Finance and Commerce Daily Newspaper, MN articles from November 2006

Finance and Commerce Daily Newspaper, MN archives from November 2006

A buzzword is born in Minneapolis.
November 2, 2006... Byline: Burl Gilyard Many of the top minds in local commercial real estate gathered last Thursday for the annual CCIM (Certified Commercial Investment Members) real estate huddle, now billed as the Investment Real Estate Symposium, at The...

Capital still itching to get into real estate.
November 2, 2006... Byline: Mark Anderson Economist Mark Dotzour returned to Minneapolis for the second year last Thursday to provide the keynote remarks at the annual conference of the Minnesota-Dakotas chapter of Certified Commercial Investment Members...

Credit River project near Lakeville wins Builders Assn. of the Twin Cities award.
November 2, 2006... Byline: F&C Staff Credit River Territory, a housing development project in Credit River Township near Lakeville, won a 2006 Bennie Award for "Best New Neighborhood-South" from the Builders Association of the Twin Cities (BATC). The...

National Park Service extends review for Bureau of Mines site in Minneapolis.
November 2, 2006... Byline: F&C Staff The National Park Service has extended to Nov. 27 the period for public review and comment on a land-use study for the Bureau of Mines property in Minneapolis. The NPS is handling the complex public planning process for...

St. Paul-based CommonBond Communities names president-CEO.
November 2, 2006... Byline: F&C Staff St. Paul-based CommonBond Communities has named Paul Fate as its new president and chief executive officer. He will replace Joseph Errigo, who will retire as CEO on Jan. 1 after 35 years in the position. Fate previously...

Hearing set for Minneapolis light rail area plan.
November 2, 2006... Byline: F&C Staff A public hearing on the proposed Nokomis East Light Rail Transit Station Area Plan will be held at 4:30 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 27. The meeting will be held in room 317 of Minneapolis City Hall, 350 S. Fifth St. Hennepin...

Minneapolis-based Short Elliott Hendrickson, Inc. adds two.
November 2, 2006... Byline: F&C Staff Two people have joined the Minneapolis-based Short Elliott Hendrickson Inc. architectural and engineering firm. Danyelle Payne was hired as an urban designer with the landscape architecture group in the firm's Minneapolis...

Minneapolis-based TopLine Federal Credit Union breaks ground on fifth facility.
November 2, 2006... Byline: F&C Staff TopLine Federal Credit Union has broken ground on a new branch in the Park Place Promenade retail development in Brooklyn Park. The 5,300-square-foot facility -- the credit union's fifth branch in the Twin Cities -- will...

Buyers lining up for Minneapolis parking ramps.
November 2, 2006... Byline: Burl Gilyard The city of Minneapolis has attracted notable interest for eight municipal parking ramps that were formally put out for bids over the summer. The city announced last Friday that 12 firms had submitted bids to buy...

Long-time retail location up for grabs in Minneapolis' popular Uptown area.
November 2, 2006... Byline: Burl Gilyard In 1960, local dentist Louis Weisberg bought a two-story commercial building at 3000 Hennepin Ave., at the southwest corner of the bustling intersection of Hennepin and Lake Street in the Uptown area of south...

Federal New Markets Tax Credits program awaits reprieve from Congress.
November 2, 2006... Byline: Mark Anderson The Federal New Markets Tax Credits program has been a boon to many inner-city and rural commercial development efforts during the last four years, delivering low-cost equity to projects that had few other means to...

'Laela's Law' heads to Minnesota Legislature.
November 2, 2006... Byline: Bill Clements Starting in 2009, all new residential construction in Minnesota would be required to include safety screens in windows, according to the draft of a new bill. If the bill becomes law, Minnesota would be the first state...

New generation takes helm of state association.
November 2, 2006... Byline: Charley Shaw After 24 years of prowling the halls of the state Capitol for the Minnesota Association of Realtors, Glenn Dorfman has handed over the reins of the chief lobbyist job to his longtime assistant. Dorfman, 59, was...

Minnesota Marketing Briefs: November 4, 2006.
November 4, 2006... Byline: Bob Geiger The Minnesota Grocers Association (MGA) has renewed its drive to allow wine to be sold in state grocery stores. "It's about time for Minnesota to join the 33 other states in the country that allow consumers to buy wine...

Seven at SmithGroup's Minneapolis office receive LEED accreditation.
November 7, 2006... Byline: Finance and Commerce Staff SmithGroup said seven people in the firm's Minneapolis office have received LEED accreditation. The local office now has 10 LEED-certified employees, representing about 75 percent of its professional...

Former homebuilder founds Freedom in Wheelchairs to helps people with disabilities remain active.
November 7, 2006... Byline: Brian Johnson Hopkins resident Paul Olson has started successful businesses on land and on sea. At age 62, the former homebuilder is still moving and shaking, despite a late 1990s roofing accident that left him unable to use his...

Elk River earning its 'Energy City' moniker.
November 7, 2006... Byline: Adam Johnson Most of Elk River's 20,000 residents don't realize it, but their town is considered by some to be the vanguard for alternative and efficient energy use in the state. Since 1997, the small exurban community has embraced...

August, September see big jump in construction injuries in Minnesota.
November 7, 2006... Byline: Brian Johnson State records show that Minnesota construction sites have become safer in the last few years, but recent months have seen a new wave of building-related injuries and fatalities. Here's the good news: A newly released...

State of Minnesota seeks comments on plumbing code.
November 7, 2006... Byline: Brian Johnson If you have a brilliant idea for updating and improving the state's plumbing code, now is your chance to act. The Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry, which oversees the state's plumbing code, is asking for...

Construction firms tapping Web for workers.
November 7, 2006... Byline: Adam Johnson Having trouble finding the workers you need? As the construction industry races to keep up with the pace of technology, filling open jobs in a smart, timely way now has less to do with where you are than where you...

MN Department of Employment and Economic Development awards $8.3 million for infrastructure projects.
November 7, 2006... Byline: Finance and Commerce Staff The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development has awarded more than $8.3 million to 21 Minnesota cities to help pay for the capital costs of public infrastructure. The grants require a 50...

Kraus-Anderson Construction Co. of Minneapolis recognized for efforts to hire disabled.
November 7, 2006... Byline: Finance and Commerce Staff Kraus-Anderson Construction Co. of Minneapolis has been named "Large Metro Employer of the Year" by the job placement and development division of the Minnesota Rehabilitation Association. Justina...

Owatonna-based Viracon works to attract minority employees.
November 7, 2006... Byline: Finance and Commerce Staff The Minnesota Job Skills Partnership has awarded Riverland Community College of Owatonna a $284,164 grant to help recruit and train minority employees at Viracon Inc., an Owatonna-based firm that...

MN-based Schoell Madson names engineering manager.
November 7, 2006... Byline: Finance and Commerce Staff Jay Hill has been promoted to manager of the engineering department at the Schoell Madson planning, engineering and surveying firm. Hill, who has more than 20 years of experience, has been a senior project...

Minnesota-based M.A. Mortenson Co. positioned for hotel recovery.
November 9, 2006... Byline: Mark Anderson The hotel boom has been good to M.A. Mortenson Co. The Golden Valley-based builder of office towers, museums and stadiums has also established a solid reputation over the past 30 years as a hotel builder and...

$50 million project in Eden Prairie proposed.
November 9, 2006... Byline: Burl Gilyard Eden Prairie-based Solomon Real Estate Group has submitted plans to the city of Eden Prairie for Windsor Plaza, a mixed-use project combining 100,000 square feet of Class A office space with 50,000 square feet of...

Design center in St. Paul will give the community a voice in development planning.
November 9, 2006... Byline: Bill Clements When it comes to transit-oriented development along University Avenue in St. Paul, Linda Winsor points to two projects that she considers objectionable -- the SuperTarget at Hamline Avenue and the Aldi development at...

CB Richard Ellis, Trammell Crow deal has ripples in Twin Cities.
November 9, 2006... Byline: Burl Gilyard On Halloween, Los Angeles-based CB Richard Ellis Group Inc. announced a $2.2 billion deal to buy Dallas-based Trammell Crow Co., creating the first real estate firm large enough to be listed on the Fortune 500. The...

Minneapolis-based Navigator Real Estate Group finds plenty of interest from lenders.
November 9, 2006... Byline: Mark Anderson Navigator Real Estate Group's acquisition of International Plaza in Bloomington in September was the largest building the one-year-old real estate company had ever purchased -- with by far the biggest mortgage. ...

Voiceworks Recording Studios Inc. to merge with another firm and relocate in downtown Minneapolis.
November 9, 2006... Byline: Bob Geiger After nearly three decades on the 28th floor of the Foshay Tower, Voiceworks Recording Studios Inc. plans to merge with another audio production firm at the Lumber Exchange Building in downtown Minneapolis. Voiceworks,...

Van Dusen mansion in south Minneapolis listed on eBay.
November 9, 2006... Byline: Burl Gilyard The iconic Van Dusen mansion in south Minneapolis has been on the market for more than three years but has yet to find a buyer. Now the owners are trying something new. On Wednesday, the historic manse hit eBay, the...

Minnetonka-based Carlson Real Estate Co. acquires industrial properties in Charlotte, NC.
November 9, 2006... Byline: Finance and Commerce Staff Minnetonka-based Carlson Real Estate Co. has acquired a 730,000-square-foot flex and industrial portfolio in Charlotte, N.C. The properties, previously owned by AMB Property Corp. and its affiliates,...

Minneapolis-based Griffin Cos. complete three lease deals.
November 9, 2006... Byline: Finance and Commerce Staff Minneapolis-based Griffin Cos. recently completed three lease deals. In one transaction, Griffin's Cory Miller represented Golden Oval Eggs in its sublease for 4,359 square feet of office space at 15650...

CRESA exec named to University of Minnesota "M" Club Hall of Fame.
November 9, 2006... Byline: Finance and Commerce Staff Suzanne (Roell) Grimm, a senior adviser at the Twin Cities office of CRESA Partners, has been inducted into the University of Minnesota "M" Club Hall of Fame. Grimm was a member of eight Big 10 champion...

Minnesota Shopping Center Association sets annual awards event.
November 9, 2006... Byline: Finance and Commerce Staff The Minnesota Shopping Center Association will present its annual STARR awards on Tuesday, Dec. 5. The event will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Golden Valley Country Club, 7001 Golden Valley Road. Awards...

MN chapter of National Association of Industrial and Office Properties to review industrial market.
November 9, 2006... Byline: Finance and Commerce Staff The next meeting of the Minnesota chapter of the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties will examine the industrial commercial real estate market in the Twin Cities. The event is planned...

Minneapolis-based Sherman Associates wins adaptive reuse award.
November 9, 2006... Byline: Finance and Commerce Staff Minneapolis-based Sherman Associates has been recognized by Multifamily Executive magazine for its Chicago Lofts and Midtown Exchange Apartments project in Minneapolis. The Lake Street complex was named...

Minneapolis-based Upland Real Estate Group finishes deal for local Starbucks.
November 9, 2006... Byline: Finance and Commerce Staff Minneapolis-based Upland Real Estate Group Inc. brokered a deal for a Starbucks coffee shop in West St. Paul for $1.9 million. The 1,850-square-foot, single-tenant, net-leased investment property was sold...

It's a 'brand' new world.
November 11, 2006... Byline: Michelle Lore You're a business executive walking through the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport mulling a potential lawsuit against a competitor. But who, you wonder, has the expertise and creativity to take on such a...

Minnesota Marketing Briefs: November 11, 2006.
November 11, 2006... Byline: Bob Geiger A TV ad for Jack Link's that pictures impish outdoorsmen putting shaving cream in the palm of a napping Big Foot-like creature took top honors Friday evening during ceremonies honoring the best ads by Twin Cities...

Golden Valley-based Knutson Construction names new director.
November 14, 2006... Byline: F&C Staff Knutson Construction Services Inc. of Golden Valley has named Robert Gardner director of corporate services. Gardner has 15 years of industry experience, previously working at RJM Construction in Minneapolis and DPR...

Minnesota ABC to mark its 30th anniversary at event.
November 14, 2006... Byline: F&C Staff The Minnesota chapter of Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) will hold its 2006 annual meeting and recognition dinner on Wednesday night. The event will be held at the Sheep Shedde Inn in Olivia, starting with...

Minneapolis-based Kraus-Anderson hires director of operations.
November 14, 2006... Byline: F&C Staff David Kummer is the new director of operations at Minneapolis-based Kraus-Anderson Construction Co. He will work in the company's Circle Pines office. Kummer has 20 years of experience in construction, real estate...

Three are elected to Minneapolis-based Short Elliott Hendrickson Inc. board of directors.
November 14, 2006... Byline: F&C Staff Pete Carlson, Jim Hanson and Mark Lobermeier have been elected to the nine-member board of directors at Short Elliott Hendrickson Inc. (SEH) of Minneapolis. Carlson, who joined the firm in 1994, leads its municipal...

Minnesota subcontractors group offers program on liens.
November 14, 2006... Byline: F&C Staff The Minnesota chapter of the American Subcontractors Association will sponsor a program on liens. "Managing Your Lien Rights, Retainage and Payment" will be held from 8 to 10 a.m. on Thursday, Dec. 7, at the Mendakota...

More questions than answers about construction worker's death in downtown Minneapolis.
November 14, 2006... Byline: Brian Johnson Last week's death of a construction worker at a condominium tower remains under investigation, according to Minnesota OSHA. Arne Fliginger, an ironworker who fell 35 stories from a crane platform near the top of the...

Recap of construction injuries and deaths resulting from falls in Minnesota.
November 14, 2006... Byline: Brian Johnson More than one-third of U.S. construction injuries and deaths stem from falls, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics. The following is a summary of fall-related serious injuries or deaths on Minnesota...

Defying expectations in Minnesota.
November 14, 2006... Byline: Adam Johnson Bryce Larson is 26 years old, and his co-workers at a prominent local construction firm are quick to note the young man's infectious laugh and diligent work ethic. That he has such a job may not sound remarkable, but...

Minnesota transportation advocates enjoy victory, look ahead.
November 14, 2006... Byline: Brian Johnson Minnesota transportation advocates are basking in the glow of a hard-fought victory: passage of a constitutional amendment that will put more money into roads, bridges and transit. But they know that their work isn't...

Minnesota regional airports plan growth despite airline carrier woes.
November 14, 2006... Byline: Adam Johnson Mesaba Airlines may have filed for bankruptcy protection, but several regional Minnesota airports that rely on the carrier are either planning for expansion or have projects under way. Several factors are converging...

Busy year ahead for airport construction in Minnesota.
November 14, 2006... Byline: Adam Johnson Increasing passenger volume and the return of $15 million in state funding in 2008 should drive an increase in airport construction projects. Next year should be busy as well, with more than 300 regional and municipal...

"Green" building councils competitive as movement grows.
November 14, 2006... Byline: Brian Johnson The words "green building" and the acronym "LEED" have become like Ali and Frazier or Dempsey and Tunney. It seems you can't talk about one without mentioning the other. But the U.S. Green Building Council -- an...

St. Paul-based Lawson Software Inc. subleasing space at HQ.
November 16, 2006... Byline: Burl Gilyard St. Paul-based Lawson Software Inc. is giving up a floor of space in the building that bears its name, Lawson Commons. The software firm holds a long-term lease for nine floors of the 13-story tower in downtown St....

Renewal sought for affordable housing in Minnesota.
November 16, 2006... Byline: Mark Anderson With Democrats now holding majorities in both the Minnesota Legislature and the U.S. Congress, housing advocates are hoping to see an end to the steady decline of the last six years in financial support for...

M Flats in Minneapolis hits the ground.
November 16, 2006... Byline: Bob Geiger M Flats, a new condominium project planned near the University of Minnesota campus in Minneapolis, is introducing numerous guerrilla marketing tactics to help promote sales at its 146-unit development. Typical of M...

Undaunted buyer for Mears Park Centre in St. Paul.
November 16, 2006... Byline: Burl Gilyard The Minneapolis-based Sherman Group is jumping the river to buy its first building in St. Paul. Firm owner Ken Sherman said that he has a contract to buy the vacant Mears Park Centre in the Lowertown neighborhood...

Bystrom Bros. site in south Minneapolis has TOD future.
November 16, 2006... Byline: Burl Gilyard The Bystrom Brothers industrial site in south Minneapolis has moved one important step closer to becoming a new fangled, mixed-use redevelopment. On Tuesday afternoon, the Hennepin County Housing and Redevelopment...

Bloomington-based Welsh Invest is expanding horizons.
November 16, 2006... Byline: Mark Anderson Bloomington-based Welsh Invest is winding down a busy half-year of acquisitions with a closing this week on a $25 million package of five properties. The properties include one office building in Charleston, S.C., and...

St. Paul's Commerce Building to get residential.
November 16, 2006... Byline: Burl Gilyard St. Paul-based nonprofit CommonBond Communities is hammering out a deal to convert the top half of the Commerce Building in downtown St. Paul into affordable housing units. The Class C building at 8 East 4th St....

Commuter Choice Awards 2006 honors Twin Cities companies, individuals.
November 16, 2006... Byline: Finance & Commerce Staff Metro Transit and regional transportation management organizations (TMOs) this week honored 10 companies and individuals in the Twin Cities with their Commuter Choice awards for developing successful...

Merger grows Edina Realty's Becker office.
November 16, 2006... Byline: Finance & Commerce Staff The Becker office of Edina Realty is expanding from 17 agents to 25, thanks to the addition of most of the staff from the former Becker office of Platinum Realty, Inc. Jeff Shuman, Edina Realty Becker office...

Baseball firm chooses Brooklyn Park.
November 16, 2006... Byline: Finance & Commerce Staff Extra Innings, a Middleton, Mass.-based indoor baseball and softball training facility company, will open its first Minnesota franchise at Crosstown North Business Center 10 in Brooklyn Park. The firm is...

Maple Grove-based Hempel Properties hires VP of development.
November 16, 2006... Byline: Finance & Commerce Staff Maple Grove-based Hempel Properties has hired Tony Kuechle to serve as vice president of development. Kuechle's focus at Hempel will be to structure office and industrial developments, both land and existing...

Minneapolis-based Ryan Companies earns preservation award.
November 16, 2006... Byline: Finance & Commerce Staff The National Trust for Historic Preservation has honored Minneapolis-based Ryan Companies for its work to preserve and transform the former Sears store in South Minneapolis into the mixed-use Midtown...

Bloomington-based United Properties adds Hicks.
November 16, 2006... Byline: Finance & Commerce Staff Bloomington-based United Properties has hired JoAnna Hicks as a project manager in its development division. Hicks will focus on mixed-use development, infill development and historic redevelopment...

Fridley-based apartment owner is in search of Oz.
November 18, 2006... Byline: Bob Geiger Fridley-based apartment owner and management firm Filister Enterprises is going to Oz in search of its marketing identity. Yes Oz, as in the 1939 Warner Brothers film classic "The Wizard of Oz." Filister Enterprises,...

Latest exodus is part of changes at Minneapolis ad firm.
November 18, 2006... Byline: Bob Geiger For the second consecutive year, Minneapolis ad agency Carmichael Lynch staff who helped create Best of Show-winning ads have left the agency to take jobs elsewhere. On Friday, rival Minneapolis agency Martin/Williams...

Holiday spending to rise 1.2 percent, study says.
November 18, 2006... Byline: Finance & Commerce Staff Per-household holiday spending for 2006 is projected to increase by 1.2 percent to $758, according to the fifth annual holiday spending study conducted by marketing professors at St. Paul's University of...

Minnesota road projects gain ground.
November 21, 2006... Byline: Brian Johnson When planned improvements to Highway 36 are completed in the east metro area, the four-lane roadway will be safer and traffic will flow more freely, according to the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT)....

'Unweave' project likely to frustrate Minnesota commuters.
November 21, 2006... Byline: Adam Johnson Traffic delays plagued late-night drivers last week as they inched along a northbound stretch of Interstate 35E in Vadnais Heights. But that was only a small taste of what is in store for drivers as the massive...

Cedar Point Commons born out of airport expansion concerns.
November 21, 2006... Byline: Adam Johnson Officials from Ryan Companies US and the city of Richfield broke ground on a 30-acre commercial redevelopment project last Thursday, the first phase of a Cedar Avenue Corridor Redevelopment Master Plan. With an...

Minnesota entrepreneurs partner with Cleveland Cliffs, Inc. to form Cliffs Natural Stone.
November 21, 2006... Byline: Todd Messelt When the bankrupt LTV Steel Co. closed its Hoyt Lakes taconite mining operations about six years ago, more than 1,400 people lost their jobs. The closure ended a 43-year run for the mine and dealt a heavy economic...

School construction wins big in Chaska district.
November 21, 2006... Byline: Brian Johnson Politicians weren't the only winners and losers in the recent elections. Some major school construction was also on the line, including a $93 million project in the Chaska School District. The fate of the project...

Bor-Son Construction gets contract for senior housing project in Minneapolis.
November 21, 2006... Byline: Finance and Commerce Staff Bor-Son Construction, Inc. has been awarded a contract for construction of a new 59-unit senior rental apartment facility for St. Anne's Community Development Corporation on Minneapolis' North Side. The...

Grand Marais renovation snags honor from National Commercial Builders Council.
November 21, 2006... Byline: Finance and Commerce Staff The renovation of East Bay Suites in Grand Marais has won an Honorable Mention in the 2007 Awards of Excellence competition of the National Commercial Builders Council (NCBC) of the National Association...

KKE Architects updates a classic, wins Preservation Alliance of Minnesota's Adaptive Reuse Award.
November 21, 2006... Byline: Finance and Commerce Staff KKE Architects, Inc.'s restoration and updating of the Liberty Frozen Custard building at 5401 Nicollet Avenue in Minneapolis has been honored with the Preservation Alliance of Minnesota's 2006 Adaptive...

Short Elliott Hendrickson Inc. increases its urban design staff.
November 21, 2006... Byline: Finance and Commerce Staff Short Elliott Hendrickson Inc. has hired Michael Darrow as an urban planner/project manager in the Urban Design Group. Darrow will provide urban planning services to clients, manage and prepare...

Two Twin Cities firms win big at annual remodeling awards.
November 21, 2006... Byline: Finance and Commerce Staff Fourteen Twin Cities' remodeling firms were honored in 20 categories last week at the 2006 Contractor of the Year awards, the annual ceremony presented by the Minnesota chapter of the National Association...

Minnesota Twins announce firms to design, build new ballpark.
November 21, 2006... Byline: Adam Johnson The Minnesota Twins announced Friday the companies that will conduct the major design and construction work on the team's new ballpark. In a surprise to no one, Minneapolis-based M.A. Mortenson Company has been...

Housing slowdown hurts some in the Twin Cities, which helps others.
November 24, 2006... Byline: Mark Anderson This won't surprise many: It was the swoon in the new housing market that forced developer Schafer Richardson to recalibrate its plans for a major Eagan redevelopment and possibly lose its rights to lead the project....

Twin Cities builders respond to 'wait-and- seeyndrome'.
November 24, 2006... Byline: Bob Geiger It's a perfect time to buy a house. Really. As bad news continues to pile up on residential developers' doorsteps each month, prospective buyers are being offered cash rebates, freebies and other incentives to purchase...

National Assn. of Industrial and Office Properties report reveals slow progress in office market.
November 24, 2006... Byline: Burl Gilyard The latest office market numbers show continued absorption and declining vacancy, but local brokers aren't doing cartwheels just yet. "We're still a long way from the healthy market we enjoyed in the late '90s," said...

Borton Automotive to expand its Minneapolis commercial real estate holdings.
November 24, 2006... Byline: Bob Geiger Borton Automotive plans to expand its Minneapolis commercial real estate holdings by acquiring the 0.48-acre site of a Sinclair Oil Corp. gas station just south of the auto dealer's main parking lot at 5428 Lyndale Ave....

Thrivent Financial for Lutherans is oldest and largest institutional real estate lender in Twin Citi.
November 24, 2006... Byline: Mark Anderson It's the Thanksgiving season, a tradition-steeped time of the year, and a good time to visit with a real estate lender that's emblematic of an older, evergreen Twin Cities business scene, Thrivent Financial for...