a healthy lifestyle. But in Eden Prairie, a community center built in 1982 hasn't changed much either. As a result, it has lost...