Finance and Commerce Daily Newspaper, MN articles from October 2005

Finance and Commerce Daily Newspaper, MN archives from October 2005

MN Marketing Briefs: October 1, 2005.
October 1, 2005... Byline: Bob Geiger Seventy-two years after hiring Minneapolis ad agency Campbell Mithun (CM), Bayport-based Andersen Corp. is considering increasing the number of agencies that help market its products. An industry observer, who spoke...

Reckford receives a Habitat for Humanity International baptism by hurricane.
October 3, 2005... Byline: Bill Clements Jonathan Reckford had his first three months as CEO of Habitat for Humanity International all planned out. Scheduled to start his new job Sept. 12, Reckford was going to travel across the country and throughout...

Alternatives to design-bid-build gaining momentum.
October 4, 2005... Byline: Brian Johnson The city of Oakdale went out on a limb a few years back when it built a new fire station. Instead of using the tried-and-true design-bid-build project delivery method, city officials opted for a less common approach...

Concert hall quality: Coming soon to a home theater near you.
October 4, 2005... Byline: Mary Medland (This article originally appeared in the Baltimore Daily Record, Baltimore, MD, another Dolan Media publication.) Delbert Adams, president and co-owner of Baltimore-based Ilex Construction, knows about constructing...

Milwaukee development committee approves plan for Potawatomi casino expansion.
October 4, 2005... Byline: Sean Ryan (This article originally appeared in the Daily Reporter, Milwaukee, WI, another Dolan Media publication.) If everything goes according to plan for the Potawatomi, they could break ground on a $240 million casino...

The dome home: energy efficient, disaster resistant.
October 4, 2005... Byline: Marylou Doehrman (This article originally appeared in the Colorado Springs Business Journal, Colorado Springs, CO, another Dolan Media publication.) When Hurricane Katrina whipped through Delisle, Miss., the Category 5 storm...

Minnesota architects set 71st state convention.
October 4, 2005... Byline: F & C Staff The Minnesota chapter of the American Institute of Architects will hold its 71st annual convention and exposition at the Minneapolis Convention Center from Tuesday through Friday, Nov. 15-18. The theme of the...

JLG architect wins award from North Dakota chapter of American Institute of Architects.
October 4, 2005... Byline: F & C Staff Randy Lieberg of Grand Forks, N.D., based JLG Architects has been named Intern Architect of the Year by the North Dakota chapter of the American Institute of Architects. Lieberg has helped design several projects in...

Minneapolis accountant contributes to construction financial book.
October 4, 2005... Byline: F & C Staff Todd Taggart, a partner at the Minneapolis office of the Grant Thornton accounting firm, helped write the 17th edition of Financial Management & Accounting for the Construction Industry. Taggart authored a complete...

Seminar for builders and developers set for Oct. 26 in St. Paul.
October 4, 2005... Byline: F & C Staff New development in the Twin Cities will be among the topics addressed at a seminar for builders and developers at the Town and Country Club in St. Paul on Wednesday, Oct. 26. The keynote presenters will be Roger...

Chicago-based First Industrial Realty Trust now controls the most Minneapolis-area property.
October 6, 2005... Byline: Burl Gilyard In the wake of a national mega-deal between two large industrial REITS, Chicago-based First Industrial Realty Trust now controls more local property than any other REIT. First Industrial and the California State...

Twin Cities hotel market awakes from four-year slumber.
October 6, 2005... Byline: Mark Anderson Improving fortunes for Twin Cities hotel owners could help power a new wave of hotel development. GVA Marquette's semi-annual hotel report late last month said that almost 72 percent of Twin Cities hotel rooms...

Skyscape condo project in Minneapolis shifts gears with new ad campaign.
October 6, 2005... Byline: Bob Geiger Call it the height of hot with family values. Responding to wishes by future residents of the 27-story Skyscape condo project to be near parents or grandparents, Chicago-based Tandem Developers LLC has formed a...

United Properties to develop office building for C.H. Robinson Worldwide in Eden Prairie.
October 6, 2005... Byline: Burl Gilyard United Properties of Bloomington has the green light to develop a new 150,000-square-foot, build-to-suit office building for C.H. Robinson Worldwide Inc. in Eden Prairie. Plans for the project were approved by the...

CW Lofts project in northeast Minneapolis misses deadline for removing banners.
October 6, 2005... Byline: Bob Geiger What initially was a promotion for the CW Lofts project in northeast Minneapolis could translate into fines if Trio Development LLC doesn't remove advertising banners from the historic building. Mike Brady, principal...

Minneapolis-area traditional malls work to remain vibrant.
October 6, 2005... Byline: Burl Gilyard In the era of the lifestyle center, aging regional malls anchored by traditional department stores are sometimes viewed as retail dinosaurs. At the monthly meeting of the Minnesota Shopping Center Association on...

Burnsville Mayor Elizabeth Kautz balances roles as politician, developer.
October 6, 2005... Byline: Bill Clements Elizabeth Kautz likes to talk, and she's good at it: eloquent, passionate, informed. As mayor of Burnsville and executive vice president at Eden Prairie-based Hartford Development Group Inc., Kautz gets many...

Boston Scientific Minnesota opens facility in Maple Grove.
October 6, 2005... Byline: F & C Staff Boston Scientific Corp. has opened a 152,000-square-foot cardiovascular research and development facility in Maple Grove. The building, which will support more than 500 employees, includes an 11,000-square-foot...

Senior design technician hired by St. Paul-based Howard R. Green Co.
October 6, 2005... Byline: F & C Staff Steven Dehmer has joined Howard R. Green Co. as a senior design technician in the St. Paul transportation group. Dehmer has eight years of experience as an engineering, transportation design and drafting technician....

Two Minneapolis nonprofits partner on suburban housing project.
October 6, 2005... Byline: F & C Staff Two Minneapolis nonprofits are planning a collaborative effort to preserve affordable housing in the suburban Twin Cities. Affordable housing developer Central Community Housing Trust (CCHT) and HOME Line, a tenant...

Hempel Properties of Plymouth buys St. Paul condo redevelopment.
October 6, 2005... Byline: F & C Staff Hempel Properties of Plymouth has closed on the purchase of River Park Lofts, a 120-unit loft-style condominium redevelopment at 245 Sixth St. E. in downtown St. Paul. Hempel bought the project from GMT Corp. of St....

Grain Belt Brewhouse project in northeast Minneapolis wins national award.
October 6, 2005... Byline: F & C Staff The Grain Belt Brewhouse redevelopment project in northeast Minneapolis has captured a 2005 Preservation Award from the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The award was one of 22 presented recently by the...

DFLers flocking to the 2006 governor's race.
October 7, 2005... Byline: Charley Shaw (This article originally ran in the St. Paul Legal Ledger, St. Paul MN., another Dolan Media publication).The DFL field for the governor's race is becoming increasingly crowded. Four candidates have already...

Mayor tells New Orleans business community city can, will be rebuilt.
October 7, 2005... Byline: Deon Roberts (This article was originally published in New Orleans CityBusiness, New Orleans, LA, another Dolan Media publication.) In a strongly worded speech Thursday at the "Back to Business" conference at the Sheraton...

MN Marketing Briefs: October 8, 2005.
October 8, 2005... Byline: Bob Geiger Best of Show remains a secret and complete results aren't in yet, but Minneapolis firm Carmichael Lynch again will take home the most awards from the ad industry's creative fall classic. The Minneapolis ad agency,...

'Routine' bridge repair project in Stillwater proves to be anything but.
October 11, 2005... Byline: Brian Johnson The $5 million Stillwater lift bridge refurbishment is straightforward in many ways: a new concrete deck here, a fresh coat of paint there, repairs to the lift station. But don't call it routine. "There's...

Funding approved for $56.9 million project at UW-Madison.
October 11, 2005... Byline: Paul Snyder (This story originally was published in The Daily Reporter, Milwaukee, WI, another Dolan Media publication.) The State Building Commission has approved the release of $56.9 million for a major University of...

Experts disagree on whether green construction costs more.
October 11, 2005... Byline: Alison Ryan (This story was originally published in the Daily Journal of Commerce, Portland, OR, another Dolan Media publication.) Even as the word LEED becomes synonymous with green building, discussion over whether it...

Oft-ridiculed Portland building may get an eco-roof.
October 11, 2005... Byline: Alison Ryan (This article was originally published in the Daily Journal of Commerce, Portland, OR, another Dolan Media publication.) A 15,000-square-foot green roof planned for the top of Michael Graves' iconic Portland...

Contests, smorgasbords and Highway 212: A media odyssey.
October 11, 2005... Byline: Brian Johnson The long-awaited Highway 212 project has given community newspapers a lot to write about over the years, adding to the regular coverage of radio station contests, church smorgasbords and PTA meetings. Crews are...

Minneapolis Builders Exchange presents $12,000 in scholarships.
October 11, 2005... Byline: F & C Staff The Minneapolis Builders Exchange awarded six $2,000 scholarships to college students who are studying for careers in the construction industry. They are: * Dan Brenteson, Becker, who is studying engineering at...

Minneapolis-based Shea Inc. adds three to architecture and interiors group.
October 11, 2005... Byline: F & C Staff Shea Inc., a Minneapolis-based marketing and design firm, has added three employees to its architecture and interiors group. Cori Kuechenmeister, who was hired as an interior designer, has a bachelor of fine arts...

Minneapolis-based Kraus-Anderson Construction Co. promotes three executives.
October 11, 2005... Byline: F & C Staff Three veteran executives - Gary Hook, Al Gerhardt and Dave Mervin - have each been promoted to executive vice president at Minneapolis-based Kraus-Anderson Construction Co. Officials said the moves are part of a...

Two principals named at St. Paul-based BWBR Architects.
October 11, 2005... Byline: F & C Staff Richard Dahl and Katherine Leonidas have been named principals at St. Paul-based BWBR Architects. Dahl joined the firm in 1988 and has been an associate since 1991. He specializes in the design of health-care...

Highway 212: A lesson in patience.
October 11, 2005... Byline: Brian Johnson The Minnesota Department of Transportation is using a four-word slogan to promote the Highway 212 road construction project: "Sooner than you think." Cynics might be tempted to pare it down to three words: "It's...

Anoka, MN, poised for downtown redevelopment.
October 13, 2005... Byline: Burl Gilyard The city of Anoka is shopping 7 acres near its downtown for redevelopment. Proposals for parcels in what's been dubbed the North Central Business District are due Oct. 24. Unlike many suburban cities, Anoka already...

Ham Lake project pits city against environmental group.
October 13, 2005... Byline: Bill Clements The controversy roiling over a proposed 362-acre residential development in Ham Lake boils down to property values. And lot size - that is, the bigger the lot, the higher the value of the property. It's a...

Building Owners and Managers Assn. documents an improving downtown St. Paul office market.
October 13, 2005... Byline: Burl Gilyard Greater St. Paul BOMA (Building Owners & Managers Association) finally had some good news to offer its members on Monday. Competitive downtown St. Paul office buildings absorbed more than 300,000 square feet of space...

Minneapolis-based PariPassu nears $21M deal on office complex in Wayzata.
October 13, 2005... Byline: Mark Anderson One of the Twin Cities' newest real estate firms, Minneapolis-based PariPassu, is set to complete its first major deal this week when it acquires the 104,000-square-foot Wayzata Executive Center. Tom Gump, one of...

Condo ads get creative as Twin Cities market heats up.
October 13, 2005... Byline: Bob Geiger So many condos. So many special offers. In marketing campaigns that are beginning to resemble end-of-the-year car advertising, some Twin Cities condominium developers and financial services companies are trying new...

2005 Twin Cities Loft & Condo Living Tour returns, but twice as large.
October 13, 2005... Byline: Bob Geiger Get your passports ready. It's that time of year again. One year after the first Twin Cities Loft Living Tour, organizers have more than doubled the sites on the tour this year and have altered the name of the event...

Legal dispute continues over McCarthy farm in Eagan, MN.
October 13, 2005... Byline: Bill Clements The legal wrangling continues over the ownership status of about 60 acres of the undeveloped 134-acre McCarthy farm in the green middle of Eagan. Both sides in the long-running saga say they are tired of the case...

Minneapolis-based contractor Kraus-Anderson shifted into overdrive on Cabela's project.
October 13, 2005... Byline: Brian Johnson The Guinness Book of World Records doesn't have a listing for "fastest construction of a Cabela's store." If it did, a possible winner would be Minneapolis-based general contractor Kraus-Anderson Construction Co....

Elevator code is subject of St. Paul Building Owners & Managers Assn. class.
October 13, 2005... Byline: F & C Staff The St. Paul chapter of the Building Owners & Managers Association is sponsoring a class on the new national code for building elevators. The class, set for 8:30 to 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 18, at 101 E. Fifth St....

Luncheon features Building Owners & Managers Association international chair.
October 13, 2005... Byline: F & C Staff David Hewett, international chair of the Building Owners & Managers Association, will be the featured speaker at the next luncheon meeting of Greater Minneapolis BOMA. The event will be held Thursday, Oct. 20, at...

Four manufacturing facilities sprouting in Twin Cities suburb.
October 13, 2005... Byline: F & C Staff Officials have either broken ground or soon will on four manufacturing facilities in Elk River, a northwestern suburb in the Twin Cities metropolitan area. The latest groundbreaking is set for today for an...

Plymouth mall signs two tenants to 10-year deals.
October 13, 2005... Byline: F & C Staff Two new anchor tenants have signed long-term leases at the Four Seasons Mall at Highway 169 and Rockford Road in Plymouth. PROSOURCE Educational Services Inc. signed a lease for 8,365 square feet, while Fresh and...

Minneapolis office of Colliers Turley Martin Tucker named leasing agent for Hyatt space.
October 13, 2005... Byline: F & C Staff Loring Park Associates has retained the Minneapolis office of Colliers Turley Martin Tucker to manage the leasing of 94,000 square feet of office space at the Hyatt hotel, 1300 Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis. ...

Buss named senior vice president at Bloomington office of CB Richard Ellis.
October 13, 2005... Byline: F & C Staff Steven Buss has been promoted to senior vice president at the Bloomington office of CB Richard Ellis. Buss, who has been with the firm for 10 years, specializes in the sale of industrial and office properties. ...

Langer Real Estate plans grand opening for Phalen complex in St. Paul.
October 13, 2005... Byline: F & C Staff A grand opening has been set for next Thursday, Oct. 20, for the Phalen+Westminster Crossing office/warehouse condominium project in St. Paul. The 11-unit, 67,000-square-foot complex, at 521-563 Phalen Blvd. in the...

Bloomington-based United Properties adds five to corporate real estate staff.
October 13, 2005... Byline: F & C Staff Five people have joined the corporate real estate services staff at Bloomington-based United Properties. Scott Murphy was named director of corporate business development. He will be in charge of helping clients...

Sale price for the Campbell Mithun Tower in downtown Minneapolis was $96.5M.
October 13, 2005... Byline: F & C Staff The sale price for the Campbell Mithun Tower has surfaced through public records: $96.5 million. Last month, Des Moines-based Principal Real Estate Investors closed on the downtown Minneapolis building, but declined...

Three specialists hired at Braun Intertec of Bloomington, MN.
October 13, 2005... Byline: F & C Staff Matt Anderson, Matthew Glisson and Keith Alfonsi have joined the staff of Braun Intertec of Bloomington. Anderson, a roofing specialist, was hired as project manager in the company's building sciences group. He will...

Key phase of Brooklyn Park project gets city approval.
October 13, 2005... Byline: Mark Anderson The Beard Group and Ryland Homes won city approval on Oct. 3 to start a major stage in the campaign to redevelop one of Brooklyn Park's long-in-the-tooth commercial corridors. The development partners will begin...

Minneapolis lender finds that risk is a part of doing business on the Gulf Coast.
October 13, 2005... Byline: Mark Anderson Minneapolis-based commercial lender Marshall BankFirst (formerly the Marshall Group), has grown by leaps and bounds in the last three years, fueled in large part by its loans to Gulf Coast resort, condo and casino...

Commentary: Things are finally looking up - no, really.
October 13, 2005... Byline: Burl Gilyard I started covering commercial real estate about 1 1/2 years ago for Finance and Commerce. Since then, I've been to a healthy share of local industry events such as last Thursday's 11th Annual Twin Cities Commercial...

Eden Prairie-based Northstar charts improving commercial markets.
October 13, 2005... Byline: Burl Gilyard Eden Prairie-based Northstar Partners released a market report that underscores the continuing trend of gains in the office, industrial and retail markets. Northstar reports overall office vacancy of 19 percent...

Commentary: No asset class - including real estate - rises without corrections.
October 14, 2005... Byline: David Clogg (This article was originally published in The Daily Record, Baltimore, Md., another Dolan Media publication). Since everyone else is talking about it, I guess I may as well offer my thoughts on the pending real estate...

Milwaukee hopes to learn from Cleveland.
October 14, 2005... Byline: Sean Ryan (This article was originally published in The Daily Reporter, Milwaukee, Wis., another Dolan Media publication.) The Greater Milwaukee Committee is hoping southeastern Wisconsin can learn something from Cleveland. ...

New Orleans shopping malls show signs of life.
October 14, 2005... Byline: April Capochino (This article was originally published in New Orleans CityBusiness, another Dolan Media publication). Don't worry about Christmas shopping just yet. As the region continues to recover from Hurricane Katrina,...

Casino closures deal Louisiana state budget a bad hand.
October 14, 2005... Byline: April Capochino (This article was originally published in New Orleans CityBusiness, New Orleans, La., another Dolan Media publication.) Harrah's casino executive John Payne is suddenly like a man without a country. Payne,...

MN Marketing Briefs: October 15, 2005.
October 15, 2005... Byline: Bob Geiger A 30-second TV ad for St. Louis financial services firm A.G. Edwards picturing huge eggs won best of show Friday night for Minneapolis ad agency Carmichael Lynch, which dominated the annual local creative advertising...

MN construction group offers site visits to Guthrie Theater project.
October 18, 2005... Byline: Finance and Commerce Staff The Minnesota Construction Association will sponsor two site visits to the new Guthrie Theater, 818 Second St. S., in downtown Minneapolis on Friday. Openings are still available for a tour from 3:30...

Seven employees join Minneapolis-based BKV Group architectural firm.
October 18, 2005... Byline: Finance and Commerce Staff BKV Group, a Minneapolis-based architectural, interior design and engineering firm, has hired seven new employees. They include Adam Jonas, intern architect; Benjamin Braun, project architect; Daniel...

Mill Trace project under way in Marcy-Holmes neighborhood of Minneapolis.
October 18, 2005... Byline: staff Construction has started on Mill Trace Condominiums in the Marcy-Holmes neighborhood of southeast Minneapolis. The units, at 619 Eighth St. S.E., are being marketed by Coldwell Banker Burnet. Reservations have been...

Four senior vice presidents named at Kraus-Anderson Construction of Minneapolis.
October 18, 2005... Byline: Finance and Commerce Staff Rich Jacobson, Mark Coudron, Doug Jandro and Gordy Ziegelman have been named senior vice presidents at Kraus-Anderson Construction Co. of Minneapolis. Jacobson joined Kraus-Anderson in 1992 as a...

Camp Randall Stadium at University of Wisconsin-Madison may have home field advantage.
October 18, 2005... Byline: Paul Snyder (This story previously appeared in the Daily Reporter, Milwaukee, WI, another Dolan Media publication.) The University of Wisconsin-Madison began coming up with concepts for a revitalized Camp Randall Stadium as far...

'Road diet' concept eliminates unnecessary lanes, thereby improving street livability.
October 18, 2005... Byline: Alison Ryan (This story previously appeared in Portland, Ore., Daily Journal of Commerce, another Dolan Media publication.) It's not a case of roads being unable to do the top button on their favorite jeans: The "road diet" is...

Commentary: Bush blunders by suspending contractor rules in New Orleans.
October 18, 2005... Byline: Terry O'Connor (This commentary previously appeared in New Orleans CityBusiness, another Dolan Media publication.) President George W. Bush is making the same big mistake after Hurricane Katrina that his father did after...

Roundabout trend picks up speed in Minnesota.
October 18, 2005... Byline: Brian Johnson State and local transportation officials are taking a circuitous approach to improving safety at busy intersections. Roundabouts - circular intersections designed to increase safety and expedite traffic without...

Stillwater lift bridge contractor specializes in straightening structural steel.
October 18, 2005... Byline: Brian Johnson A small West Coast company with an unusual niche has been putting the heat on the Stillwater lift bridge. Flame On - a Snohomish, Wash.-based business that specializes in repairing bent steel frames on bridges,...

Minneapolis-based KKE Architects gets another job at Stillwater Prison.
October 18, 2005... Byline: Brian Johnson KKE Architects is leaving its mark on the Big House. Last year, the Minneapolis-based design firm oversaw a handful of projects at Stillwater Prison in Bayport, including perimeter wall repairs, guard tower...

Increasingly, hotels roll out the red carpet for canines.
October 19, 2005... Byline: Kara Kridler (This story was originally published in the Daily Record, Baltimore, Md., another Dolan Media publication.) It seems the 21st century may be the age of the dog. Every magazine is seemingly laden with pictures...

Groups say Minnesotans oppose oil drilling in arctic Alaska.
October 19, 2005... Byline: Charley Shaw This article was originally published in the St. Paul Legal Ledger, St. Paul, Minn., another Dolan Media publication.) A couple of Minnesota environmental groups released the results of a survey last week that...

Developer threatens to scrap project in St. Paul if new 'bus barn' is built nearby.
October 20, 2005... Byline: Bill Clements If a new St. Paul bus barn is approved for 807 Hampden Ave., a developer is threatening to abandon part of a $120 million rental/condo project along nearby University Avenue. "We are vehemently opposed to the...

Twin Cities apartment market inches back.
October 20, 2005... Byline: Burl Gilyard Vacancy rates in Twin Cities apartments continue to fall, and it is music to the ears of apartment building owners and investors. GVA Marquette Advisors reports third quarter rental vacancies at 5.6 percent - down more...

St. Paul's Living Word Church transforms vacant industrial building.
October 20, 2005... Byline: Burl Gilyard St. Paul's Living Word Church was in a seemingly eternal quest for new space. The church wanted ample parking and a new site free of contamination. But meeting those goals while finding a site relatively close to...

Jeweler staying put amid Edina condo project.
October 20, 2005... Byline: Bob Geiger When customers expressed concerns that a condominium development at 50th Street and France Avenue in Edina would force the R.F. Moeller Jeweler store to close, the merchant paid attention. The 54-year-old company...

MN Commercial Real Estate Briefs: October 20, 2005.
October 20, 2005... Byline: Mark Anderson The $68 million financing announced for the Brookdale Mall a few weeks ago was a welcome shot in the arm for the Brooklyn Center shopping center, which has been through a roller-coaster year that includes a near-miss...

Brooklyn Center redevelopment plan getting closer to reality.
October 20, 2005... Byline: Mark Anderson Brooklyn Center's city council sent a task force back to work last month to expand and refine its "smart growth" redevelopment plan for a 92-acre site north of the Brookdale Mall. The eight-member citizens' panel...

MN Marketing Briefs: October 20, 2005.
October 20, 2005... Byline: Burl Gilyard Minneapolis-based Kraus-Anderson Cos. Inc. closed Sept. 23 on the purchase of the Prairie Lakes Corporate Center, a two-building, Class A complex in Eden Prairie with 203,511 square feet. Per public records,...

Development battle flares once again in University-Snelling area of St. Paul.
October 20, 2005... Byline: Bill Clements Community groups and residents in the University-Snelling area of St. Paul are angry over what they see as the city continuing to ignore its own plans for transit-oriented development (TOD) in the heavily trafficked...

Minneapolis-based BKV Group hires intern architect, interior designer.
October 20, 2005... Byline: F & C Staff Two people have joined the BKV Group architectural firm of Minneapolis. Cristiane Franchevich, intern architect, has a bachelor's degree in architecture and urbanism from Catholic University of Goias in Brazil. She...

Building Owners & Managers Association seminar in Minneapolis will focus on customer service.
October 20, 2005... Byline: F & C Staff Customer service in the commercial real estate industry will be the subject of a seminar sponsored by the Building Owners & Managers Association (BOMA) next month. The event will be held Tuesday, Nov. 1, at the...