Compiled by TCB staff
Minneapolis was a hotbed of strong development projects in the past year. But excellent projects also were developed across the Twin Cities area. Thirty-seven properties recently were nominated for special awards. NAIOP, long known as the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties, selected 10 projects as Awards of Excellence winners. The nominee properties were toured by 25 judges on June 16. The judges evaluated the buildings on project development, function and design, architectural integrity, market feasibility, sustainable attributes and unique project challenges. The winning properties, announced at a September event, are profiled on the following pages.
Kordonowy has worked within Steiner companies for 35 years. Steiner Construction Services builds commercial projects for investors and corporations. Its scope of work spans large-scale multimillion-dollar construction projects to small leasehold improvements. Kordonowy also serves in a leadership capacity with Steiner Development Inc., and Steiner Commercial Realty Inc.
He and his partners have been responsible for more than $500 million in commercial real estate investments, construction projects and brokerage transactions.
Kordonowy served as NAIOP Minnesota’s president in 2013 and on the board of directors multiple times. He’s been active on the organization’s Education Committee and as a mentor in the Developing Leaders program.
As a member of the Twin Cities community, he has provided leadership on many boards for local youth and civic organizations. He is a Rotary Club member and currently is a board member for Camp Fire Minnesota, which provides programming for young people.
Category | Hospitality
Location | 2141 Lindau Lane, Bloomington
Owner | Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community
Developer | M.A. Mortenson Co.
General Contractor | Mortenson Construction
Architect | DLR Group
Interior Designer | Design Force
Size | 306,000 square feet
This hotel was built in conjunction with a Mall of America expansion. The MOA project, including the JW Marriott, was completed within an aggressive 18-month project schedule. There are 321 guest rooms and 21 luxury suites in the hotel, which also includes 19,000 square feet of meeting and event space. The hotel’s farm-to-table restaurant features food from regional farms and seats 190 people. The energy-efficient structure is distinguished by a 50-foot stone wall in the lobby and stainless-steel shingles and glass details in the covered entrance.
Category | Industrial Build-to-Suit
Location | 9485 Winnetka Ave. N., Brooklyn Park
Owner | Wurth Group North America
Developer | United Properties
General Contractor | R.J. Ryan Construction Inc.
Architect: Pope Architects
Size | 150,000 square feet
Wurth Adams, which distributes fasteners to original equipment manufacturers in many industries, wanted a cutting-edge facility. The office and warehouse components are connected by a two-story glass skyway. Warehouse ceilings are high because of Wurth’s desire to install a sophisticated automation system. One of the challenges of the project was relocating a pipeline that bisected the site. Exterior LED lights are among the sustainability elements. Many building materials were manufactured locally, which reduced travel pollution to bring raw materials to the site.
Category | Light Industrial, High Finish
Location | 15175 25th Ave. N., Plymouth
Owner | FM6 MN Plymouth LLC
Developer | Opus Development Co. LLC
General Contractor | Opus Design Build LLC
Architect | Opus AE Group LLC
Interior Designer | Opus AE Group LLC
Size | 96,000 square feet
This new-construction, multi-tenant building is in a rare in-fill location within the Plymouth industrial area. The building has strong glass lines and masonry at entrances, and the overall structure was designed to complement existing buildings in the business park. Located off Highway 55, this project involved careful planning to address traffic, utility and storm water issues. Project personnel worked with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to ensure the project did not harm endangered species’ nesting or established wetlands.
Category | Light Industrial, Low Finish
Location | 6161 Golden Valley Road, Golden Valley
Owner | CenterPoint Energy
Developer | Frauenshuh Inc.
Size | 64,000 square feet
This building project allowed CenterPoint Energy to co-locate regional operations for office, warehouse, HomeService Plus, lab testing, pipe yard and peak shaving operations. The project was designed to physically screen nearby homes and bike paths from CenterPoint’s industrial uses. LEED Silver Certification standards were met in designing the project site and building. CenterPoint provided the city with land on the northwest corner of the property to allow for the Douglas Drive road construction project. Pipe relocations were among the project challenges.
Category | Medical Office/Medical
Location | 9400 Zane Ave. N., Brooklyn Park
Owner | IRET Properties
Developer | IRET Properties
Architect | Pope Architects Inc.
Interior Designer | Pope Architects Inc.
Size | 72,588 square feet
This privately run child and adolescent psychiatric hospital is the first of its kind in Minnesota. PrairieCare needed legislative approval before the 50-bed in-patient facility could be built. It opened in September 2015, and in less than three months it was filled to capacity. The core of the building houses classrooms, and art therapy and quiet and active group spaces. Large windows, color patterns and movable wood furniture are among the key elements of the in-patient bedrooms. To support the healing process, staff work areas are designed to be approachable to patients.
Category | Mixed Use
Location | 2200 W. 80½ St., Bloomington
Owner | United Properties/StuartCo
Developer | United Properties Development LLC
General Contractor | RJM Construction, Weis Builders
Architect | ESG Architects, Tushie Montgomery Architects
Interior Designer | ESG Architects
Size | 45,000 square feet of retail, 107-room hotel complex
Home2 Suites by Hilton and Minnesota’s first Fresh Thyme Farmers Market anchor this project. This mixed-use development is adjacent to Penn & American’s Phase I apartments. The grocery, retail and hotel components of Phase II were designed in concert with the city of Bloomington’s goals of urban density, walkability and community enhancement. One of the challenges associated with this development was setting it correctly on a very tight site at a busy intersection. The development was built with flexibility in mind because the site’s business mix likely will change over time.
Category | Multi-Family Apartments/Condos
Location | 501 Carlson Pkwy., Minnetonka
Owner | TC/P Island Venture LLC
Developer | High Street Residential, subsidiary of Trammell Crow Co.
General Contractor | Stevens Construction Corp.
Architect | ESG Architects
Size | 284,481 square feet
Located on a corporate office campus, this development is a 174-unit, five-story residential building. It is surrounded by water on all sides, and the building was positioned to preserve the natural and wild environment. Amenities include a clubroom, guest suite, wi-fi coffee lounge, fitness center, pool, grill stations, fire pit, massage room and sauna, storage rooms, pet washing area, heated underground parking and on-site professional management. The vision for the project was to bring more vitality to the Carlson Center campus by adding 24/7 life to the property.
Category | Office Build-to-Suit
Location | 500 N. Fifth St., Minneapolis
Owner | United Properties Development
General Contractor | RJM Construction
Architect | RSP Architects
Interior Designer | Perkins + Will
Size | 255,000 square feet
This build-to-suit headquarters is located in the North Loop district of Minneapolis. The light and transparent lobby area features a large granite and limestone wall. Be the Match leaders liked this site’s proximity to Target Field Station’s mass transit. The office building also includes event space and a public coffee bar. Construction was undertaken in a constrained space because the project site was located between the Ford Center and Fulton Brewery. Mobilization, staging and equipment handling were all done within the building footprint as the structure was built around it.
Category | Repositioned/Renovated
Location | 4800 East River Road, Fridley
Owner | Fridley Land LLC
Developer | Hyde Development
Architect | Mohagen Hansen
Interior Designer | Mohagen Hansen
Size | 585,225 square feet
This project involved the redevelopment of a federal and state Superfund site. Insulated metal panels were installed on a new south wall to create a “digital camouflage” pattern. A new design and colors allowed for the blending of a 75-year-old building into the surrounding state-of-the-art business park. This project supported the retention of more than 500 high-quality engineering jobs in Minnesota, and BAE entered into a new 10-year lease. While the facility was under construction, it was sold to Gramercy Property Trust for $46 million.
Category | Special Purpose
Location | 3800 Silver Bell Road, Eagan
Owner | Minnesota Autism Center
Developer | Ryan Companies US Inc.
General Contractor | Ryan Companies US Inc.
Interior Designer | RSP Architects
Size | 50,000 square feet
This project is located on a 6.5-acre site that houses a new classroom building adjacent to a 40,000-square-foot building that served 125 students. The new structure more than doubles the Minnesota Autism Center’s student capacity. The facility includes classrooms; art, music and meeting rooms; assembly areas; an arcade; and a gymnasium, track and lighted ball field. Careful design planning included strategies to eliminate falling and jumping hazards. A transparent glass entry link joins the classroom wing with the gymnasium and cafeteria wing.