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

From Milwaukee's potential I-794 replacement project to an OK'ed warehouse plan in Coon Rapids, and Stearns County's search for a 'greenfield' for a justice center project to a proposed 148-unit apartment building in Apple Valley, here's what was buzzing in the building world the week of August 5-9, 2024:
 

AUGUST 5

Hundreds of homes proposed for northwest area of Inver Grove Heights
National Land Holdings LLC, a land developer, is floating plans for 524 apartments, 145 townhomes and 83 single-family lots on the 108-acre development site at 6470 and 6680 South Robert Trail and 1401 70th Street East, which is on the east side of South Robert Trail between 70th Street and 65th Street, according to a staff report for the August 7th Inver Grove Heights Planning Commission meeting. The proposed housing mix includes "high-quality, market-rate apartments" for "professionals and senior residents desiring single-level living with substantial amenities," according to the narrative. Also planned are townhomes and villas for "families, seniors and professionals." (Finance & Commerce)
 

Milwaukee's potential I-794 replacement project comes to life
A new interactive map will show the public what a mile stretch of downtown Milwaukee could look like without an existing freeway spur. It's part of a campaign from Rethink 794, a campaign lobbying for the Wisconsin Department of Transportation to remove Interstate 794 from the river to the lakefront. Last year, WisDOT shared alternative concepts ranging from removing ramps to getting rid of the freeway completely and opting for an at-grade boulevard. (Finance & Commerce)
 

Sustainable: 'Hempcrete' offers low-carbon building insulation
Located two hours southwest of the Twin Cities near Morton, the Lower Sioux Indian Community is one of the national leaders in testing and using "hempcrete," a plant-based replacement for typical insulation. A few years ago, tribal leaders wanted to create more employment opportunities for its more than 1,100 members and decided to pursue developing a growing, processing and building system for hempcrete. (Finance & Commerce)
 

AUGUST 6

ABC of Wisconsin breaks apprenticeship record
The Associated Builders and Contractors of Wisconsin celebrated a record-breaking 2,475 apprentices this year joining its statewide program. In June, there were 286,000 openings in the construction industry, preliminary data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics showed. However, construction associations report that more positions are needed to keep up with demand in coming years. There were 600 apprentices who enrolled for the first time ever this year, according to ABC officials. This is up nearly 100 from the year before, officials said, and the average apprentice age moved from 28 to 25 and many start at 18, making this year's enrollment younger than previous sessions. (Finance & Commerce)
 

Apartment development site in Minnetonka sells for $5.8M
Greystar's long-planned 269-unit apartment building in Minnetonka is on the cusp of construction following a nearly $6-million property sale. GS-CV Opus Station Owner LLC, an entity related to South Carolina-based Greystar, paid $5.8-million for the property, an existing office building, at 10701 Bren Road East in the Opus Business Park area, according to a newly published certificate of real estate value. A project narrative reveals that Greystar plans to tear down the 1980s-vintage office building at the site to make way for the apartment building. Located near a future Southwest Light Rail station, the development site is accessible to parks, trails, retail attractions and employers that include Boston Scientific, United Health Group and Digital River, according to plans submitted to the city. Designed by ESG Architecture & Design, the largely market-rate project will include 14-units affordable at 40% of the area's median income and 14 at 80%. (Finance & Commerce)
 

Burns & McDonnell signs lease at Bloomington's Norman Pointe II
Engineering, construction and architecture firms Burns & McDonnell will move to a new 67,000-square-foot office space near Normandale Lake in Bloomington. The company is expected to move in 2025. Built in 2007, the 10-story Norman Pointe II spans 331,500-square-feet. Amenities include a cafe, 100-person conference facility, fitness center, daycare, and 1,362 parking spaces, according to the announcement. The company decided on the new office to provide a better working environment for its employees in a space that will be customized to spur collaboration. Burns & McDonnell will also display signage on the building. (Minneapolis - St. Paul Business Journal)
 

Coon Rapids OKs plan for warehouse
Steve Poindexter of JHM Medical Park LLC is proposing the 39,248-square-foot Holly Street Industrial building on a 2.82-acre site at 9255 Holly Street Northwest, according to city documents. The City Council approved a site plan for the project. Next steps include issuance of a building permit. In June, the Coon Rapids Planning Commission requested facade and site improvements for the project. After the developer added nine windows to the building, among other adjustments, the commission recommended approval of the site plan. The building will be about 95% to 98% warehouse space and will also include space for offices, distribution and possibly light assembly, according to a city staff report. (Finance & Commerce)
 

MSP Airport's Terminal 2 could double in size by 2040
The plan for Terminal 2 --- the main hub for Minnesota-based Sun Country Airlines --- is part of a bigger vision to overhaul almost every corner of MSP. Officials want to make room for the 50% increase in passenger traffic that they expect over the next 14 years. The airport announced construction has begun on a $268-million project to add two gates, a larger waiting area, and more restrooms and concessions to the north end of Terminal 2. That project will wrap up in early 2027. Later this year, two new gates will also open on the south end of the terminal. Additional phases promise to add nine more gates to the north end of Terminal 2, for a total of 36 gates by 2040. The plan also calls for an underground "people mover" to connect it with Terminal 1 behind airport security. (Axios Twin Cities)
 

Plymouth delays vote on Doran Cos. multi-family project
The proposed development of a two-building, 352-unit multi-family development, was put forward by Doran Cos. --- a Bloomington company led by Anne Behrendt --- and would redevelop four "fuctionally obsolete" office buildings on the site, located at or near 3131 Fernbrook Lane, according to planning documents. Moments before the council tabled its verdict on the development, it vcoted to amend the comprehensive plan to guide the site as LA-5, which would allow a development like the one Doran is proposing for the site. (Finance & Commerce)
 

AUGUST 7

Appleton airport continues expansion, aims to open new gates in March
Appleton International Airport continues construction to expand one of their terminals. The expansion will more than double its size, expanding to ten gates in the terminal. Additional amenities will include a sensory support room, a service animal relief area, additional ramps for widespread accessibility as well as a beer garden, bar and restaurant. Solar panels are also expected to be added at a later date which would allow the airport to produce, store and use their own energy. (NBC26 - Northwest Wisconsin)
 

Greystar locks in land at Opus Business Park for long-planned apartments
South Carolina developer Greystar seems ready to move ahead on a 269-unit apartment complex in Minnetonka after buying an office building for sale for $5.8-million. Developers plan to demolish the existing structure and replace it with a mostly market-rate apartment building, with 114-units affordable at 40% of area median income and another 14-units affordable at 80% of median income. Amenities will include a pool, golf simulator, sauna, and remote-work suites. (Minneapolis - St. Paul Business Journal)
 

Stearns County seeks 'greenfield' site for $325M justice center
Stearns County residents will vote up or down this fall on a proposed sales tax to building a new $325-million jail, courthouse and law enforcement center in St. Cloud --- an ambitious "justice center" project that will relieve pressures on existing undersized and aging facilities, including a historic downtown St. Cloud courthouse built more than 100 years ago. Given the needs, the project will go forward no matter how the vote on a 3/8-cent local option sales tax turns out, county officials said. Funding options include the sales tax, which would have a roughly $85-per-year impact on households, or a property tax with a $185 annual impact, according to county documents. Though the county hasn't settled on a specific site, county officials say it will be built on a greenfield location in St. Cloud. Even so, site selection --- and the potential impacts of moving county services out of downtown St. Cloud --- was a hot topic at the latest St. Cloud City Council meeting. (Finance & Commerce)
 

AUGUST 8

Construction projects reshape Green Bay area and beyond
The Fox Valley, including cities such as Appleton and Green Bay, this year rolled out a dozen projects that are reshaping its urban centers, industrial core and sports stadiums. These projects include renovations at Lambeau Field and recent investment in building Titletown, an entertainment and tech district dedicated to the Parkers stadium --- the latter of which team leadership credits for the NFL Draft coming in 2025. Housing projects persist as the Breem Bay metro area issued more housing permits per capita than before the pandemic, according to research. The Packers are leading projects in and outside of Lambeau Field, including 220-foot by 48-foot video boards on the north and south ends of the field and upgrades to the concourse, according to a team video Neenah-based Miron Construction crews were seen lifting supplies with cranes on different ends of the stadium. The team will also carry out construction of a third locker room, Mark Murphy, president and CEO of the Packers, told The Business News. In Titletown, crews are wrapping up a two-story, 46,048-square-foot Titletown Fit on the Titletown Podium, officials said. The project calls for a large fitness gym with space for a cafe, restaurant or retail use. (Finance & Commerce)
 

DNR urges developer to minimize impacts on Thomson Reuters site
The Minnesota Department of Resources is weighing in on Ryan Cos.' plans to bring new industrial and housing development to part of the Thomson Reuters property in Eagan, urging the city and the developer to take special care to protect local habitats and wetland son the 179-acre site. In a recent comment submitted to the city, the DNR noted that the removal of more than 100-acres of "woods, grasslands and wetlands" from the site would be "extremely impactful to local wildlife, water quality, the urban heat island index, and the aesthetic and recreational quality" of the area, which is framed by Yankee Doodle Road, Elrene Road, and Highway 149. The DNR, which submitted its comments as part of an environmental review process, called for the city to develop a management plan to reduce the amount of chloride released into lakes and streams. Also recommended were the use of native seed mixes in landscaping, and the installation of solar panels on new industrial buildings. (Finance & Commerce)
 

Woodbury considers 'last mile' distribution center
Woodbury may be a full warehouse richer  in a few years, as Ryan Cos. has proposed building a 225,000-square-foot industrial distribution center, according to recent planning documents. A hearing for the development, dubbed with the code name "Project Wrangler," went before the Woodbury City Planning Commission, where it received a recommendation for approval. Wrangler would be located at the southwest corner of Hudson Road and Manning Avenue, according to documents, near other Ryan-built distribution warehouses for Amazon and Kindeva. The warehouse is referred to in documents as a "last mile" facility and "will likely enhance product delivery times for the community." (Finance & Commerce)
 

AUGUST 9

148-unit affordable apartment building proposed in Apple Valley
The Apple Valley Economic Development, which issued a request for proposals for the site about two months ago, heard pitches from three finalists the afternoon of August 8th. The EDA took an especially strong liking to the pitch from Real Estate Equities, which wants to bring 148 affordable housing units to the 3.1-acre property at 15584 Gaslight Drive. All three proposals were strong, but the Real Estate Equities presentation "rose to the top," Mayor Clint Hooppaw said. The mayor added that the city looks at the "overall package" when considering development proposals, including depth of experience, parking and requests for financial assistance. Real Estate Equities, which has been developing residential properties since 1972, is proposing 148 affordable apartments and 237 parking stalls, including 149 underground and 88 surface spaces. Unit sizes range from one to three bedrooms. Proposed amenities include an outdoor patio, a playground, dog run, fitness center, and a clubroom. (Finance & Commerce)
 

Doran Cos., Inland propose townhomes in Minnetonka off Interstate 394
Doran Cos. and Inland Development Partners have recently submitted the concept plan to redevelop the 1.2-acre property, located at 11800 Wayzata Boulevard right off Interstate 394, to build 26 market-rate rental townhomes in Minnetonka. The site now houses a one-story office building, which would be demolished to make way for the new development. The new three-story townhomes, spread across four separate structures, would each have three bedrooms and span about 1,800-square-feet. Each unit would also have a two-care garage with private access. The project would have 12 guest surface parking stalls, two short-term package delivery stalls and a connection to a walking loop to the Marsh Run II apartments. City documents don't mention a planned start date, but construction is estimated to last 12-months after groundbreaking. (Minneapolis - St. Paul Business Journal)