MBEX Has the Scoop

Building Buzz: December 2 - 6

This week’s Building Buzz showcases a construction industry bustling with activity and optimism.

From decarbonizing designs to meet sustainability goals, as discussed at the AIA Minnesota conference, to ambitious redevelopment projects like Eagan’s transformation of a former middle school into a vibrant residential hub, the region is paving the way for innovation. Meanwhile, bold plans like Life Time’s luxury housing and fitness project in Maple Grove highlight a growing trend of integrated, high-end developments. With the Minneapolis Fed’s survey revealing a brighter outlook for 2025, fueled by moderated inflation and decreasing interest rates, the industry is poised for an exciting year ahead.

Dive into the full articles to explore how these projects and trends are reshaping the local and national construction landscapes.
 

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DECEMBER 2

Sustainable: A blueprint for cutting carbon in construction
Every material in the construction process involves carbon in its creation. Building anything generates carbon emissions, from trucks driving materials to a site to the power consumed to create those materials. Yet architects have been working on approaches using a mix of tools that help find suppliers and monitor outcomes, making decarbonization more achievable. In November, the Minnesota chapter of the American Institute of Architects' annual conference featured a session on best practices for decarbonization projects. Speakers broke down their approach and the challenges they had to overcome to get near-net zero projects. (Finance & Commerce)
 

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DECEMBER 3

Eagan school site redevelopment would bring apartments, townhomes
Pulte Homes, Enclave and Lifestyle Communities have a development plan for the former Metcalf Middle School site at 2250 Diffley Road that would bring an apartment building with 245-units, another multi-family complex that would serve as a 66-unit senior cooperative, 97 townhomes and 42 twin homes. Metcalf Park, as the development has been dubbed, was put forward for a rezoning and preliminary planned development vote at the November 26th meeting of the Eagan Advisory Planning Commission, which voted 7-0 to recommend approval. (Finance & Commerce)
 

Enclave to develop stalled 50th & France luxury apartment project
Enclave Cos. confirmed it is partnering with the former developer of the project tied to Eden Prairie-based Quadriga Ventures, to soon start building a 5-story, mixed-used development at 4901 France Avenue South. The site is located on the north end of the 50th & France district that straddles the Edina-Minneapolis border. Enclave said it's planning 47 luxury apartment units and about 7,500-square-feet of first-floor retail space, which differs only slightly from what was previously approved by the city in early 2022. At the time, the project was approved despite objections from more than 100 neighbors. (Minneapolis - St. Paul Business Journal)
 

Kenosha gives early approval for data center site
The Kenosha City Plan Commission approved the city annexing land at the northeast corner of 136th Avenue and Burlington Road from the town of Paris, Wisconsin Public Radio reported. The site is northwest of the intersection between Interstate 94 and Wisconsin Highway 142, where Uline and Amazon warehouses stand. The owners want to rezone the land to a heavy manufacturing district and build four 250,000-square-foot data center buildings and a utility substation, a city agenda showed. They must get final approval from the Kenosha Common Council before construction starts. Crews will connect the site to Kenosha water and sewer utilities and pave several access drives in the first phase of construction. The next phase will involve construction of data center buildings. The project is expected to take multiple years. (Finance & Commerce)
 

Madison dedicates nearly $10M to affordable housing
The city of Madison Community Development Division on November 26th approved using $9.85-million from the city affordable housing fund to fill financial gaps for four developers who are looking to build affordable housing. The developers were selected through a request for proposals process and will build a combined total of 267-units, of which 167 will be affordable. The Common Council also approved a $10-million commitment to support the first phase of the Triangle redevelopment project to replace public housing near the city's west side. (Finance & Commerce)
 

Minneapolis Fed: Construction outlook is 'optimistic'
With inflation moderating and interest rates trending down, local construction companies have a rosier outlook for the coming year than they did at this time in 2023 and 2022, according to a new survey from the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. The survey reveals that businesses have lingering concerns about labor availability, material costs, interest rates and more, but the mood is clearly better compared to a year ago. (Finance & Commerce)
 

Pentair acquires G&F Manufacturing for $108M
Pentair, a water-treatment company legally based in London with headquarters in Golden Valley, Minnesota, said it would purchase North Fort Myers, Florida-based G&F Manufacturing Inc. for $108-million in cash. G&F produces GulfStream Heat Pumps, a brand that specializes in high-efficiency, sustainable heat pumps. GulfStream has four distribution centers and a 25,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Florida. Pentair offers several products in the pool sector including heat pumps, lighting, pool maintenance and parts. With this acquisition, Pentair will expand its pool equipment offerings to include the GulfStream brand. (Minneapolis - St. Paul Business Journal)
 

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DECEMBER 4

Milwaukee developers pitch 300-unit apartment in Wauwatosa
Cobalt Partners and John Vassallo submitted plans for the "Tosa Lofts," a five-story, 357-unit apartment building at 11811 West Bluemound Road, a city agenda showed. The Wauwatosa Design Review Board will review the plans, and the site is currently home to the Wisconsin International Academy. The developers plan to demolish the school building in the first quarter of 2025. They will start construction in the second quarter of 2025 and construction will carry on for 20 months. Amenities include a covered patio, spin rooms, golf simulators, outdoor yoga area, outdoor terrace, a pool with cabanas, a courtyard pavilion and a club room. The club room and pavilion will have green roofs, plans showed. (Finance & Commerce)
 

Multi-family housing starts down again in November
During the month, cities in the 13-county metro area permitted 856 new housing units overall, down 13% from November 2023, according to the Keystone Report. That includes 660 single-family homes, up 15% and 196 multi-family units, down 52%. On the multi-family side, the biggest project permitted in November was a 172-unit affordable apartment building in Burnsville. Overall, multi-family construction took another step back in November after a brief sign of life in October, when planned multi-family units increased for the first time in nearly a year. (Finance & Commerce)
 

PPL promotes Karla Henderson to president, CEO
Minneapolis-based affordable housing provider Project for Pride in Living (PPL) has appointed Karla Henderson as the organization's preident and chief of executive officer. Henderson, who starts her new job duties on January 6th, joined PPL as senior vice president of housing stability in March 2024. She oversees housing operations, including real estate development, resident services, and property and asset management. (Finance & Commerce)
 

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DECEMBER 5

Life Time pitches luxury housing-fitness mix in Maple Grove
Chanhassen-based Life Time is seeking city approvals for the proposed development, which includes a 90,000- to 120,000-square-foot high-end health and wellness facility and 200-385 luxury apartments within the 100-acre Minnesota Health Village development site near Interstate 94 and Highway 610. The fitness building and apartments would rise on 17.5-acres at the northeast corner of the Minnesota Health Village site. Ryan Cos. US Inc. is the master developer of Minnesota Health Village. Life Time still has some hurdles to clear in city entitlement process, but it's off to a good start. The Maple City Council swiftly approved a planned unit development concept stage plan, and preliminary and final plat. (Finance & Commerce)
 

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DECEMBER 6

Dodge Momentum Index slides 2% in November
The Dodge Momentum Index (DMI) decreased 2.3% in November to 191.5 from the revised October ready of 196.0. Over the month, commercial planning fell 4.6% while institutional planning improved 2.5%. On the commercial side, slower data center, office, warehouse and retail planning drove much of the month's decline, while strong growth in education planning informed much of the growth on the institutional side. The institutional portion of the DMI has grown 5 of the last 6 months. (Dodge Construction Network)
 

Eagan OKs 104-unit townhome development
Lennar Corp. pitched a development on the northwest section of the Thomson Reuters' Eagan Campus redevelopment site, east of the intersection of Yankee Doodle Road and Elrene Road. The move by the City Council to approve the preliminary subdivision comes on the heels of the body giving Ryan Cos. the OK for the comprehensive guide plan amendment and other approvals for the property at its November 19th meeting. The 104 townhomes will sit on 22-acres and is part of Lennar's "coordinated effort" with Ryan, according to planning notes. It will feature four to six units per building, with 24 buildings overall. (Finance & Commerce)
 

Lilly invest $3B to expand Wisconsin plant as obesity drug demand soars
Eli Lilly said it will invest $3-billion to expand the manufacturing plant it bought in Pleasant Prairie, Wisc., earlier this year, as it scrambles to meet soaring demand for its weight-loss and diabetes drugs. The acquisition, expansion, and additional purchases of land and the adjacent warehouse in Wisconsin bring Lilly's total planned investment in the site to $4-billion, it said. (Reuters)
 

Mortenson's incoming CEO Derek Cunz optimistic about 2025
"There's a little bit of a wait and see to see how many more interest-rate cuts happen. It's a little but of, how much better will it get before you close on deals? It's going to take a little time for the markets to totally loosen up. People are thinking about deals, and we're optimistic about the future with rate cuts on the macro side. The electrification of the global economy, the on-shoring of manufacturing and the data center business are place that we're well-positioned and have had longtime businesses focused on it." (Minneapolis - St. Paul Business Journal)
 

Supreme Court could limit scope of federal environmental reviews
On December 10th, the Supreme Court heard oral argument in Seven County Infrastructure Coalition v. Eagle County, Colorado, the first major National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) dispute before the court in 20 years. The Supreme Court's ruling could significantly affect how NEPA applies going forward, especially with the respect to climate change. Under NEPA, federal agencies considering major actions must prepare an environmental impact statement --- a detailed analysis of the "reasonably forseeable environmental effects" of the proposed activity. (Finance & Commerce)
 

Building Buzz: November 25 - 29

The Midwest construction scene is serving up more than leftovers this Thanksgiving season, with bold projects making headlines and proving that progress doesn’t take a holiday.

Milwaukee  is proposing a $50-million affordable housing project breathing new life into the former Bucyrus-Erie campus, the Shiloh Cares food shelf in Minneapolis unveiled its expanded and upgraded space, providing a lifeline to the community, and Cottage Grove keeps its housing boom alive, turning a disused golf course into a neighborhood of nearly 400 homes.

Dive into these stories and more to see how construction is reshaping our cities, one project at a time.
 

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NOVEMBER 22

Milwaukee county commits $3M to affordable housing project
Milwaukee County announced it will redevelop the former Bucyrus-Erie campus in South Milwaukee by investing $3-million for a proposed project at 1100 Milwaukee Avenue. Developer Scott Crawford Inc. is proposing a $50-million affordable housing development with 171 rental units, with 81 units set aside for residents who earn $15 an hour or less. Eight units will be reserved for veterans who earn less than 60% of the area median income, county officials said. The project will repurpose three former office buildings and construct a new building. (Finance & Commerce)
 

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NOVEMBER 25

Downtown Minneapolis revitalization pitch includes office conversions
The Minneapolis Downtown Council is looking for about 3-million-square-feet of office space to convert into residential space, according to a new report released by the group. The office-to-residential conversion is one of many steps put forward by the council to cultivate the revitalize Minneapolis' downtown and to bring the area's total population to 100,000. (Finance & Commerce)
 

Local firms pitch in to renovate, expand Shiloh Cares food shelf
A project team that includes the Minneapolis office of PCL Construction, Leo A Daly and 4 The Hungry Project Management and Consulting recently completed a significant expansion and renovation of the food shelf within the Shiloh Temple International Ministries church at 1201 West Broadway Avenue. The renovation, funded by $2-million from private and public sources, created "expanded shopping space, improved accessibility and enhanced safety features, transforming the food shelf into a hub offering services beyond food assistance," according to PCL. (Finance & Commerce)
 

Oklahoma City's development with 1,907-foot tower to begin in 2025
Progress on the Bricktown development that includes plans for the tallest building in the U.S. has been slow since the City Council lifted a height restriction in June allowing the proposed 1,907-foot Legends Tower. The construction is planned to start in the first quarter of 2025, though what steps are needed to be completed before construction can begin was not shared. (Finance & Commerce)
 

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NOVEMBER 26

Boston Scientific clears hurdle for building expansion in Maple Grove
Boston Scientific has the Maple Grove Planning Commission's support for a proposed building addition on the company's Weaver Lake Road Campus, a project that would expand the med tech firm's already significant and growing presence in the city. The commission recommended approval of a "planned unit development stage plan" for the project, which would add 84,000-square-feet of manufacturing and support spaces to an existing 86,000-square-foot building on the campus at Weaver Lake Road and Interstate 94. The proposed expansion will be up for City Council approval on December 2nd. (Finance & Commerce)
 

Reuter Walton pitches workforce housing in West St. Paul
St. Louis Park-based Reuter Walton plans to seek land use applications from the city of West St. Paul next month for a workforce housing project that would have, in the developer's words, the "look and feel" of a market-rate building. The West St. Paul City Council swiftly approved the "first reading" of a rezoning request for the project, which would create a four-story, 65-unit apartment building on a redevelopment site at 212 Thompson Avenue East. The project would include surface and underground parking, and amenities such as a community room, fitness area, and conference rooms. (Finance & Commerce)
 

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NOVEMBER 27

3,000 housing units could replace I-794 section in Milwaukee
Rethink 794, a group lobbying Milwaukee leadership to push for tearing down one mile of I-794 between the lakefront and the Milwaukee River, released a commissioned study that shows removing a stretch of the highway could create more than a billion dollars in property values and up to 3,000 housing units. The Wisconsin Department of Transportation is exploring design alternatives for I-794, whether to narrow the current freeway or replace it with an at-grade boulevard. (Finance & Commerce)
 

Apartment owners face rising insurance costs, limited labor pool in Greater Minnesota
According to new research released by the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, access to small labor pools has caused operators to cut back on staffing and employing a "hub-and-spoke model" for deploying workers to various properties in Greater Minnesota, and that firms had to deal with increasingly high insurance costs. (Finance & Commerce)
 

Enclave advances plans for 374 apartments, townhomes in Oakdale
The Oakdale City Council signed off on a planned unit development amendment, preliminary plat and site plan for the Enclave Cos. project, which includes 112 rental townhome units, a 262-unit apartment building, and a 2.83-acre public park. Located 600-feet from a Gold Line bus rapid transit station, the development site is just east of Helmo Avenue North, south of Fourth Street North, and north of Hudson Boulevard and Interstate 94. Specifically, the site includes properties at 7600, 7750, 7700, 7655, and 7701 Third Street North. Next steps include final plat approval, a noise variance and a development agreement. Those requests will likely go to the City Council in January. (Finance & Commerce)
 

Minneapolis, Hennepin County seek development RFPs for Lowry / Penn intersection
The city of Minneapolis and Hennepin County Housing and Redevelopment Authority are on the hunt for development proposals for vacant lots near the intersection of Lowry and Penn avenues. The local governments are offering up multiple city- and county-owned parcels for sale in the neighborhood, split into three areas: (1) An area at 3200 Queen Avenue North, about 7,753-square-feet in total, consisting of one Hennepin County-owned parcel; (2) A lot at 3211 Penn Avenue North of about 10,201-square-feet, the parcel is owned by Hennepin County; and (3) Five parcels along Penn Avenue and an excess county right-of-way on the corner of Oliver Avenue North and Lowry Avenue, where the lots total about 36,000-square-feet of space, and four of the parcel s are owned by Minneapolis, the fifth by Hennepin County. The city and HCHRA are prioritizing mixed-use, residential or commercial development with a preference for retail that would diversify and bring value to the mix of businesses at the Penn-Lowry intersection. (Minneapolis - St. Paul Business Journal)
 

New Hope-based Horwitz acquires Preferred Electric
Mechanical, electrical and plumbing contractor Horwitz has acquired Preferred Electric, an electrical contractor specializing in commercial and industrial projects. The acquisition is "a strategic step in establishing Horwitz's vision of becoming a more comprehensive specialty service provider, enhancing its capacity to meet the evolving needs of both current and future clients," Horwitz said in a November 21st press release. (Finance & Commerce)
 

Reuter Walton pitches affordable housing at vacant West St. Paul house
Developer Reuter Walton is looking to demolish a nearly 100-year-old vacant home in West St. Paul, located at 212 Thompson Avenue East, and proposes to construct a four-story, 65-unit affordable housing apartment building in its place. The West St. Paul City Council approved a rezoning request for the project. Called the Thompson Apartments, the project would include amenities like a community room, fitness area, conference room, and Wi-Fi business rooms. There would also be on-site underground parking and a surface parking lot. (Minneapolis - St. Paul Business Journal)
 

United Properties project honored for conserving water
The Ellie, a recently completed 239-unit apartment building in Eden Prairie, is getting props from the city for its water conservation practices. Developed by United Properties, The Ellie recently received the 2024 Sustainable Eden Prairie Award, which recognizes "significant and innovative investments that contribute to the overall vitality and sustainability of the community." (Finance & Commerce)
 

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NOVEMBER 29

Cottage Grove keeps riding housing development boom
Like many suburban edge cities, Cottage Grove saw a surge in single-family residential development earlier this decade. It added about 500 net new housing units in 2021 and just missed a spot in the top 10 Minnesota municipalities for housing permits the following year. Cottage Grove's single-family building spurt continues today. Work on Rachel Development's vision for nearly 400 homes on a disused golf course near the Mississippi River is "well underway." Development is moving ahead with a proposal to build about 70 homes along a new stretch of scenic parkway on the city's north side. Hundreds of new multi-family units are proposed or under construction in Cottage Grove as well, including a high-profile site controlled by Roers Cos., an affordable senior housing community being developed by Trellis Co., and a nearly 300-unit proposal from Norhart that has been delayed but not yet killed by financing challenges. (Finance & Commerce)
 

Mosaic plots its expansion into former Finnegans Brew space
Mosaic, the nearly 2-year-old event center that operated alongside the Finnegans Brew Co.'s taproom and brewery, has unveiled its expansion plans now that Finnegans has moved out. The venue said it would invest $900,000 into remodeling those floors, which housed Finnegans' taproom, production space, and VIP lounge. The expansion will include a new lounge space that was formerly Finnegans' second-floor Brewer's Den, which overlooked the brewery floor. The first-floor expansion will include the addition of two event spaces separated by a garage door. The space can be converted to one large space for events. The new rooms will boast 18-foot ceilings, and the front room has downtown views. The front room will have a capacity of 170 and the back room of the space will have a capacity of 200. The expansion also will allow for a prep catering kitchen on the first floor. (Minneapolis - St. Paul Business Journal)
 

Building Buzz: November 4-8

This week’s roundup of construction and development news across Minnesota covers a mix of new projects and key updates on ongoing initiatives.

In Edina, the conversion of a Residence Inn into affordable apartments gets a green light from the city’s planning body, while Minneapolis prepares for a long-awaited $34.3 million renovation of the historic Nicollet Avenue bridge. Meanwhile, Northfield schools are celebrating voter approval of a $120 million bond referendum for major high school renovations, reflecting strong community support for educational infrastructure. On the economic front, clean energy jobs are booming statewide, reaching an all-time high of over 62,000, reflecting the sector’s remarkable growth.

Dive in for details on these stories and more in this edition of Building Buzz.
 

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NOVEMBER 1

Edina planning body signs off on hotel conversion
Construction could begin as soon as the first quarter of next year on a rarity in the metro area --- an affordable housing project that doesn't require significant public investment. At issue is a plan from Patrick Juetten of Alpha Investment Group, who hopes to turn a 133-room Marriott Residence Inn at 3400 Edinborough Way in Edina into 136 affordable apartments. A city requirement for enclosed parking complicates those plans. To keep costs down and maintain affordable rents, Juetten wants the city to grant a variance to the enclosed parking mandate. The Edina Planning Commission unanimously recommended approval of the request. (Finance & Commerce)
 

Nicollet Avenue bridge among dozens in U.S. getting upgrades
Federal highway officials announced $635-million to repair or replace numerous old and outdated bridges ranging from Alaska to Maine, including the Nicollet Avenue bridge in Minnesota and a couple located in popular national parks. The grants for more than 70 small - and medium-size bridges in 19 states mark the latest infusion from a $1.2-trillion infrastructure law signed by President Joe Biden in 2021. The city of Minneapolis was awarded more than $34.3-million to rehabilitate the century-old Nicollet Avenue bridge over Minnehaha Creek. The existing Nicollet Avenue bridge, built in 1923, is eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places and was not designed to handle the current or projected future volume of daily traffic, resulting in significant safety concerns, according to the Federal Highway Administration. Construction crews will repair cracks, arches, and other concrete deterioration, and the floor beams, deck, railing, drainage systems, sidewalks and lighting, according to a press release from the city. (Finance & Commerce)
 

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NOVEMBER 4

Affordable housing project on hold, despite Met Council funding
An emerging developer who wants to bring commercial space and 87 units of affordable housing to St. Paul is among the winners in the latest round of Livable Communities Act grant funding from the Metropolitan Council. Despite the council's recommendation of $1.2-million in LCA grants for the "GloryVille" project, developer Gloria Wong won't be able to start construction anytime soon on the St. Paul HRA-owned project site at 1570 White Bear Avenue. The mixed-use project is in limbo for now because the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency didn't approve her $10-millionfunding request this fall. (Finance & Commerce)
 

Fed set to cut rates again while facing hazy outlook
The Federal Reserve's move two days after the presidential election is much easier to predict: With inflation continuing to cool, the Fed is set to cut interest rates for a second time this year. The Fed's future actions, though, will become more unsettled once a new president and Congress take office in January, particularly if Donald Trump were to win the White House again. The Fed's policymakers, led by Chair Jerome Powell, are on track to cut their benchmark rate by a quarter-point, to about 4.6%, after having implemented a half-point reduction in September. Economists expect another quarter-point rate cut in December and possibly additional such moved next year. Over time, rate cuts tend to lower the costs of borrowing for consumers and businesses. (Finance & Commerce)
 

Millennium Hotel Minneapolis closes for $40M renovation, rebrand
After the renovation, which is expected to complete in the spring, the hotel will reopen as the Sheraton Minneapolis Downtown Convention Center. It will be a member of Marriott International's brand portfolio, Marriott Bonvoy, and cater to both business and leisure travelers. A hotel spokesperson said the hotel will be redesigned top-t-to-bottom by architecture firm Gensler and bring an entirely new hotel experience for customers. The renovation will revamp the hotel's 321 guestrooms and suites, as well as add public spaces, redesign meeting and events spaces (including the rooftop dome), and add a new pool and fitness center. The hotel's restaurant, North 45 Restaurant & Bar, also will be replaced with a new concept. (Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal)
 

Sustainable: A record year for Minnesota clean jobs
Clean Energy Economy Minnesota (CEEM) recently released annual jobs report contains encouraging signs of an economic recovery. The state had 62,102 clean energy jobs in 2023, the highest total ever recorded, and the industry grows at five times the pace of the overall economy. Clean energy jobs are expected to jump 6% this year. The breakdown of the types of jobs remains like other years, with a few surprises. The largest sector, energy efficiency, employs 44,511 workers. Jobs in different sectors include 9,060 in renewable energy, 4,761 in clean transportation, 3,027 in grid and storage, and 744 in clean fuels. (Finance & Commerce)
 

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NOVEMBER 5

Blaine frowns on plans for apartments in Lexington site; leaves door open for commercial
HJ Development's plan to bring a high-end grocery store and other uses to a difficult-to-develop site in Blaine is still in play, but only if the developer can make it happen without apartments or a change in the city's comprehensive plan. The Blaine Planning Commission recommended denial of a proposed comprehensive plan amendment, which would have allowed residential development on the site. At present, the site is zoned for commercial. The amendment would have enabled HJ Development and North Shore Development Partners to create a 120-unit market-rate apartment building, a Jerry's Food & Liquor store and other new uses on a roughly 3-acre portion of the 40-acre site. HJ Development told the planning commission that the apartments --- or some form of public assistance --- were necessary to cover the cost of development-related infrastructure improvements. (Finance & Commerce)
 

Milwaukee 15-unit condo proposal moves forward
Milwaukee-based Cirrus Property Group wants to build five three-unit, three-story buildings on a 0.58-acre site at 1524-1546 North Jefferson Street. The project, named "The Fifteens at Park East," needs approval to rezone several parcels to a Detailed Planned Development before construction can start. The city of Milwaukee Zoning, Neighborhoods and Development Committee recommended the rezoning. The condos will be made up of three-bedroom units, each with a two-car attached garage and options for a private rooftop patio, a planning staff report showed. The units will be around 2,000-square-feet. Cirrus expects to build over phases, with the one building erected in the first phase a new private alley connecting Pleasant and Lyon Street, plans showed. There will be rough site grading and wet utilities in the private alley and pieces of the alley will be built with each subsequent building. Each townhome will have a walkway that connects to the public sidewalk along Jefferson Street, plans showed. (Finance & Commerce)
 

Roers plans redevelopment at St. Louis Park's Wooddale Station
The Plymouth-based developer is in talks to take over the project, after the former development team the city selected for the site pulled out, according to city documents. Roers would plan to acquire the site, located at 5950 36th Street West and owned by the city's Economic Development Authority, and an adjacent property to transform the area into a mixed-use, mixed-income development. The city-owned parcel, which spans 1.7-acres, is currently occupied by a vacant 16,700-square-foot former Nash Frame commercial building and a municipal parking lot. It abuts the Metro Green Line Extension Wooddale Station platform, which will be one of three stations in St. Louis Park. (Minneapolis - St. Paul Business Journal)
 

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NOVEMBER 6

Four employment actions to expect under a second Trump presidency
The last decade has reshaped American life and culture, with a global pandemic, shifting identity concerns and changing work arrangements all lending a new appearance to work and life. With President-elect Donald Trump headed back to the White House and immigration issues front and center in the national consciousness, however, in many ways late 2024 feels like late 2016. An immediate, stricter approach to immigration is likely to affect industries like construction, hospitality, and manufacturing. A range of predictions for how President-elect Trump might act on employment issues on his first days in office: (1) Immigration enforcement raids will be back on the table; (2) Agency chairs will be replaced; (3) Regulatory activity will slow considerably; and (4) Limitations on DEI could be put in place. (Construction Dive)
 

Districts see mixed results for school construction project referendums
When it comes to bond referendums, districts had mixed results at polling places on Election Day as voters approved slightly more than half of the questions for construction projects. In all, seven of the 13 districts with bond questions for building or maintenance projects won voter approval for at least one question, according to the Minnesota School Boards Association. Northfield schools were the biggest winners. In that district, voters agreed to pay more than $120-million for a major high school expansion and renovation, among other projects. Other districts didn't fare as well. Most notably, Fergus Falls came up short in its nearly $49-million request for a new Grades 35 school, and Blue Earth area residents rejected a $66.8-million proposal for a new elementary school and high school improvements. (Finance & Commerce)
 

Ohio landlord revamps Grand Avenue building to prep for tenants
The State Teachers Retirement System of Ohio, a teachers' pension fund based in Columbus, Ohio, is about to break up the spaces at 917 Grand Avenue, formerly Milton Mill, to make it more attractive for new smaller tenants to come in. Construction should start in the next month to open u pa common hallway from the parking lot to Grand Avenue, with hopes to deliver to tenants during the first quarter of next year. St. Paul-based Momentum Design Group is the architecture firm working on the project. (Minneapolis - St. Paul Business Journal)
 

Panel to consider commercial uses in residential areas
Neighborhood-serving commercial uses, as the Minneapolis city staff report defines it, is something that an area's immediate residents might utilize on a daily basis, rather than a "destination business" that draws residents from outside the neighborhood. Most uses, as the report says, would be in the zoning code of food and beverage, as well as general retail sales. (Finance & Commerce)
 

Plans for 76-unit Madison development move forward
Fond du Lac-based Volker Development wants to build a five-story building at the corner of East Washington and North Seventh Street. The developer must rezone and consolidate several parcels, as well as demolish four houses and a former muffler shop before construction can start. The city of Madison Plan Commission approved demolition permits and conditional uses, city planning staff said. The commission also recommended approval for rezoning and a certified survey map, which the Common Council will review on November 26th. (Finance & Commerce)
 

Women still face abundance of challenges in trades
Although I have a good gig as a full professor at Iowa State University, I've daydreamed about learning a trade --- something that required both my mind and my hands. So in 2018, I started night courses in welding at Des Moines Area Community College. For three years, I studies different types of welding and during the day worked on a book about the communication between welding teachers and students. I wasn't the only woman who became interested in trades work during this time. Recognizing the good pay and job security, U.S. women have moved in greater numbers into skilled trades such as welding and fabrication within the past 10 years. Both my experience at Howe's and my research at nine other fabrication facilities in Iowa have shown me that --- at least for the time being --- tradeswomen must find workarounds from commonly encountered challenges. Some of these challenges are physical. These could include being unable to easily reach or move necessary material and tools. Or they could be emotional, such as encountering sexism. Being a tradeswoman means being scrutinized for competence. (Originally published on The Conversation website | Distributed by The Associated Press | Found on Finance & Commerce)
 

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NOVEMBER 7

Boldt partners with RISE Modular for Wisconsin mixed-use project
Appleton-based Boldt showed its modular prowess after a crane lifted 46 preconstructed apartments onto the future Trout Museum of Art at Lawrence University. For seven days, Boldt used a crane to lift 46-units, each 74-foot by 13-foot, to make up the top two floors of a four-story, 120,000-square-foot mixed-used project in downtown Appleton. The $38.5-million project will feature a 30,000-square-foot art museum on the first floor and market rate apartments overhead with opportunities for future student housing. While Boldt has its own industrialized construction department, it partnered with Minneapolis-based RISE Modular to complete the last two floors. The modular company built the units at its factory in Owatonna, Minnesota. (Finance & Commerce)
 

Local builder advocates weight in on impact of 2024 elections
A couple of months from now, President Donald Trump will get his old job back in Washington DC, where Republicans have also regained control of the Senate. Changes are also coming to the Minnesota Legislature, where power will shift from a DFL-controlled House of Representatives to a House divided. What do these shifting political winds mean for Minnesota's construction industry? Like the Minnesota House, which is likely to see a 67-67 tie between Republicans and DFLers in the next legislative session, advocacy groups are split. Some industry voices are optimistic that the new leadership in Washington will bode well for the construction industry as a whole, and that the new-look Legislature will be receptive to buiders' concerns. Others fear a potential roll-back of investments in things like clean-energy, a cornerstone of the Biden administration's Inflation Reduction Act. (Finance & Commerce)
 

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NOVEMBER 9

After many delays, $2B Iron Range project revives quest to create first new taconite mine since 1970s
An industrial resurrection seems afoot at a long-promising but snake bitten $2-billion-plus taconite project. On a crisp fall morning, a construction site in this Iron Range city teemed with workers aiming to complete a venture given up for dead by just about everybody but its owner, Mesabi Metallics. After years of missed deadlines and financial failures, Mesabi last year permanently lost crucial state mineral leases. But Mesabi still controls private land leases in Nashwauk. And it has renewed construction of a project that was only half built when work shut down during a 2016 bankruptcy. The project is now 70% complete. (The Minnesota Star Tribune)
 

Building Buzz: October 14-18

MBEX is reading the headlines so you don't have to.

This week’s Building Buzz dives into key projects and trends shaping Minnesota’s construction and development landscape. In Edina, a new affordable housing project is in the works as a developer plans to convert the Residence Inn, while over in Rochester, 936 multi-family units are set to transform a former golf course. Schools in Blue Earth and Northfield are seeking voter support for major upgrades, and with Minnesota adding 6,300 jobs in September, the industry is showing no signs of slowing down.

Check out the latest news and bids driving growth across the state.

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OCTOBER 14

Developer plans to convert Edina Residence Inn into affordable apartments
Medicine Lake-based Alpha Investment Group recently submitted plans to the city to convert the 133-key hotel that's connected to Edinborough Park into 136-units of multi-family rental housing, according to the documents. The hotel currently has a mx of seven studios, seven two-bedroom nits and 119 one-bedroom units that would be priced at $1,250 per month. The developer submittal says that these rates are below 60% of the area median income (AMI). (Minneapolis - St. Paul Business Journal)
 

Pure Pickleball Club proposes 19-court Plymouth facility
Jon Schwartzman is heading to Plymouth Planning Commission to propose Pure Pickleball Club, which will have 19 courts across 48,000-square-feet in a warehouse at 13100 12th Avenue North. If it passes the Planning Commission, the Plymouth Council will review the proposal on October 22nd. Some buildout is needed in the 112,000-square-foot warehouse, which also houses a diesel-exhaust fluid manufacturer and a fire- and water-damage restoration company. Pure Pickleball Club won't have a restaurant but will have an extended vending machine area and the potential to bring food trucks out for special events. There will also be a lounge and viewing area and a spot for private events. (Minneapolis - St. Paul Business Journal)
 

Sioux City council approves first phase improvements for wastewater plant
After more than a year of planning, the largest capital improvement project in Sioux City history is finally taking shape. City council members unanimously agreed to enter negotiations with Kiewit for work on the first phase of the reconstruction of Sioux City's wastewater treatment facility. The first phase of the project is expected to cost around $275-million, with the three-phase project carrying a price tag of nearly $500-million. Sioux City's regional wastewater treatment plant was built in 1961 and, in recent years, has faced a growing list of serious operational problems. City staff will now work with Kiewit to review engineering plans for cost effectiveness. If the city and Kiewit can't come to agreement on a contract, the city would likely move to the next highest-scoring bidders in all five companies' bids for the first phase of work at the treatment plant. (SiouxLandProud.com)
 

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OCTOBER 15

ABC's Construction Backlog Indicator rebounds in September, contractor confidence improves
Associated Builders and Contactors reported on October 15th that its Construction Backlog Indicator increased to 8.6-months in September. The reading is down 0.4-months from September 2023. Backlog increased in every region except for the Northeast in September. On a year-over-year basis, however, only the Middle States have longer backlog than one year ago. ABC's Construction Confidence Index readings for sales, profit margins, and staffing levels improved in September. The readings for all three components are above the threshold of 50, indicating expectations for growth over the next six months. (Associated Builders & Contractors)
 

Blue Earth, Northfield districts seek voter support for big projects
The Blue Earth Area School District, which serves about 1,000 students in and around the Faribault County community of Blue Earth, had budgeted $75,000 for a minor plumbing project at the aging elementary school a couple of years ago. But the damage was far greater than expected. That was the impetus for an extensive planning process, which found a long list of problems in the nearly 100-year-old PreK-7 school. On November 5th, the district will seek voter approval for a $66.845-million bond referendum to pay for a new elementary school and improve an existing high school. The Blue Earth Area District isn't alone. Referendums with notable brick-and-mortar improvements range from roof, HVAC and building upgrades in the Lake Crystal Welcome Memorial School District to a multi-story high school addition and other projects in the Northfield district. (Finance & Commerce)
 

MSP airport starts final phase of $242M makeover
The Metropolitan Airports Commission and Delta Air Lines began work this week on Phase 3 of its largest-ever interior renovation of concourses and passenger gate areas. For the latest phase, gate improvements include new flight-information screens at every gate, new gate seating with power outlets, lighting, carpeting, and refreshed Delta branding across gate areas in Concourses A, B, G and gates G1 - 6, G14, G15, and adjacent corridor areas. Additionally, new flooring and ceilings will be installed and the sky bridge that connects concourses C and G will be renovated. The first two phases included updates to concourses C, D, and F including new carpet or terrazzo flooring, painting and wall enhancements, as well as new podiums, signage and seating in gate areas. Some of that work is still underway. (Minneapolis - St. Paul Business Journal)
 

Reuter Walton advances $54M affordable housing project in Little Canada
New options for affordable apartment living are on the way with help from an estimated $53.8-million Reuter Walton project. The five-story, wood-framed building will rise on a 3-acre infill site at Rice Street and Dermont Avenue in Little Canada. Construction still hinges on final city approvals, including the developer's request for $1-million in tax increment financing to help with public infrastructure improvements and the location of a restaurant. (Finance & Commerce)
 

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OCTOBER 16

Construction begins on rentals in Bloomington
The Ever Apartments, a 208-unit apartment project located at 6701 West 78th Street and designed by Bloomington-based Kaas Wilson Architects, will feature studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom apartments and amenities such as a fitness studio, clubroom, sky deck with hot tub, business center, 24 / 7 mini market, and enclosed parking, according to a press release. The project is scheduled for completion in the summer of 2026. Enclave will develop, construct and manage the building. (Finance & Commerce)
 

MAC: Concourse improvements ahead of schedule
The Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC) and Delta Air Lines are ahead of schedule on a major renovation of concourses and passenger gate areas at Minneapolis - St. Paul International Airport's Terminal 1, according to the MAC. The Airport Modernization Program (AMP) is a $242-million multi-phase construction program managed by Delta in partnership with the MAC. The third an final phase includes concourse flooring, walls, and ceilings and comprehensive fate improvements. In a recent press release, the MAC said the final phase of renovations is starting more than two months earlier than originally planned. Phase 1 in Concourse F is substantially completed, Concourse D renovations will wrap up later this fall, and Phase 2 renovations in Concourse C will continue through the summer of 2025. (Finance & Commerce)
 

National Sports Village development to bring 3 eateries to Blaine
Mike Breese was told that he's nuts for trying to develop 28,000-square-feet across two buildings next to the National Sports Center in Blaine. The plot has no development history that says his plans could be supported. Breese is calling his development National Sports Village. It'll be a roughly 30,000-squre-foot dining and entertainment complex at the corner of 150th Avenue and Radisson Road Northeast that will soon be home to three eateries and a variety of retailers. A 9,100-square-foot building will house Pizza Pub on the first floor and Prime steakhouse on its second floor. Prime is an original high-end steakhouse and seafood concept with craft cocktails and a "huge" wine list (with a 700-ottle wine cooler to support it), Breese said. (Minneapolis - St. Paul Business Journal)
 

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OCTOBER 17

Construction backlog rebounds in wake of rate cut
What a different a half-point rate cut makes. Thanks in part to the Federal Reserve's lowering of the interest rate, construction backlog rebounded in September after slumping at the end of the summer, according to an October 15th analysis of recent government data from Associated Builders and Contractors. The amount of work in builders' pipelines bounced back to 8.6-months of runway, after falling to 8.2 in August, boosting confidence in the sector as well. Backlog increased in every region in September, except for the Northeast. That said, most areas are still down for the year, with only the middle states posting a bigger backlog than a year ago. (Construction Dive)
 

Developer plans 936 multi-family units on former Rochester golf course
The city of Rochester released an Environmental Assessment Worksheet for Austin, Texas-based ML Group II's proposed West Meadows Development, which calls for 936 multi-family housing units on a 47-acre former golf course property near 45th Avenue Southwest and Olmsted County Road 34 / Country Club Road. Also included in the plans are 22,000-square-feet of commercial space, underground and surface parking, a new internal public roadway, storm water treatment facilities and other infrastructure, according to the 204-page EAW. A vet clinic and an office building currently occupy part of the site, which was home to a golf course from the mid-1990s until 2015. Pending city approvals, the developer plans to begin mass grading in 2025. Construction would play out in phases through 2030, with the first two multi-family structures going up in 2025 and 2026, according to the EAW. (Finance & Commerce)
 

Inside a Minneapolis office building's conversion to apartments
The $97-million transformation of the downtown Minneapolis Northstar East office building into apartments is nearly complete. Sherman had to be clever in laying out the apartments, because Northstar was built originally for office use and has deep floors, with a middle section far from windows. Many view projects like this as the cure for struggling downtowns, but the story of the new Groove Lofts also reveals how financially and logistically difficult they can be. Minneapolis developer Sherman Associates took a 13-story office building --- part of which are over 100 years old --- and turned it into 216 apartments, with 44 set aside as affordable for tenants making under half of the median wage. (Axios Twin Cities)
 

Minnesota adds 6,300 jobs in September
Leading the way in September employment growth was the Government sector, which added 3,600 jobs, followed by Professional & Business Services (up 2,300), Education & Health Services (up 1,600), and Trade, Transportation and Utilities (up 1,200). DEED also revealed that four "supersectors" lost jobs, including Financial Activities (down 700), Information (down 600), Other Services (down 600) and Manufacturing (down 500). Employment was unchanged in Mining & Logging, Construction, and Leisure & Hospitality. (Finance & Commerce)
 

Minnesota Supreme Court denies St. Thomas arena appeal
The Minnesota Supreme Court will not review an appeal filed by the University of St. Thomas, which has looked to avoid re-examining parking and traffic concerns in its construction of a new sports arena on its St. Paul campus. The Minnesota Court of Appeals earlier this year ordered the city to publish a new EAW with more specific mitigation measures, which the university appealed to the Supreme Court. The university first announced its plans for the nearly $175-million sports arena in early 2023. (Minneapolis - St. Paul Business Journal)
 

Trammell Crow tapped to develop Eagan BCBS site for 3M spinoff Solventum
Solventum's planned renovation of a now-vacant building, formerly part of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota's headquarters, will happen at 1750 Yankee Doodle Road. At the same building, an entity tied to Trammell recently brought forward plans for uses that largely align with Solventum's plan to construct a high-tech medical research and development facility in Eagan. Just a week before Solventum's plans were unveiled in the city, Trammell put forward plans to purchase and reuse the over 200,000-square-foot building. (Minneapolis - St. Paul Business Journal)
 

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OCTOBER 18

Eagan drives development by being 'land recyclers'
Eagan is a largely built-out Twin Cities suburb that's nowhere to be found on Finance & Commerce's latest list of the top 10 Minnesota cities for new housing permits. Though it has added a couple thousand housing units since the late 2010s, its population has grown by only about 6% since 2000, much slower than neighboring Apple Valley or Rosemount. But Eagan is poised for another growth spurt later this decade thanks to two major redevelopment projects: Ryan Companies' mixed-use vision for 179-acre portion of a sprawling Thomason Reuters property and the city's long-awaited transformation of about 80-acres around popular Central Park. Meanwhile, development continues at the multi-phase Viking Lakes site, where more than 800-units of new housing are completed or under construction. And Eagan's sought-after industrial submarket could add needed capacity at the Thomas Reuters site if Ryan's plan for up to 1.5-million-square-feet bears out. (Finance & Commerce)
 

Building Buzz: October 7-11

We're reading the headlines so you don't have to.

This week’s Building Buzz is packed with valuable updates. From exciting developments like the St. Paul Public Schools' expansive remodel project and the new infrastructure improvements in Anoka, don't miss this weekly round-up of high-value projects. If you're eager to gain an edge on upcoming bids, dive in for all the details on what’s happening across Minnesota’s construction scene—and discover how these opportunities could shape your next big move.
 

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OCTOBER 7

AP Construction to renovate Anderson High School in Northwest Austin
Adolfson & Peterson (AP) Construction has been awarded the contract to renovate Anderson High School, which is part of the Austin Independent School District and located on the city's northwest side. The project will deliver a new 43,350-square-fioit competition gym with an 1,800-seat capacity, locker rooms with coaches' offices, training rooms, officials' dressing rooms and laundry facilities. In addition, common spaces will be updated, while the entry vestibule and front office will be reconfigured for security. Lastly, AP will construct a new science facility featuring robotics and computer labs. (RE Business Online)
 

Beacon nears construction of Kimball Court rehab, expansion
The Kimball Court apartments, a nearly 100-year-old former hotel with a rich history tied in part to the U.S. civil rights movement, is nearing a major rehab and expansion in St. Paul's Hamline Midway Neighborhood. Beacon Interfaith Housing Collaborative, which owns and operates the building as a shelter for vulnerable people coming out of homelessness, plans to update the existing 76-unit building at 545 Snelling Avenue North and create 22 new units on the site of the vacant Star Food Market building at 555 Snelling Avenue North. Working with Flannery Construction and design firm LHB, the St. Paul-based nonprofit hopes to begin the nearly $19-million project in December and wrap things up in May 2026. (Finance & Commerce)
 

Blaze Credit Union undergoes $8M branch overhaul
The sweeping overhaul, which is expected to be completed by the end of the year, will include everything from replacing signs ($3.7-million), updating interior and exterior branding ($114,00 and $3.6-million, respectively), and upgrades to furniture, fixtures and equipment ($500,000). The project is the final big step following the January merger of Falcon Heights-based Spire Credit Union and St. Paul-based Hiway Credit Union, which created the state's fourth-largest credit union with 250,000 members, $4-billion in assets and 26 branches. (Minneapolis - St. Paul Business Journal)
 

Milwaukee veterans center begins expansion
The Center for Veterans Issues and The Alexander Company broke ground on an expansion and renovation of CVI's support facility at 3330 West Wells Street. The center will get a 53,000-square-foot expansion, bump its total units up to 81 and offer indoor and outdoor community spaces. The project was boosted by public funding sources, including a lineup of developers and development partners. Milwaukee-based Kelly Construction & Design is the general contractor for the $21-million project. Demolition work started in August, and the project is expected to be complete in the last quarter of 2025. (Finance & Commerce)
 

Minneapolis / St. Paul apartment construction projected to fall sharply
After a decade's worth of building, the Minneapolis / St. Paul metro area is expected to see one of the nation's largest declines of new apartment construction, according to a new report. Axios has a digest of the latest numbers from Rent Cafe, which is projecting 28,554 apartments completed between 2024 and 2028, in the Twin Cities market. That's down 42% from 49,184 units completed between 2019 and 2023 and the nation's second-biggest drop in total unit declines, after Houston. You can read the full Rent Cafe report here. (Minneapolis - St. Paul Business Journal)
 

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OCTOBER 8

Big data center project nears construction in Chaska
After years of planning, a major data center project appears to be on the cusp of construction in Chaska. CloudHQ will go before the Chaska Planning Commission with plans to build the 1.4-million-square-foot facility on a 70-acre site north of Engler Boulevard and west of Clover Ridge Drive. The commission will consider CloudHQ's requests for preliminary site and building plan, preliminary plat, zoning ordinance amendment and conditional use permit approvals. The project has been in the works since 2022. A year ago, the city granted a conditional use permit to allow construction of a 30-foot berm along the north and east edges of the development site, a project requirement. (Finance & Commerce)
 

Maple Grove OKs final plat for senior housing co-op
The senior housing development is a 74-unit, four floor apartment cooperative along with six twin homes west of the intersection of Maple Grove Parkway and Highway 81 in the fifth addition to the Rush Hollow neighborhood. according to planning documents. The project is pitched at Rush Hollow, one of the newest neighborhoods in Maple Grove and features 527 homes, split between single family properties and townhomes. The developer says since the project is a cooperative, meaning the apartment dwellers will own shares of one single mortgage, the property needs to get 60% of the 80-units reserved before construction can begin. (Finance & Commerce)
 

Minnesota cities propose sales tax hikes to cover new parks and rec centers
A half-dozen Twin Cities suburbs are asking voters to approve sales tax hikes this November to pay for new and improved community centers and parks. Projects on local ballots range from a new state-of-the-art sports facility in Chanhassen with ice sheets, a field house and an indoor playground, to improvements to Stillwater's riverfront park. Others, like Brooklyn Center, have proposed upgrades to existing facilities. Richfield is pitching voters on a plan to renovate its 63-year-old community center to include a gym, an indoor walking track and underground parking. (Axios Twin Cities)
 

North Oaks Co. pitches 350 housing units in Lino Lakes
North Oaks Company presented its vision for a mixed-use development to the Lino Lakes City Council, but the council didn't take formal action on the proposal, which calls for two 100-unit market-rate apartment buildings, a 100-unit senior living facility, and 56 townhomes (34 rentals and 22 for-sale units), according to a city staff report. Known as Wilkinson Waters, the project would also create 33,000-square-feet of retail space on the 76-acre development site just south of County Road J / Ash Street / CSAH 32, west of Centerville Road and north of Wilkinson Lake Boulevard. The site is zoned "rural" and would need to be rezoned to "planned unit development," according to the city. (Finance & Commerce)
 

Urban tree planting increases Milwaukee's local lumber supply
Members of the design community will plant trees in an "urban forest," a movement focusing on the environmental, economic and social benefits of sourcing lumber locally. The first yearly tree planting kicked off in 2019 and aims to connect architects, designers and other built environment professionals to the forest, said Dwayne Sperber, owner of Wudeward Urban Forest Products. His company supplies urban wood products to different projects, notably the community staircase at the expanded Baird Center. The 40-tread staircase used urban ash from the Milwaukee area, he added. (Finance & Commerce)
 

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OCTOBER 9

Big-D Midwest begins townhome project in Rogers
The project, Big-D Midwest's second collaboration with Bigos, includes 20 units in two buildings, according to a press release. The townhomes will be an addition to the existing The Preserve at Commerce complex, which includes 198 apartment units. The property is northeast corner of Highways 94 and 101. (Finance & Commerce)
 

Corps awards $10M contract for 'protective island'
The St. Paul District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has been awarded a $10-million contract to South Dakota-base Three Oaks Construction Inc. to construct a "protective island" upstream from an embankment at Lock and Dam 2 near Hastings, Minn., according to a press release. The work will begin this spring and end in fall 2027. (Finance & Commerce)
 

Grants for community projects help boost broadband access in Wisconsin
Governor Tony Evers and the Wisconsin Department of Administration (DOA) announced $115-million to construct and renovate community facilities in local and tribal communities to build up broadband access. The municipalities will receive grants through DOA's Flexible Facilities Program (FFP), which is funded by the U.S. Department of Treasury's Capital Projects Fund (CPF) and the American Rescue Plan Act, enacted by the Biden-Harris Administration in 2021. (Finance & Commerce)
 

Groundbreaking set for geothermal system at The Heights
St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter, Council Member Nelsie Young and other project supporters will be on hand to celebrate the start of construction. The system is touted in a press release as the "first aquifer thermal energy storage system in Minnesota." (Finance & Commerce)
 

MnDOT seeks construction manager for $86M 'campus redevelopment'
Snowplows and other essential Minnesota Department of Transportation vehicles are getting bigger --- and the aging, 65-year-old Virginia, Minnesota, facility that stores and houses maintenance operations for such equipment isn't keeping up with the times. In a nutshell, that's MnDOT's reason for an $86-million effort to "redevelop" its District 1 Virginia campus with a new 175,000-square-foot truck station and headquarters facility. Site work is expected to begin next year, and the new facility will likely open in December 2027, according to MnDOT. MnDOT recently tapped architecture and engineering firm LHB to design the new facility and is in the market for a construction manager. MnDOT is accepting construction manager proposals through October 15th and plans to have a "short list" of finalists by October 28. The new facility will rise on the existing campus at 101 Hoover Road North in Virginia. (Finance & Commerce)
 

Rendering vs Realty: Mill District block development
A $161-million redevelopment of a downtown Minneapolis block near the corner of Washington and Portland Avenues wrapped up last month. The project not only brought a new fire station to the city, it also includes a 240-unit luxury apartment tower and a 90-unit affordable apartment building. The ground-floor space in the white tower --- called O2 --- was slated to feature two restaurants by celebrity chef Justin Sutherland. (Axios Twin Cities)
 

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OCTOBER 10

Apartments, townhomes coming to hard-luck Oakdale site
McGlynn Partners and Boo Realty are close to putting shovels in the ground for a project that will bring a 126-unit apartment building, a dozen rental townhome units and public spaces to the hard-luck Tanners Lake site in Oakdale, a candidate for new development since 2008. The Oakdale City Council granted rezoning, site plan and planned unit development approvals for the project, clearing the way for construction. The vacant two-parcel, 3.25-acres lakeside property is just east of Century Avenue and north of Hudson Boulevard and Interstate 94. The planned apartments and townhomes are market rate. Also included in the project are public attractions such as a boardwalk, patio, pier launch and "lakeside amenity building," according to a city staff report. (Finance & Commerce)
 

Growing Hispanic ice cream chain plans Apple Valley location
La Michiacana Purepecha will open inside a former Caribou Coffee shop on Cedar Avenue in Apple Valley, according to a photo posted to Facebook by the Apple Valley Chamber of Commerce. According to the chamber's post, La Michoacana's new highly visible location will soon be under construction. (Minneapolis - St. Paul Business Journal)
 

Sofidel's $250M paper mill expansion in Duluth crosses hurdle
Italian paper company Sofidel is moving ahead on its plans for a massive expansion of its Duluth paper mill. The city's Planning Commission voted to accept an environmental assessment worksheet as enough evidence that the project won't cause major environmental harm, clearing the way for Sofidel to expand the plant by more than 588,000-square-feet. The facility currently houses a 363,144-square-foot tissue mill building, a roughly 26,000-square-foot debarking building, a nearly 2,000-square-foot bark bin, a 600-square-foot scale building, a hazardous waste vault, a storm water pond, a former log yard, rail lines and parking. (Minneapolis - St. Paul Business Journal)
 

Building Buzz: September 23-27

We're reading the headlines so you don't have to.

From the Lakeville Lennar development clearing zoning hurdles to a Kentucky District judge partially blocking DOT's DBE program and a Wisconsin co-op pushing community solar panels to a $3.2-billion natural gas conversion plant project okayed in North Dakota, here's what was buzzing in the building world the week of September 23-27, 2024:
 

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SEPTEMBER 23

GN takes over Shutterfly's Shakopee facility, plans renovation
GN, a European company best known for its production of hearing aids announced that it would be moving its North American headquarters from its current Bloomington site to the Shakopee facility that was formerly a Shutterfly production facility. GN will lease 218,437-square-feet, about a quarter of which will be office space, while the remaining space is dedicated to warehouse and production space. The other renovations on the property will include creating an "in-house bistro," an exercise room and gaming room for employees. The transition to the new office will start in spring 2025 and its anticipated to end in fall 2025. (Finance & Commerce)
 

Lakeville Lennar development clears zoning hurdle
The Lakeville Planning Commission voted unanimously for a comprehensive guide plan amendment to allow 88 single-family units and 144 attached townhome units on property at the northeast intersection of 200th Street and Cedar Avenue. The development is being pitched by developer Lennar as Cedar Hills North. (Finance & Commerce)
 

MSP airport finishes runway reconstruction, 2025 runway closures ahead
The $24-million renovation project that began in June finished up over the weekend. The 3-month project, for routine maintenance and safety on the airport's main runways, closed off two of them, limiting the airport's available landing and take-off space. Next year, the airport will close the south parallel runway for reconstruction. Runway 12R-30L will be closed for two periods in 2025 --- April to May and September to October. (Minneapolis - St. Paul Business Journal)
 

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SEPTEMBER 24

Architecture firms Baker Associates acquires Foundation Architects
Baker Associates, an architecture firm that specializes in automotive dealerships, has acquired Foundation Architects, a firm that designs dental and eye care clinics, according to an announcement issues September 20th. The merger of the two Minneapolis-based firms will enable strategic growth for Baker Associates as it broadens its offerings across architectural and interior design services. (Minneapolis - St. Paul Business Journal)
 

Judge partially blocks DOT's DBE program
A federal judge has blocked a key component of the U.S. DOT's Disadvantaged Business Enterprise program in a move that could have widespread implications for workforce participation goals in federal contracts. U.S. District Court Judge Gregory Van Tatenhove granted a limited preliminary injunction against the DOT's DBE program, which sets goals that at least 10% of dollars in federal contracts be warded to women- and minority-owned firms, which are presumed to be disadvantaged under the program. Two road contractors asserted in a lawsuit filed last year that they had suffered reverse discrimination because their firms didn't fall into those categories. Van Totenhove agreed. The preliminary injunction could impact billions of dollars in federal funding. (Construction Dive)
 

Minneapolis eases rules on office-to-apartment conversion projects
The package of measures is meant to streamline or eliminate bureaucratic steps required to approve residential conversion projects --- something Minneapolis is looking to encourage as downtown tries to recover from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the shift to hybrid work. Specifics of the ordinance include: (1) Removing the need for Planning Commission approval and for public hearings on the conversions, which stakeholders say could speed up the process by one to two months; (2) Pausing a 2019 affordable-housing requirement for new residential developments for five years. (The requirement will still apply if a proposed conversion seeks to use public financial assistance such as tax increment financing.); and (3) Dropping the requirement for traffic studies on proposed developments of more than 250-units. (Minneapolis - St. Paul Business Journal)
 

Rochester development could create 900 units
A combined 301 units of single-family homes and townhomes are being pitched at the Rochester Planning Commission's meeting, and the plan leaves room open for quite a bit of expansion. The Prairie Ridge development would contain 250 townhome units along with 51 single-family homes and will have three parcels designated for a future multi-family development intended to hold 600 apartment units, according to Rochester planning documents. City staff have recommended the development for approval, according to documents, with hopes that it will further address the city's shortage of affordable, for-sale housing. (Finance & Commerce)
 

Twin Cities multi-family saw investment jump ion Q2
Led by the $74.3-million sale of Nordhaus and the $53-million sale of the 4Marq apartments, the second quarter of 2024 saw a sharp increase in multi-family sales compared with the first quarter and this time last year, according to a new report by Northmarq. Northmarq's report on the 2024 Q2 multi-family market showed that transaction levels increased two-fold compared with 2023 Q2, and that activity was up 67% from the first quarter of 2024. (Finance & Commerce)
 

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SEPTEMBER 25

Architect: Lino Lakes project on hold for 'nefarious' reasons
The designer of the proposed Madinah Lakes development in Lino Lakes is standing with the project's developers, who allege in a new lawsuit that religious discrimination motivated city leaders to oppose the project. Madinah Lakes, which would bring a mosque and hundreds of new housing units to the city, has been in limbo since June, when the City Council approved a moratorium on new housing within a 980-acre area that includes the project site. The project is "in perfect alignment with the city's comprehensive plan, which calls for mixed residential and commercial development of this property," according to the 88-page complaint filed in U.S. District Court. (Finance & Commerce)
 

EAW released for MN Department of Veterans Affairs campus in Hastings
A planned $221-million overhaul of the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs' campus in Hastings is up for environmental review. An Environmental Assessment Worksheet released reveals that the project includes construction of a new facility with 145 resident rooms and support spaces, and demolition of five existing buildings. As part of the project, crews would decommission a water tower and renovate a power plant known as Building 30, according to the EAW. If funding allows, the project could also include geothermal and solar energy systems. Construction is expected to last 30-months, but the start date is "dependent on project funding," according to the EAW. (Finance & Commerce)
 

Minneapolis panel OKs supportive care facility permit
Two weeks after the Business, Housing and Zoning Committee tabled a motion around a 24-bed, temporary supportive care facility in Uptown, the committee approved the interim use permit. Some conditions for approval have been adjusted following the applicants meeting with neighboring businesses, including a commitment to a 1 to 8 ratio for both security and nursing staff and the appointment of a community liaison officer. (Finance & Commerce)
 

Wisconsin co-op pushes community solar projects
Madison-based SolarShare Wisconsin Cooperative won a $200,000 prize from the U.S. Department of Energy's Energizing Rural Communities Prize. This was the second and final round for organizations to claim the prize, which is funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. SolarShare was picked out of 33 organizations and won $100,000 in the first phase last year. The cooperative works with solar contractors across the state who specialize in community scale solar projects. The contractors find solar projects that need funding and SolarShare assists with capital. The prize money from the second phase will be primarily used for capacity building and hiring staff. The cooperative also has a project for an agrivoltaics curriculum for K-12 students. (Finance & Commerce)
 

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SEPTEMBER 26

Former South Minneapolis Wells Fargo campus applies for historic designation
Wells Fargo has applied for national historic designation for its South Minneapolis Home Mortgage campus, which is being mothballed as the bank consolidates its Twin Cities corporate office footprint. If approved by state officials, the designation would make the property more attractive to developers because it would qualify for significant state and federal tax credits. While it could be re-used as an office campus, the demand for housing is much greater. The state matches a 20% federal tax credit on projects that preserve and renovate old buildings. While the cost of converting the campus to apartments is unknown, if a developer hypothetically spent $100-million on construction, it could qualify for $20-million in federal tax credits plus $20-million in state tax credits. (Axios Twin Cities)
 

Frey says surplus for Agate funding doesn't exist
A week after the Minneapolis City Council passed a resolution putting together $1.5-million using surplus funds from 15 departments to prevent the imminent closure of a 130-bed shelter, the mayor's office claims the surplus money isn't there. According to an email from Deputy City Operations Officer Saray Garnett-Hochuli to t he City Council members, the $1.5-million allocated was made with "no discussion with the Office of Public Service as to the impacts this would have on our departments." The email continues to list 12 cuts made to various spending outlets buy the city, including job advertisement, forgoing continuing education for Assessor's Office staff and cutting funds for North Commons Park by $350,000. (Finance & Commerce)
 

Post-pandemic construction jobs up in Wisconsin, report says
While other industries are struggling to reclaim jobs after the pandemic, the construction workforce successfully bounced back in the last three years. That's according to a report released by the Wisconsin Policy Forum, which measured the state's job recovery after the pandemic. Construction employment was 8.3% higher in 2023 than in 2019, according to the report. State employment averaged over 2.9-million in 2023, which was 1.2% higher than in 2019, the report noted. (Finance & Commerce)
 

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SEPTEMBER 27

Dunwoody president on opportunities in the trades
As the 11th president of Dunwoody College of Technology, Scott Stallman does his part to advance Dunwoody's goal of preparing students to work in high-demand fields, such as the construction trades. The Minneapolis institution has been dedicated to that mission since 1914, when William Hood Dunwoody founded the school. At the time, Stallman said, there wasn't enough skilled labor to meet the high demand for manufacturing jobs. In the following interview, Stallman talks about efforts to improve diversity in the construction trades, the ongoing need for skilled labor, and other topics. (Finance & Commerce)
 

North Dakota PSC okays $3.2B natural gas conversion plant
North Dakota utility regulators approved a Canadian company's large-scale project to convert natural gas into higher-value products such as diesel fuel and lubricants. Cerilon will build the $3.2-billion gas-to-liquids plant near Trenton, west of Williston in Williams County. The North Dakota Public Service Commission is requiring that Cerilon file a construction management plan that would address traffic around the plant. The three-person commission approved the siting application unanimously. (KFGO-AM News)
 

While some Milwaukee projects take off, others hit roadblocks
Some projects such as The Couture get built after years of delay. But for every project without a hitch, some projects such as The Caroline and the Hotel Third Ward hit roadblocks. The latter projects was slated to be an 11-story hotel addition to the historic Hoffco building in the Third Ward. In 2021, Wimmer Properties proposed turning the former warehouse into a 102-room boutique hotel operated as a Marriott Tribute Portfolio. The neighborhood architecture board gave approval, but the Hoofco building currently stands as is. The story is similar for a handful of public and private projects across the city. (Finance & Commerce)