Finance and Commerce Daily Newspaper, MN articles from January 2007

Finance and Commerce Daily Newspaper, MN archives from January 2007

Great River Energy plans green-tech showcase.
January 2, 2007... Byline: Adam Johnson Perkins + Will of Minneapolis has pulled out all the stops in its design of Great River Energy's future Maple Grove headquarters, embedding the 177,000-square-foot office facility with a host of energy-sipping "green"...

Tax provision angers construction industry.
January 2, 2007... Byline: Brian Johnson The construction industry is rallying against a new federal tax provision that would, in the industry's view, create cash flow problems for contractors while driving up the cost of public construction projects. The...

Builders balking at green mandates.
January 2, 2007... Byline: Brian Johnson The National Association of Homebuilders says resource- and energy-efficient construction is on the rise in homebuilding, but the group warns that government-imposed green building mandates for residential...

Stockholders named at Short Elliott Hendrickson.
January 2, 2007... Byline: F&C Staff Report The Short Elliott Hendrickson (SEH) architectural, planning and engineering firm of Minneapolis has named five new stockholders. They are Bob Beaver, James Fraser, Kelly Henry, Greg Johnson and Paul Pasko. Beaver...

Society of Marketing Professional Services meeting to examine market research.
January 2, 2007... Byline: F&C Staff Report The January meeting of the Twin Cities chapter of the Society of Marketing Professional Services will examine how architectural, engineering and construction firms conduct research to support market or service...

Kraus-Anderson hires project manager in St. Paul.
January 2, 2007... Byline: F&C Staff Report Shawn Meschke has joined the St. Paul office of Kraus-Anderson Construction Co. as a project manager. He previously was the director of construction at Minneapolis-based Master Civil and Construction Engineering,...

Annual TOPS dinner set.
January 2, 2007... Byline: F&C Staff Report The Minnesota chapter of the American Subcontractors Association will hold its seventh annual TOPS awards dinner on Thursday, Jan. 25, at the Mendakota Country Club, 2075 Mendakota Drive, in Mendota Heights. The...

Kraus-Anderson renovates space for nonprofit.
January 2, 2007... Byline: F&C Staff Report Minneapolis-based Kraus-Anderson Construction Co. remodeled and reconfigured a two-story office warehouse space for Volunteers Enlisted to Assist People in Bloomington. The nonprofit group provides emergency...

New approach shapes Longfellow Station project in South Minneapolis.
January 4, 2007... Byline: Bill Clements Dale Joel and Katie Hatt are taking a gamble in south Minneapolis. And the dividends could be huge. The two -- Joel a developer and Hatt a community organization leader -- are nearing the end of negotiations over the...

Associated Bank mulls key corner in St. Paul.
January 4, 2007... Byline: Burl Gilyard Liberty State Bank used to have a sterling reputation in St. Paul as a locally owned community bank with strong ties to its neighborhood. Founded in 1917, Liberty was a St. Paul icon. But today, Liberty State Bank is...

Court ruling does little to settle Fort Snelling debate.
January 4, 2007... Byline: Bill Clements In a ruling that may have deep reverberations in the relationship between local American Indian tribes and the government, a federal magistrate has ruled that the Pike Treaty of 1805 is invalid. A federal court has...

Eagan officials to begin second round of developer-shopping for Cedar Ave.
January 4, 2007... Byline: Mark Anderson Eagan city officials will start courting developers by the beginning of February in their next attempt to get a long-awaited redevelopment along Cedar Avenue under way. This second round of developer-shopping comes in...

Latin fusion restaurant to open in Minneapolis' Tangletown neighborhood.
January 4, 2007... Byline: Bob Geiger A spicy blend of two continents is roaring toward taste buds in Minneapolis' Tangletown neighborhood. The owners of Spanish restaurant El Meson, at 35th Street and Lyndale Avenue in south Minneapolis, plan to open a...

City of Hopkins approves Excelsior Crossings plan.
January 4, 2007... Byline: Finance & Commerce Staff The city of Hopkins has granted final site plan approval to Opus Northwest for the Excelsior Crossings office project at Highway 169 and Excelsior Boulevard. Wayzata-based Cargill Inc. is slated to occupy...

Kraus-Anderson hires new project manager in Circle Pines office.
January 4, 2007... Byline: Finance & Commerce Staff Kraus-Anderson has hired Eduardo Mendoza as a project manager in its Circle Pines office. Mendoza previously served as assistant building commissioner for the city of Hammond, Ind., where he also worked as a...

Strong '06 for National Assn. of Real Estate Investment Trusts index.
January 4, 2007... Byline: Finance & Commerce Staff The Washington, D.C.-based National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts (NAREIT) announced that its REIT index reported a total return of 34.35 percent in 2006, outperforming other market indexes...

Boston firm retain Welsh Cos. to manage industrial portfolio.
January 4, 2007... Byline: Finance & Commerce Staff Boston-based High Street Equity Advisors LLC has retained Welsh Cos. to handle leasing and property management for an eight-building, 520,000-square-foot local industrial portfolio acquired last week by...

Clear Channel billboards go digital along local freeways.
January 6, 2007... Byline: Bob Geiger Clear Channel Outdoor welcomed the new year by finishing the installation of eight digital billboards in the Twin Cities, including one facing drivers heading north into downtown Minneapolis on busy Interstate 35W. Each...

Work begins on converting Lakeville grocery store into the Hockey Development Center.
January 9, 2007... Byline: Adam Johnson For 100 years, shoppers visiting Lakeville's quaint downtown strip would glide through the aisles of Enggren's Market, stocking up on groceries while maneuvering for sales and dodging fellow customers. But soon,...

Despite higher costs, University of Minnesota wants green stadium.
January 9, 2007... Byline: Brian Johnson Rising construction costs won't stop the University of Minnesota from trying to make its new on-campus football stadium the first project of its kind to achieve certification as an ecologically friendly building. In...

East Minneapolis suburb ahead of its time in promoting energy-efficient construction.
January 9, 2007... Byline: Brian Johnson Lots of cities talk about being green these days, but at least one east metro suburb can say it was ahead of its time in promoting resource- and energy-efficient construction. Oakdale's "Green Generation" program --...

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency getting ready to roll out WaterSense program in '07.
January 9, 2007... Byline: Adam Johnson By the end of January, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency plans to begin certifying the first of many products to be approved under its new WaterSense conservation program -- a high-efficiency toilet. Modeled on...

Minnesota Department of Transportation's concrete guru wins national award.
January 9, 2007... Byline: Jim Martyka For Doug Schwartz, the mission was clear and simple: Find a way to persuade local contractors to make better concrete. That priority led Schwartz, concrete engineer for the Minnesota Department of Transportation, to...

Rochester plans Salvation Army apartments and medical facility to address affordable housing need.
January 9, 2007... Byline: Adam Johnson Over the past decade, Rochester's population explosion has also increased its need for low-income "affordable" housing. And like so many communities, city officials say those needs are not being met. A planned...

Minneapolis-based Kraus-Anderson Realty Co. promotes Sevenich.
January 9, 2007... Byline: Finance and Commerce Staff Paul Sevenich has been promoted to vice president of leasing and marketing at Minneapolis-based Kraus-Anderson Realty Co. Sevenich, a 23-year industry veteran in mall management, leasing and development,...

A&P Construction working on Scott County project.
January 9, 2007... Byline: Finance and Commerce Staff Adolfson & Peterson Construction Co. is providing pre-construction services for the Scott County regional public safety training center in Jordan. The St. Louis Park firm will be working with the...

Associated General Contractors of Minnesota's annual meeting set for Jan. 18.
January 9, 2007... Byline: Finance and Commerce Staff "Navigating change" is the theme of the Associated General Contractors of Minnesota's 2007 annual meeting. The event -- scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 18, at the Hilton Minneapolis, 1001 Marquette Ave. --...

American Subcontractors Association of Minnesota announces finalists.
January 9, 2007... Byline: Finance and Commerce Staff The American Subcontractors Association of Minnesota has named its finalists for general contractor of the year. They are Kraus-Anderson Construction Cos., McGough Construction Co. and Ryan Companies U.S....

Design Build Institute of America's breakfast meeting set for Jan. 17 in St. Paul.
January 9, 2007... Byline: Finance and Commerce Staff An upcoming breakfast program will focus on legal issues related to risk management on design-build projects. The program, presented by the Design Build Institute of America's Upper Midwest chapter, is...

Hay Dobbs architectural and design firm of Minneapolis helps Prior Lake with design standards.
January 9, 2007... Byline: Finance and Commerce Staff The Hay Dobbs architectural and design firm of Minneapolis has been hired by the city of Prior Lake to establish design guidelines for buildings in the downtown area. Hay Dobbs will work with city...

The Seward Co-op in Minneapolis looking for financial help.
January 11, 2007... Byline: Bill Clements The Seward Co-op in south Minneapolis will need financial help from its 3,500 owner-members if it hopes to complete a $9.2 million expansion at a new site. Members of the venerable 35-year-old organic food and...

Grocery business in Minneapolis is in their blood.
January 11, 2007... Byline: Bill Clements In one way or another, the Burnstein family has made a living from the grocery business for some 70 years. Brothers Larry and Michael Burnstein purchased a former car dealership at 2823 E. Franklin Ave. in the Seward...

Bloomington-based Frauenshuh Cos. sells the Wabasha Court site.
January 11, 2007... Byline: Burl Gilyard Frauenshuh Cos. has sold the onetime site of the Wabasha Court building -- considered a key redevelopment spot in downtown St. Paul -- but the firm isn't revealing the name of the buyer. Sherry Hastings of Frauenshuh...

Nestor departs Minneapolis-based Master Development, joins Hillcrest.
January 11, 2007... Byline: Burl Gilyard Charlie Nestor is leaving Minneapolis-based Master Development to join Hillcrest Development. Hillcrest, which is also based in Minneapolis, announced the addition of Nestor on Wednesday. Hillcrest managing partner...

Rental is the next frontier for Uptown developers in Minneapolis.
January 11, 2007... Byline: Mark Anderson Residential developers are backing away from condo developments, but they're still finding opportunities in the housing market, this time with rental properties. Chip Johnson's Turnstone Development is one of the...

Compellent Technologies Inc. leases new Liberty building in Eden Prairie.
January 11, 2007... Byline: Burl Gilyard Compellent Technologies Inc., a fast-growing data storage company, has inked a deal to occupy a new 56,000-square-foot "green" office building in Eden Prairie. The new Class A building at 7625 Smetana Lane is being...

Renovation project in Minnesota packs a punch.
January 11, 2007... Byline: Todd Messelt Punch takes its pizza seriously, and a recent award from the Minnesota Shopping Center Association shows that it has the same attitude about building design. Punch Neapolitan Pizza captured one of the association's...

Hennepin County OKs funding for stadium transit station.
January 11, 2007... Byline: Bob Geiger Hennepin County officials have approved spending up to $7.13 million to jump-start construction of a mass transit hub near the new downtown Minnesota Twins stadium. The stop-gap funding will be repaid to Hennepin County...

Calix Networks Inc. renews lease in Plymouth building in Minneapolis.
January 11, 2007... Byline: Finance and Commerce Staff Telecommunications firm Calix Networks Inc. renewed its 33,000-square-foot lease in the West Glen Corporate Center in Plymouth, according to an announcement from CoStar Group. The single-story,...

Two join Minneapolis office of CBRE/Melody & Co.
January 11, 2007... Byline: Finance and Commerce Staff The CBRE|Melody & Co. real estate investment banking firm said two people have joined its Minneapolis office. Joel Torborg was named vice president and will be responsible for the production of new debt...

IREM meeting in Twin Cities to feature group's national president.
January 11, 2007... Byline: Finance and Commerce Staff The 2007 national president of the Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM) will visit the Twin Cities on Tuesday, Feb. 6. Bob Toothaker will address the local chapter of IREM during a luncheon program...

Welsh Cos. adds analyst to its staff in Bloomington.
January 11, 2007... Byline: Finance and Commerce Staff Lucas Goring has joined Welsh Cos. as an analyst. His responsibilities will include analyzing potential acquisitions, developments and financing terms and options for clients. Goring has a bachelor's...

Liberty Property Trust completes Twin Cities lease deals.
January 11, 2007... Byline: Finance and Commerce Staff Liberty Property Trust, a real estate investment trust based in Malvern, Pa., added three new tenants to its Twin Cities portfolio and reached deals with existing tenants for lease renewals and expansions....

MN Commercial Assn. of Realtors sets date for its fifth annual awards event.
January 11, 2007... Byline: Finance and Commerce Staff The Minnesota Commercial Association of Realtors (MNCAR) will hold its fifth annual awards program on Wednesday, Jan. 17. The event will recognize unique and outstanding transactions in commercial real...

Bloomington-based United Properties reaches insurance milestone.
January 11, 2007... Byline: Finance and Commerce Staff The United Properties group-purchasing insurance program has reached a milestone with the coverage of more than 2 million square feet of property. The program was launched in 2004 to give third-party...

MN Shopping Center Assn. February meeting to examine franchise leasing.
January 11, 2007... Byline: Finance and Commerce Staff Franchise leasing opportunities will be the subject of the February meeting of the Minnesota Shopping Center Association (MSCA). The event will be held on Wednesday, Feb. 7, at the Doubletree Hotel...

Broz named group leader at St. Paul office of the Howard R. Green Co.
January 11, 2007... Byline: Finance and Commerce Staff Jack Broz is the new transportation group leader at the St. Paul office of the Howard R. Green Co. Broz's 27-year industry background includes work on the Highway 212 project from Eden Prairie to Chaska,...

Minnesota Marketing Briefs: January 13, 2007.
January 13, 2007... Byline: Bob Geiger Fast-growing outdoor ad company Titan Worldwide on Jan. 1 began a five-year contract with Metro Transit in a move that takes a key piece of display ad business from CBS Outdoor Inc. CBS Outdoor, under various corporate...

Minneapolis-based theater offers visitors "value-added" experience.
January 16, 2007... Byline: Adam Johnson Since its inception, the movie-going experience has been one of continuous evolution, from the introduction of sound, color and stereo to the more recent additions of stadium-style seating and high-powered speaker...

Macalester College in St. Paul to begin work on new rec complex.
January 16, 2007... Byline: Brian Johnson While the University of Minnesota captures headlines for its splashy new football stadium, Macalester College is quietly moving ahead with plans to beef up its workout areas and athletic facilities. Starting this...

Vital component of highway infrastructure near St. Paul's downtown to undergo "major rehab".
January 16, 2007... Byline: Adam Johnson St. Paul has received many upgrades to its infrastructure over the years. But far beneath a stretch of Interstate 94 that snakes eastward near the city's historic downtown, a vital component of that infrastructure has...

Design plan for new high school in South Washington County includes wind turbine.
January 16, 2007... Byline: Brian Johnson Plans for a new high school in the South Washington County School District are sailing along, and planners hope to have a little extra wind at their backs when it comes to powering the new building. The school,...

Twins, Washington Nationals pursue Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification.
January 16, 2007... Byline: Brian Johnson The Minnesota Twins and Washington Nationals may not be destined for a World Series showdown anytime soon, but the two ball clubs are competing for a different honor: to be the first major league team to play in a...

Mendota Heights-based Cemstone president to head state group.
January 16, 2007... Byline: Finance and Commerce Staff The Aggregates & Ready Mix Association (ARM) of Minnesota has named Cemstone President Thor Becken as its 2007 president. "Changes in both the aggregates and ready mix industries will make 2007 a...

Green remodeling forum to be held Jan. 25 in St. Paul.
January 16, 2007... Byline: Finance and Commerce Staff Professional remodelers and architects can learn the principles and practices of "green" construction on existing buildings at a Green Remodeling Learning & Network Forum on Jan. 25. The Como Park Zoo...

Open house to discuss Highway 55 expansion between Plymouth and Rockford.
January 16, 2007... Byline: Finance and Commerce Staff The proposed expansion of a section of Highway 55 will be discussed at an open house from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 30. The meeting, which will be held in the training room of the Hennepin County...

Site work begins on ethanol plant near Janesville, Minn.
January 16, 2007... Byline: Finance and Commerce Staff US BioEnergy Corp. of Brookings, S.D., has begun site work for an ethanol plant near Janesville, Minn. The facility is expected to produce about 100 million gallons of ethanol a year, 320,000 tons of...

Minnetonka-based Opus Architects & Engineers project at St. Thomas wins two awards.
January 16, 2007... Byline: Finance and Commerce Staff Minnetonka-based Opus Architects & Engineers Inc. was recognized by Faith and Form Magazine for the St. Thomas More Chapel on the University of St. Thomas campus in Minneapolis. The chapel's liturgical...

St. Paul-based Ankeny Kell Architects adds two to staff.
January 16, 2007... Byline: Finance and Commerce Staff Two former employees have returned to St. Paul-based Ankeny Kell Architects after working elsewhere for three years. Todd LaVold was hired as a project designer, while Berry Holz will be an interiors...

Minnesota Marketing Briefs: January 20, 2007.
January 20, 2007... Byline: Bob Geiger Fallon Worldwide, a Minneapolis-based ad agency known for creating high-profile ad campaigns for such clients as Citigroup, has been hired by Milwaukee-based auto products supplier and building controls company Johnson...

CONEX Minnesota trade show to be held in February.
January 23, 2007... Byline: Finance & Commerce Staff Annual trade show CONEX Minnesota will return to the Minneapolis Convention Center on Feb. 21 and 22. The two-day construction expo will showcase new products and services, as well as provide contractors,...

HGA Architects promotes eight Minnesota employees.
January 23, 2007... Byline: Finance & Commerce Staff HGA Architects and Engineers announced the promotion of eight employees at its Minnesota branches last week. Two members of the Minneapolis office were promoted to vice president: Rob Meese, a principal and...

J.L. Sullivan Construction names Steve Day vice president.
January 23, 2007... Byline: Finance & Commerce Staff Steve Day has been named vice president at Edina-based J.L. Sullivan Construction Inc. Day, a 16-year industry veteran in corporate design and construction, will direct business development and internal...

Kraus-Anderson Construction hires development director.
January 23, 2007... Byline: Finance & Commerce Staff Mark Phillips has been named director of business development at Minneapolis-based Kraus-Anderson Construction Co. Phillips, who has 25 years of industry experience, will support Kraus-Anderson's offices in...

Minnesota Pavement Conference set for Feb. 15.
January 23, 2007... Byline: Finance & Commerce Staff The University of Minnesota will sponsor the 11th Annual Minnesota Pavement Conference at its St. Paul campus on Feb. 15. The event will be held at the Continuing Education and Conference Center, 1890 Buford...

Viracon promotes executive in Owatonna.
January 23, 2007... Byline: Finance & Commerce Staff Peter Anderson has been promoted to director of coating development and process for glass fabricator Viracon. Anderson, who previously was research and development manager at the company, will focus on new...

Nonprofit group Historic St. Paul names president.
January 23, 2007... Byline: Finance & Commerce Staff Historic St. Paul announced that Philip Waugh has been elected board president of the local nonprofit preservation group. Waugh serves as historic preservationist at Minneapolis-based Collaborative Design...

Public library takes cues from private sector.
January 23, 2007... Byline: Adam Johnson Minneapolis community libraries don't operate like for-profit businesses, but a new renovation at North Regional Library embraces principles that have proven successful at moving books in the retail world. Serving the...

Associated General Contractors of Minn.'s chief economist sees bright spots in '07.
January 23, 2007... Byline: Brian Johnson Ken Simonson didn't have to look far last Thursday to illustrate what's hot in construction. Speaking at the downtown Minneapolis Hilton, where the annual meeting of the Associated General Contractors of Minnesota...

Gov. Pawlenty to seek funds for Energy Star initiative.
January 23, 2007... Byline: Adam Johnson Gov. Tim Pawlenty is planning to introduce legislation that would generate grant funding for the Energy Star goal he announced in December as part of his "Next Generation Energy Initiative." The governor has called...

Bill calls for coordination of safety plans on state projects.
January 23, 2007... Byline: Brian Johnson A state lawmaker has introduced legislation that would require a written safety plan for state construction projects. House file 16, introduced by Rep. Joe Mullery, DFL-Minneapolis, would require construction...

Push for stricter building code comes from the industry itself.
January 23, 2007... Byline: Adam Johnson In a rare move, several residential builders and window manufacturers are pressing the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (DLI) to add a "pan flashing" requirement to the state's residential building code, an...

Minnesota playing catch-up on building code.
January 23, 2007... Byline: Adam Johnson Minnesota's chronically slow residential code-approval process is at least three years behind many other states. But officials at the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry are trying to play catch-up. The...

The power of architecture.
January 23, 2007... Byline: Nathan Comp MILWAUKEE, Wis. -- Build it and they will change. Or will they? There's more to the practice of architecture than simple functionality. Architects throughout history have used their craft to portray everything from...

Developer Steve Minn plans new designs for Warehouse District redevelopment.
January 25, 2007... Byline: Mark Anderson Developer Steve Minn said on Tuesday that he plans to bring new designs for a major Warehouse District redevelopment back to the Heritage Preservation Commission this winter, promising to adhere to all of the...

Condo advertisers pulling in the reins.
January 25, 2007... Byline: Bob Geiger Condominium advertising, a broadcast and print media mainstay since 2004, is becoming predominantly an online effort as developers try to attract buyers to an overbuilt condo market. Ad agencies serving condo developers...

GVA Marquette Advisors says apartment vacancies up slightly.
January 25, 2007... Byline: Finance & Commerce Staff The latest statistics from GVA Marquette Advisors in Minneapolis show general strength in the local apartment market. GVA reported a vacancy rate in the Twin Cities of 4.7 percent for the fourth quarter of...

CB Richard Ellis promotes John Ryden and Sandy Barin.
January 25, 2007... Byline: Finance & Commerce Staff The Minneapolis office of CB Richard Ellis has announced two promotions: John Ryden becomes senior vice president, specializing in industrial real estate brokerage, and Sandy Barin becomes senior associate,...

Colliers gains three retail leases in Minneapolis.
January 25, 2007... Byline: Finance & Commerce Staff The Minneapolis/St. Paul office of Colliers Turley Martin Tucker has announced three new retail lease assignments in Minneapolis. Lund Food Holdings Inc. retained Colliers to find tenants for the new Lunds...

Acacia Real Estate grows into Re-Cor.
January 25, 2007... Byline: Finance & Commerce Staff Jeff Draxten, Terry Forliti and Dave Lundeen of Wayzata-based Acacia Real Estate Partners have joined together with Bill Gavin of Appaloosa LLC in Owatonna and Kris Krentz of KJKrentz Law in St. Louis Park...

Safety screen bill introduced in Minnesota Legislature.
January 25, 2007... Byline: Finance & Commerce Staff State Rep. Karen Clark, DFL-Minneapolis, has introduced a bill that would require stronger safety screens on above-grade windows in all new residential construction in Minnesota starting Jan. 1, 2009. The...

Real estate atty. Charles Parsons Jr. recognized by lawyers' group.
January 25, 2007... Byline: Finance & Commerce Staff Real estate attorney Charles Parsons Jr. has won the 2006 Distinguished Service Award from the Real Property Law Section of the Minnesota State Bar Association. The award is presented annually to a lawyer...

Mobile home co-ops empower residents.
January 25, 2007... Byline: Bill Clements As Betty Bailey sees it, when she and other homeowners formed a cooperative to buy the mobile home park they occupy in Lexington, they bought a big old boat. Before, when the private investor who owned the 15.6-acre...

First National Bank Building in St. Paul has new owner.
January 25, 2007... Byline: Burl Gilyard The First National Bank Building in St. Paul is finally out from under the cloud of foreclosure. The iconic downtown St. Paul tower has a new owner, but few in St. Paul seem to know the owner's identity. An entity...