Dozens of outstanding projects were developed in the past year across the Twin Cities metropolitan area. Forty projects were nominated for special awards. The Minnesota Chapter of NAIOP, the Commercial Real Estate Development Association, selected 13 projects as Awards of Excellence winners. Eight of the winning projects are located in the suburbs, three are in Minneapolis and two are in St. Paul.
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.
Category - Downtown and North Loop Office Location - 501 8th St. S., Minneapolis Owner - Kraus-Anderson Construction Co. Developer - KA Block, LLC General Contractor - Kraus-Anderson Construction Co. Architect - Pope Architects Interior Designer - Pope Architects Size - 99,035 square feet
The leadership of Kraus-Anderson decided to build on the vitality of the East Town development in downtown Minneapolis. The result is a five-story modern building that is wrapped in glass that maximizes daylighting and cityscape views. Two levels of underground parking are used by Kraus-Anderson and its neighbors. More than 100 employees provided input into the design of the headquarters, which includes a training center, café, collaboration hub and patio. Employees from three locations were consolidated in this building, so care was taken to blend the cultures of the multiple work sites.
Category - Hospitality Location - 2400 Mystic Lake Blvd. NW, Prior Lake Owner - Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community Developer - Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community General Contractor - PCL Construction Services Inc. Architect - WorthGroup Architects Interior Designer - WorthGroup Architects Size - 280,864 square feet
The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community financed this 12-story structure with 180 hotel units. The new center and hotel, which increased convention center capacity in the Twin Cities region, overlooks Meadows Golf Course. PCL Construction Services needed to meet a tight construction schedule. The project had to be ready for the 2018 Super Bowl. NFL executives were scheduled to stay at the hotel and Mystic Lake hosted Super Bowl entertainment events. The center’s exterior is covered with SageGlass that incorporates state-of-the-art electrochromic technology that prevents glare and heat gain without using blinds or solar controls.
Category - Industrial, Build-to-Suit Location - 425 Concord St., South St. Paul Owner - Rihm Kenworth, tenant Developer - Interstate Partners General Contractor - R.J. Ryan Construction Architect - Pope Architects Interior Designer - Pope Architectss Size - 60,169 square feet
As this family-owned company grew, it looked for a new location for its headquarters that includes space for sales, service, parts, retail, warehouse and offices. The finished facility design is distinctive and incorporates Kenworth branding. Rihm is one of the oldest Kenworth truck dealers in the world. The new building conveys a truck-themed feel. The exterior features rust-colored insulated pre-cast sandwich panels, with a clear aluminum and glass curtain wall and black metal panel accent forms. Careful planning resulted in a good solution for car and tractor-trailer circulation, along with efficient movement for service and wash bays.
Category - Industrial, Bulk Distribution Location - 2101 4th Ave. E., Shakopee Owner - Duke Realty Developer - Duke Realty General Contractor - Duke Realty Architect - Architects Ltd. Interior Designer - Pope Architectss Size - 374,700 square feet
The Gateway South 2101 project completed the Gateway South Business Park that’s located on 50 acres. The recent building was constructed on speculation as a warehouse and distribution center. The building plan size increased shortly after MyPillow signed a lease, and the building was repositioned on the lot. It was 100 percent leased, including a Target commitment, before construction was completed. The concepts of rhythm and pattern were used in the exterior finishes. To support sustainability, blasted bedrock was crushed and repurposed, and that saved trucking of about 20,000 tons of rock.
Category - Light Industrial, High Finish Location - 44 Northern Stacks Dr., Fridley Owner - Northern Stacks IV LLC, a joint venture of Hyde Development and Mortenson Properties Developer - Hyde Development General Contractor - M.A. Mortenson Co. Architect - Mohagen Hansen Interior Designer - Mohagen Hansen Size - 177,600 square feet
This building project features 23 docks and two drive-ins and provides 150,600 square feet of manufacturing and warehouse space. The bold, modern design includes extensive use of glass on the front of the building. This project involved speculative construction, but it was completely pre-leased before it opened. Two distribution users are among the tenants. This building was part of redevelopment of a federal and state Superfund site. It was constructed on a tight timeline and finished ahead of schedule. The location provides connections to Metro Transit buses, the North Star commuter train and regional bike trails.
Category - Light Industrial, Low Finish Location - 9350 Broadway Ave. W., Brooklyn Park Owner - CSM Corp. Developer - CSM Corp. General Contractor - R.J. Ryan Construction Architect - CSM Corp. Size - 202,131 square feet
Category - Medical Office Location - 2945 Hazelwood St., Maplewood Owner - Hazelwood Medical Building LLC Developer - Davis General Contractor - Timco Construction Inc. Architect - bdh+young Interior Designer - bdh+young Size - 148,000 square feet
Minneapolis-based Davis wanted to develop the highest quality health care facility possible while meeting the objectives of HealthEast. What was achieved was a one-stop, multispecialty center that is modern, functional, convenient and user-friendly. Davis also had a goal of meeting the rental rate of a tenant’s needs as well as produce a return that met investor criteria. To address increased tenant demand, the building’s size was expanded twice after construction already had begun. Special features include a floating glass staircase, original artwork from local artists and a glass art piece that changes colors based on light intensity.
Category - Mixed Use Location - 10 2nd St. SE, Minneapolis Owner - Schafer Richardson Developer - Schafer Richardson General Contractor - Frana Cos. Architect - ESG Architects Interior Designer - ESG Architects Size - 120,422 square feet
Nye’s restaurant owners chose Schafer Richardson in 2015 to develop this site into a project that was visually appealing and financially viable. It adaptively re-uses the 112 Hennepin building, which features a corner historic apartment above the new, smaller Nye’s bar. In addition, the Harness Shop, a 1905 structure, features historic commercial space and two residential units. Brick and black metal panel cladding are used on the new structure that was designed to fit in seamlessly with the original brick buildings. The residential portion contains efficiently designed alcove units, three-bedroom historic lofts and upscale penthouse units.
Category - Multi-Family Location - 2323 Charles Ave., St. Paul Owner - Cookie Drawer Co. LLC Developer - Cookie Drawer Co. LLC General Contractor - Weis Builders Architect - UrbanWorks Architecture LLC Interior Designer -UrbanWorks Architecture LLC Size - 64,279 square feet
A majority of the housing units in this project fall into the “micro” category, ranging from 372 to 505 square feet. The apartments are located one block from the Raymond Avenue LRT station on the Green Line. The development consists of studios and one-, two- and three-bedroom units. There is a communal living room that serves as common space for the residents. Because of the compact nature of the affordable apartments, custom kitchens have a built-in storage galley with minimal hardware and concealed appliances. Many units also have sofas that convert to beds and coffee tables that rise and expand.
Category - Office Build-to-Suit Location - 2800 Mount Ridge Road, Roseville Owner - Calyxt Developer - Capital Real Estate Inc. General Contractor - JE Dunn Construction Architect - Alliance LLC Interior Designer -Alliance Size - 39,450 square feet
Calyxt is a private company that needed offices and lab spaces. The business combines patented gene-editing technology with the delivery of healthier specialty food ingredients and crops with enhanced traits. The new building features wood and brick, and glazing is used to reinforce indoor-outdoor connections to test plots and Langton Lake Park. Capital Real Estate took ownership of this project through a sale/leaseback agreement. That allowed Calyxt to move forward with a building that could meet its unique needs—providing the right infrastructure for current research and future robotics capabilities.
Category - Repositioned/Renovated, New Use Location - 400 Wabasha St. N., St. Paul Owner - Go Wild LLC, (Hempel Cos. and St. Paul Port Authority) Developer - 396 Wabasha, Go Wild LLC General Contractor - RJM Construction Architect - Collaborative Design Group Interior Designer - Lulu Designs Size - 540,000 square feet
The Treasure Island Center is what resulted from renovation of the former Macy’s building in downtown St. Paul. After the St. Paul Port Authority acquired the building, it planned to demolish the structure. However, it shifted its focus to redevelopment and worked closely with its two anchor tenants, Walgreen’s and the Minnesota Wild. The 1960s department store has been transformed into a modern, mixed-use building that provides retail, office and entertainment spaces. An NHL-standard ice arena was built on the original roof for use as a Minnesota Wild practice facility. It seats 1,200 people.
Category - Repositioned/Renovated, Tenant Improvement Location - 111 Washington Ave. S., Minneapolis Owner - Shorenstein Developer - 396 Wabasha, Go Wild LLC General Contractor - Gardner Builders Architect - NELSON Interior Designer - NELSON Size - 126,892 square feet
ECMC, a nonprofit that focuses its work on post-secondary educational funding, underwent a major renovation of its space. The new design means a 75 percent reduction in its office count and a 30 percent increase in collaboration space types. Interconnecting stairs were created to link floors 10 through 15 and end at the rooftop level where a new deck was developed. In support of the organization’s social culture, open areas were added for impromptu meetings. A large employee hub, which seats 200 people, now is adjacent to the rooftop deck that is 3,500 square feet.
Category - Special Purpose Location - 2600 Vikings Circle, Eagan Owner - Minnesota Vikings Developer - MV Development Company, LLC General Contractor - Kraus-Anderson Architect - Crawford Architects Interior Designer - Crawford Architects Size - 544,446 square fee
Major elements of this project are a 192,000-square-foot headquarters for the Minnesota Vikings, a 93,000-square-foot practice facility and a 6,500-seat outdoor stadium. These facilities were constructed on land that formerly housed the headquarters of Northwest Airlines. The site has six football fields—four with natural grass and two with synthetic turf. The roof of the practice facility also is well-suited for punting practice. The team reports that some free agents commented on the high quality of the facilities before they signed with the Vikings. Current players use the center for training in the off-season.
Thirteen NAIOP awards were given to outstanding projects this year. An awards ceremony was scheduled for September 27 in Minneapolis. Twenty-seven other projects were recognized as nominees. Here are the nominees by category:
Tom Shaver, a partner in Wayzata-based Inland Development Partners (IDP), is the winner of the 2018 NAIOP Minnesota President’s Award. It is NAIOP’s highest honor, and the winner is selected by chapter leaders from a field of candidates nominated by members.
NAIOP said that Shaver’s development expertise, in a commercial real estate career that spans about 35 years, has translated into benefits for clients and the cities where the projects are located. “Shaver’s goals within the built environment stem from IDP’s mission of serving as stewards for clients and communities, and collaborating to provide the very best in real estate know-how and execution,” NAIOP Minnesota said in a statement announcing the award.
The organization highlighted some of the major projects that Shaver worked on in the Twin Cities region. Those projects are: the redevelopment that will become Rice Creek Commons in Arden Hills; Excelsior Crossings, a 31-acre multi-use redevelopment in Hopkins; UnitedHealth Group’s 320,000-square-foot corporate campus in Minnetonka; and the Flying Cloud corporate campus, a 293,000-square-foot development in Eden Prairie.
The President’s Award goes to a person who has displayed outstanding service to the industry as a founder, catalyst or promoter of the industry’s economic or professional growth. It also recognizes contributions to NAIOP and the broader community.
IDP is involved in land development, asset repositioning and site redevelopment. Shaver, who promotes involvement and inclusivity, has been active within industry associations and the community. Shaver served as NAIOP Minnesota president in 2005, and he has served in many other leadership capacities within the organization. He’s mentored new entrants to the industry, generated program ideas for NAIOP and was a strong contributor to the organization’s strategic discussions.
He also used his leadership skills and substantive expertise in service within the civic and business communities. He served on the board of directors of Klein Bank and chaired the city of Wayzata Housing and Redevelopment Authority. Other board service has included the Opus Foundation and Interfaith Outreach and Community Partners.