Finance and Commerce Daily Newspaper, MN articles from October 2007

Finance and Commerce Daily Newspaper, MN archives from October 2007

KKE Architects promotes staff members at its Minneapolis office.
October 2, 2007... Byline: F&C Staff Report KKE Architects has promoted three staff members at its Minneapolis office. Cliff Buikema and Jennifer Anderson-Tuttle are now senior associates with the firm. Buikema will work in KKE's government group, while...

City of Burnsville awards arts center contract to Lund Martin.
October 2, 2007... Byline: F&C Staff Report Lund Martin Construction will build the new performing arts center in Burnsville. Lund Martin submitted a winning bid of $17.12 million for the arts center, which will anchor Burnsville's "Heart of the City"...

Minnesota state Senator Robling considers 'best value' challenge.
October 2, 2007... Byline: Brian Johnson In the wake of the 35W bridge contract award, a state lawmaker says she might work to repeal a new "best value" law that authorizes public entities to award construction contracts based on non-price factors. State...

Former Caterpillar Tractor Co. executive launches 'Sober Corps' in Minneapolis.
October 2, 2007... Byline: Brian Johnson Fred Myers is working on another good cause with a little help from his construction friends. Myers, a tireless former Caterpillar Tractor Co. executive and founder of Rebuild Resources, is spearheading a new...

Commentary: Flatiron Constructors gets a passing grade for PR efforts.
October 2, 2007... Byline: Brian Johnson When it comes to public relations, Flatiron Constructors doesn't take a back seat to anyone. At least that's what a reporter might be led to believe, considering that "public outreach" was one of the "technical"...

Interstate 35W bridge wreckage cleanup in Minneapolis completed.
October 2, 2007... Byline: F&C Staff Report Workers removed the last pieces of the Interstate 35W bridge wreckage last week, setting the stage for construction of a new bridge. The cleanup work was handled by St. Paul-based Carl Bolander & Sons Co. Crews...

Associated General Contractors of Minnesota's fall membership program set for Oct. 4.
October 2, 2007... Byline: F&C Staff Report The Associated General Contractors of Minnesota's fall membership meeting will be held Oct. 4 at the Owatonna Country Club. Featured speaker Mark Ryan, president of Carl Bolander & Sons, will discuss recovery and...

McCleary joins BKV Group as an associate in its Minneapolis office.
October 2, 2007... Byline: F&C Staff Report BKV Group, an architecture, interior design, landscape architecture, engineering and construction administration firm, has hired Cindy McCleary as an associate in its Minneapolis office. McCleary has specialized in...

Twinhome development under way in Hutchinson.
October 2, 2007... Byline: F&C Staff Report Cokato-based Hagen Builders has launched construction on Riverpointe Villas in Hutchinson. The 14-home development will feature twinhomes, with two- and three-bedroom floor plans, in an area just southeast of...

Maple Grove-based FlowSense awarded two new contracts.
October 2, 2007... Byline: F&C Staff Report The U.S. Forest Service has awarded an aquatics lab renovation project to Maple Grove-based FlowSense. FlowSense will remove asbestos, interior walls, cabinetry, flooring, lighting and electrical systems,...

Florida firm designing new Interstate 35W bridge in Minneapolis sees 'bridges as art".
October 2, 2007... Byline: Brian Johnson The Florida firm that will design the new Interstate 35W bridge in Minneapolis doesn't just see concrete and steel when it looks at the fruits of its labor. "Our philosophy is, 'Creating bridges as art,'" said Linda...

DFL calls for special session for 35W funding in Minnesota.
October 3, 2007... Byline: Charley Shaw State legislators received a troubling diagnosis this week about the Minnesota Department of Transportation's (MnDOT) funding needs as it moves forward with the I-35W bridge replacement project. The remedy, a top DFL...

Tinklenberg takes aim at Bachmann in 6th Congressional District race in Minnesota.
October 3, 2007... Byline: Charley Shaw Elwyn Tinklenberg has made clear his strategy to defeat the GOP incumbent in the 6th Congressional District, U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann. Tinklenberg, 57, in making his second bid to win the DFL endorsement in the hotly...

Small firm lawyers in Minnesota who made it 'big'.
October 3, 2007... Byline: Michelle Lore Minneapolis attorney John W. Lundquist recalls a time when he was meeting with a new client and water started dripping from the ceiling over his desk. Apparently the toilet in the upstairs bathroom had overflowed, and...

Profiling the Minnesota Legislature: Sen. Dick Day.
October 3, 2007... Byline: Todd Messelt Republican Sen. Dick Day rarely leaves his colleagues or constituents wondering what's on his mind, and he's not prone to mincing words when it comes to his opinion on public policy. It's a characteristic that gets him...

Profiling the Minnesota Legislature: State Rep. David Bly.
October 3, 2007... Byline: Frank Jossi David Bly knows what it feels like to lose - twice. The DFL representative for 25B, a district ranging from suburban Belle Plaine in the west to collegiate Northfield in the east, lost elections in 2002 by 46 votes and...

Hines REIT buys nine-building industrial portfolio in the Twin Cities.
October 4, 2007... Byline: Mark Anderson A new real estate buyer arrived in the Twin Cities this week, but it's not exactly unfamiliar with the market. Hines Real Estate Investment Trust, the REIT affiliate of the giant Houston-based real estate...

Preservation Alliance of Minnesota presents annual awards.
October 4, 2007... Byline: Finance and Commerce Staff The Malcolm Willey House, a Frank Lloyd Wright creation in Minneapolis, has won the first Charles Nelson Award for Excellence from the Preservation Alliance of Minnesota. The economical and compact...

State officials to protect 51,163 acres of northern Minnesota timber-cutting land.
October 4, 2007... Byline: Charley Shaw State officials on Wednesday announced a $12 million deal to protect 51,163 acres of northern Minnesota timber-cutting land from being subdivided into summer homes. Gov. Tim Pawlenty and northern Minnesota legislators,...

Arrowhead Electrical leases space at Blaine Preserve.
October 4, 2007... Byline: Finance and Commerce Staff Arrowhead Electrical Products Inc. has inked a deal for 50,000 square feet in a new Blaine business park. Arrowhead will anchor a 100,000-square-foot building -- the first structure in the Blaine...

Jazz, preservation in St. Paul.
October 4, 2007... Byline: Finance and Commerce Staff In connection with the National Trust for Historic Preservation's annual conference in St. Paul this week, several community groups are sponsoring Preservation and All That Jazz tonight to honor St....

Mdewakanton Sioux give $50K grant.
October 4, 2007... Byline: Finance and Commerce Staff The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community awarded a $50,000 grant to an organization that recruits and trains American Indians to participate in the political process. The Tulsa, Okla.-based Indigenous...

CTMT to market Union Square in Anoka.
October 4, 2007... Byline: Finance and Commerce Staff The spot in Anoka where the Union Army enlisted the first Minnesotan into military service during the Civil War will soon become a 12,000-square-foot strip retail center called Union Square....

Knudsen elected president of Minneapolis Area Association of Realtors.
October 4, 2007... Byline: Finance and Commerce Staff Kevin Knudsen, vice president of the Minneapolis South office of Coldwell Banker Burnet, has been elected 2008 president of the Minneapolis Area Association of Realtors (MAAR). A 25-year member of MAAR,...

Bloomington-based United Properties adds medical office specialist.
October 4, 2007... Byline: Finance and Commerce Staff Bloomington-based United Properties has hired medical office leasing and marketing specialist Julie Yeazle as a senior associate. Yeazle, who has more than 20 years of experience in commercial real estate...

Test.
October 4, 2007... Byline: Christopher Thompson Test

Minneapolis professionals warned of bad subprime loans, possible foreclosures way back in 2000.
October 4, 2007... Byline: Bill Clements Veronica (Rony) Davis and Glennis TerWisscha aren't clairvoyant; they don't even claim particularly acute prognostication skills. But from their base in the Jordan neighborhood of north Minneapolis, Davis and...

Study shows that high-cost lending was targeted toward the minority communities in Twin Cities.
October 4, 2007... Byline: Bill Clements When Jeff Crump released his first report in late 2004 on the connection between subprime loans and the increasing prevalence of foreclosures in Hennepin and Ramsey counties, he felt like he was under fire. And his...

Tenants are taking a new look at downtown Minneapolis.
October 4, 2007... Byline: Burl Gilyard Is downtown Minneapolis getting a fresh look from suburban office tenants? Mike Wendorf, a broker with the Minneapolis-based Sherman Group, thinks so. Wendorf and Sherman Group owner Ken Sherman recently signed...

Commentary: Developer Doran gives the straight dope on retail.
October 4, 2007... Byline: Burl Gilyard If Finance and Commerce were a tabloid newspaper with loud screaming headlines, it would be tempting to offer this four-word summary of Wednesday morning's "The Future of Retail" panel discussion: "DORAN ALLEGES DOPE...

Milliken ponders another plan for downtown Minneapolis Jaguar dealership.
October 4, 2007... Byline: Burl Gilyard Redevelopment remains stuck in neutral on the site of the former Jaguar car dealership in downtown Minneapolis. Seattle-based Milliken Development Group has withdrawn its application with the city of Minneapolis for...

Bloomington man launches Internet car sales site.(Company overview)
October 5, 2007... Byline: Bob Geiger After years of complaining about the rising cost of print advertising for car dealers, Bloomington adman Larry Cuneo is dishing out some competition for the ailing newspaper industry. His Internet-based CarSoup.com,...

The dean shuffle.
October 5, 2007... Byline: Dan Heilman If twice is a coincidence and three times is a trend, then the exodus of deans from Minnesota's law schools is officially a trend. Three of the state's four law schools are either currently or soon-to-be without deans....

Minnesotan Bill Hillsman launches firm for third-party candidates.
October 6, 2007... Byline: Bob Geiger Bill Hillsman, a political ad consultant who is best known as the architect of the campaigns that swept underdogs Paul Wellstone and Jesse Ventura into office in the 1990s, has formed a Washington, D.C.-based firm to...

M&I Bank's acquisition of Excel Bank: A marriage made in Minneapolis.
October 6, 2007... Byline: Mark Anderson M&I Bank has been one of the fastest-growing local banks in recent years, almost doubling its offices to 21 and beefing up deposits by 27 percent. The Milwaukee-based bank signaled early this year that it intended to...

Minnesota Marketing Briefs: October 6, 2007.
October 6, 2007... Byline: Bob Geiger "Heart of MinneADpolis," a display to promote the local advertising industry, opens Monday at the Crystal Court in the IDS Center. The display, sponsored by the local chapter of the American Association of Advertising...

The transportation funding tangle.
October 6, 2007... Byline: Charley Shaw DFL state legislators' frustrations about transportation funding persist as a state House and Senate panel prepares to meet again next week. Legislators on the Transportation Contingent Appropriation Group met twice...

Capping and trading carbon.
October 6, 2007... Byline: Charley Shaw Although the 2008 legislative session is four months away, a climate change advisory group is hard at work chewing over ways to tell state lawmakers how to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Minnesota. At this point,...

Green roof slated for Prior Lake ice arena.
October 9, 2007... Byline: Brian Johnson Libraries, city halls, schools, museums and other building types have long been considered fertile ground for green roofs. Now, the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community plans to put a green roof on a new hockey...

Commentary: Poole says transportation funding is 'seriously flawed'.
October 9, 2007... Byline: Brian Johnson Robert Poole thinks more toll roads and "public-private partnerships" might be the best solution to the transportation funding problem. "It would be a mistake to simply go and raise fuel taxes without looking at how...

Cuningham Group of Minneapolis hires executive for its resort/hospitality unit.
October 9, 2007... Byline: F&C Staff Report Michael Strand has joined Cuningham Group Architecture of Minneapolis as director of operations in its resort/hospitality unit. Strand has more than a decade of experience in the design and management of a variety...

Ziegler Cat in Bloomington names president/COO.
October 9, 2007... Byline: F&C Staff Report Stan Erickson has been elected president and chief operating officer of Ziegler Cat in Bloomington. Erickson is a 26-year veteran of the company, most recently serving as executive vice president and chief...

Bridge contractor to speak at Association of Women Contractors event in Eagan.
October 9, 2007... Byline: F&C Staff Report A representative of Flatiron Construction Corp. will talk about the 35W bridge replacement project at an upcoming Association of Women Contractors event. Colorado-based Flatiron is leading the design-build...

Simonson sees higher construction costs in 2008.
October 9, 2007... Byline: F&C Staff Report The chief economist for Associated General Contractors of America is warning the construction industry to brace for higher materials and labor costs. Ken Simonson on Monday predicted that cost increases for 2008...

Hennepin County begins inspection of Franklin Avenue Bridge.
October 9, 2007... Byline: F&C Staff Report The Hennepin County Transportation Department is surveying the condition of the Franklin Avenue Bridge over the Mississippi River. The county is working with Wiss, Janey, Elstner and Associates, a Northbrook,...

Hennepin County's Sentencing to Serve crews to build cabins for state parks.
October 9, 2007... Byline: F&C Staff Report Crews from Hennepin County's Sentencing to Serve program will construct 29 camper cabins for use as rental units in eight Minnesota state parks. Workers will build six cabins at William O'Brien and St. Croix-Wild...

Counting the hours: March 2010 is target completion date for Minnesota Twins stadium.
October 9, 2007... Byline: Brian Johnson For those keeping score at home, there are roughly 5,200 work hours between now and the March 2010 target completion date for the new $522 million Minnesota Twins stadium. That may be a good way to look at it,...

Soil conditions present challenges at Minnesota Twins ballpark site.
October 9, 2007... Byline: Brian Johnson Soils conditions at the Twins ballpark site are worse than anticipated in some locations. "This is like pudding here, the soils are so bad," said Dan Mehls, project manager for M.A. Mortenson Co., the stadium's...

University of Minnesota's women's rowing team begins its first full year in new boathouse.
October 9, 2007... Byline: Adam Johnson On the heels of a surprise Big Ten championship last spring, the University of Minnesota's women's rowing team recently began its first full year in a new boathouse in East River Flats Park. Women's crew coach Wendy...

From military destruction to emergency construction in southeastern Minnesota.
October 9, 2007... Byline: Adam Johnson Declassified World War II weapons technology is the last thing you'd expect to come to the rescue in the aftermath of the severe flooding in southeastern Minnesota last month. But the Minnesota Department of...

Univ. of Minn. working with state to develop signs for drivers at dangerous intersections.
October 10, 2007... Byline: Adam Johnson Technology has revolutionized the driving experience to the point that a car can now parallel park itself while the driver watches on a dashboard video monitor. But can traffic signs evolve as well, helping drivers to...

IPO on tap for Eden Prairie-based Compellent Technologies Inc.
October 10, 2007... Byline: Adam Johnson Compellent Technologies Inc. of Eden Prairie planned to begin trading today on the New York Stock Exchange, expecting to raise about $59.4 million in its initial public offering of stock. The offering price was...

Minnesota Department of Transportation unveils a 'signature bridge' on the Mississippi.
October 10, 2007... Byline: Brian Johnson The Minnesota Department of Transportation unveiled the first detailed images of the new Interstate 35W bridge this week. The images, drawing on the theme of "arches, water, reflection," depict a "signature bridge,...

Profiling the Minnesota Legislature: Sen. Richard Cohen.
October 10, 2007... Byline: Todd Messelt As the chair of the Senate Finance Committee and a member of four other budget-related committees, Sen. Richard Cohen, DFL-St. Paul, spends most of his time on "the nuts and bolts of the state budget." It's a role...

Normandale tower in Bloomington breaking ground, going for LEED.
October 11, 2007... Byline: Finance and Commerce Staff Officials on Friday will celebrate the groundbreaking for the fifth large office tower to open in the Normandale Lake Office Park in Bloomington since 1983. The new building, 8200 Normandale, will be an...

Minneapolis real estate executive snags industry award.
October 11, 2007... Byline: Finance and Commerce Staff Larry Chevalier, a commercial real estate veteran with Colliers Turley Martin Tucker in Minneapolis, has won an achievement award from the Mid-Continent chapter of the Society of Industrial and Office...

Michael Tobin of Minneapolis-based Master Development Group appointed to green development group.
October 11, 2007... Byline: Finance and Commerce Staff Michael Tobin of Minneapolis-based Master Development Group has been named to a national green building organization. The Sustainable Development Forum is composed of members of the National Association of...

Mall of America vet tackles Midtown Global Market in Minneapolis.
October 11, 2007... Byline: Finance and Commerce Staff John Wheeler has left his job as vice president and general manager of the Mall of America to tackle strategic planning for the Midtown Global Market in Minneapolis. The market, which opened in May 2006 in...

Liberty leases up Eden Prairie-based Southwest Crossing building.
October 11, 2007... Byline: Finance and Commerce Staff After securing two small leases totaling 4,042 square feet with two startup companies, Malvern, Pa.-based Liberty Property Trust has reached 100 percent occupancy at its Southwest Crossing building, 10400...

Community investment conference set for Nov. 6 in Minneapolis.(Conference news)
October 11, 2007... Byline: Finance and Commerce Staff The Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis is sponsoring a morning-long meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 6, entitled "Tools for Community Development Investment." Representatives from the Federal Reserve, staff from...

In a glum real estate market, Minneapolis executive says to try smiling.
October 11, 2007... Byline: Mark Anderson The experts who addressed the annual CCIM Investment Real Estate Symposium last Thursday were full of gloomy stories about sector slowdowns, stagnant rents, and ever-higher development and regulatory costs. But they...

Mixed bag for downtown St. Paul office market.
October 11, 2007... Byline: Burl Gilyard The latest office market report for downtown St. Paul offers a study in contrasts: new investment in the capital city compared with stagnant leasing activity. While many downtown St. Paul office buildings have changed...

Minneapolis real estate firm says commercial real estate markets nothing to write home about.
October 11, 2007... Byline: Burl Gilyard The current mood in commercial real estate markets mirrors the national economy: People are feeling plenty of uncertainty. A new third quarter market report from Colliers Turley Martin Tucker underscores that feeling,...

Improvements under way at First National Bank Building in St. Paul.
October 11, 2007... Byline: Bob Geiger The First National Bank Building, a signature office tower that has been a part of the downtown St. Paul skyline for 76 years, is getting a $10 million-plus facelift and an ad campaign to publicize the improvements. A...

Southdale Medical Center in Edina announces renovation and expansion.
October 11, 2007... Byline: Burl Gilyard Another expansion is under way at Southdale Medical Center in Edina. Work began in September on the medical office complex, which is directly across the street from the Fairview Southdale hospital campus. The addition...

I-35W fund debate still Minn. Gov. Pawlenty vs. DFL.
October 11, 2007... Byline: Charley Shaw Senate Majority Leader Larry Pogemiller, DFL-Minneapolis, can't understand why GOP Gov. Tim Pawlenty wants a legislative panel to approve $195 million for a new Interstate 35W bridge if the state already has the money...

Familiar sight: Lander 'suspends' 2626 West Lake project in Minneapolis.
October 11, 2007... Byline: Burl Gilyard Another high-profile condo project has been put on ice. The Lander Group has suspended marketing of its upscale 2626 West Lake, a proposed 46-unit project near Lake Calhoun in Minneapolis. Michael Lander, president...

History in the making: The Foshay Tower in Minneapolis.
October 11, 2007... Byline: Mark Anderson The Foshay Tower is a beloved Minneapolis historic landmark, but that didn't mean its makeover from Jazz Age office tower to 21st century boutique hotel would be easy or cheap. In fact, the building's historical...

Apple Valley-based Wings Financial Federal Credit Union announces new agreement.
October 12, 2007... Byline: Mark Anderson Wings Financial Federal Credit Union provided one more indication on Wednesday that its four-year-old expansion plan is gaining traction. Apple Valley-based Wings, which for almost 70 years served Northwest Airlines...

Minnesota Marketing Briefs: October 12, 2007.
October 12, 2007... Byline: Bob Geiger Cincinnati-based Fifth Third Bancorp., a financial services firm with $101 billion in assets, is considering two Minneapolis ad agencies for its multimillion-dollar ad account. Carmichael Lynch and Olson, which has a...

Bloomington PR firm to help make I-35W bridge project educational experience.
October 12, 2007... Byline: Bob Geiger Bloomington public relations firm Himle Horner Inc. and Colorado-based Flatiron Constructors plan to make the Interstate 35W bridge project into an interactive educational experience. Plans for keeping the public and...

Minnesota nets $5 million in license tab partnership.
October 12, 2007... Byline: Bob Geiger A six-year-old private-public partnership that out-sources printing and handling for vehicle license tab notices has saved the Minnesota Department of Safety (DPS) nearly $5 million. Started during the administration of...

Thai restaurant Sawatdee plans first skyway location for Minneapolis.
October 12, 2007... Byline: Bob Geiger Sawatdee, which became the first Thai restaurant in the Twin Cities when it opened in 1983, is planning its first skyway location in downtown Minneapolis. Pending successful lease negotiations, the small restaurant chain...

State tax collections see increase.
October 13, 2007... Byline: Charley Shaw Corporate income taxes were a blemish on Minnesota's otherwise bright tax collections for the first quarter of fiscal 2008. When all taxes are taken into account, the state's general fund pulled in $3.48 billion, which...

Jack Rooney leaving Minneapolis ad agency Campbell Mithun for Chicago job.
October 13, 2007... Byline: Bob Geiger Jack Rooney, the chief executive officer of Minneapolis ad agency Campbell Mithun for the past three years, is leaving the agency for an executive position in Chicago. Rooney announced on Thursday that he will become...

Help not wanted.
October 13, 2007... Byline: Dan Heilman Peter Gregory is no slacker. He graduated from the University of St. Thomas School of Law last spring in the top 15 percent of his class; he devoted 40-hour weeks of study toward passing the bar; and he's spent...

Erasing criminal records.
October 13, 2007... Byline: Michelle Lore After 40 years with the same company, a client of Roseville criminal defense attorney Rebecca Fisher unexpectedly found himself laid off. He sought other work, to no avail. The problem? He had criminal record -- a...

Hennepin County, landowners reach deal on Minnesota Twins site.
October 16, 2007... Byline: Brian Johnson Hennepin County says it has agreed to pay $28.25 million for the Minnesota Twins ballpark property as part of a settlement with the landowners. The settlement, announced Monday, ends a protracted dispute over the...

Design themes for Minnesota's Interstate 35W bridge are "arches, water and reflection".
October 16, 2007... Byline: Brian Johnson Figg Engineering Group, the lead designer for the new Interstate 35W bridge, has garnered 268 bridge design awards for spans throughout the country. Could the 35W project be number 269? Linda Figg believes it will...

Silence will be golden at new Interstate 35W bridge site in Minnesota.
October 16, 2007... Byline: Brian Johnson When it comes to building the new Interstate 35W bridge, construction crews will have to balance speed with neighborliness. The construction team, led by Colorado-based Flatiron Construction, has to finish the...

Twin Cities Metro Transit keeps adding to park- and-ride capacity.
October 16, 2007... Byline: Adam Johnson Metro Transit officials are still working to expand short-term park-and-ride capacity at several sites in the Twin Cities, more than two months after the I-35W bridge collapse drove a record number of commuters to turn...

Anoka retail project planned on historic site.
October 16, 2007... Byline: Adam Johnson As local legend goes, the first Union soldier who volunteered to fight in the Civil War signed up in the city of Anoka. But there are no visitors taking pictures on the historic site where Aaron Greenwald stepped up to...

Building Owners and Managers Association event in St. Paul looks at green buildings.
October 16, 2007... Byline: F&C Staff Report Arctic explorer and Minnesota native Will Steger will be the featured speaker at an upcoming workshop called "The Dollars and Sense of Going Green." The event, sponsored by the Minneapolis and St. Paul chapters of...

Stencel named director of operations at Minneapolis-based Kraus-Anderson.
October 16, 2007... Byline: F&C Staff Report John Stencel has been promoted to director of operations at Minneapolis-based Kraus-Anderson Construction Co. Stencel, who will be based in the Minneapolis office, will oversee the company's operations in south...