CHASKA, MINN. — StorageMart has opened a self-storage facility in the Minneapolis suburb of Chaska. The property contains 544 units and more than 89,000 square feet of rentable space. A variety of storage options include climate-controlled units and drive-through loading bays. Based in Columbia, Mo., StorageMart is privately owned and family operated.
BLOOMINGTON, MINN. — PCCP has provided a $23.8 million senior loan for the refinancing of Embassy Suites Bloomington in suburban Minneapolis. A venture between Lubert-Adler Real Estate Fund VII, Aimbridge Hospitality and Chelsea Hospitality Partners was the borrower. Loan terms were not disclosed. Built in 1980 and recently renovated, the 232-suite hotel is located at 2800 American Blvd. West. The eight-story property features 6,000 square feet of meeting space, a restaurant and bar, business center, fitness center, gift shop and indoor pool. Suites range in size form 476 to 532 square feet.
COTTAGE GROVE, MINN. — Hillcrest Development LLLP and The Opus Group have broken ground on the first building at Southeast Industrial Park in Cottage Grove, about 25 miles southeast of Minneapolis. Completion of the 161,000-square-foot industrial building is slated for this September. North Star Sheets, a corrugated paper manufacturer, will occupy the building. This is the first phase in a multiphase, rail-served industrial development undertaken by Opus and Hillcrest. An additional 24 acres remain undeveloped on the site, which Hillcrest owns, allowing for 300,000 to 350,000 square feet of future development. Hillcrest has retained Eric Rossbach of Colliers International to market the site for lease. Opus Development Co. is the developer, Opus Design Build is the design-builder and Opus AE Group is the architect and structural engineer of record.
MINNEAPOLIS — CBRE Capital Markets has arranged the sale of a 12-property industrial tech portfolio totaling 914,698 square feet in the Twin Cities. A joint venture between Artemis Real Estate Partners and Eagle Ridge Partners purchased the portfolio, which was 87 percent leased at the time of sale. Tenants include a mix of high-tech services, manufacturing, biotechnology, media production and other companies in the tech industry. The properties are located in the suburbs of Woodbury, Oakdale, Plymouth, Maple Grove, Minnetonka and Eden Prairie. Judd Welliver, Ryan Watts, Sonja Dusil and Tom Holtz of CBRE represented the seller, a private REIT.
FRIDLEY, MINN. — LKQ Corp. has signed a 200,000-square-foot industrial lease at Northern Stacks in Fridley, about 10 miles north of Minneapolis. The provider of automobile repair parts will occupy the entire square footage of Stacks VII, the seventh and final building at the industrial park slated for completion in January 2019. To date, developers Hyde Development and M.A. Mortenson Co. have completed five buildings, four of which are fully leased. Eric Batiza and Jason Simek of Colliers International represented Hyde in the lease transaction. Vic Overholser of SDS Realty represented LKQ.
LITTLE FALLS, MINN. — Timber Development has sold a 12,000-square-foot retail center in the central Minnesota city of Little Falls for $1.2 million. The newly renovated property is 100 percent leased. Tenants include Maurice’s Clothing, Shoe Sensation and Cricket Wireless. Erin Patton of Marcus & Millichap brokered the transaction. The buyer was not disclosed.
ROCHESTER, MINN. — The Opus Group and Titan Development & Investments have begun construction of a 154-unit apartment project Rochester, located in the southeast corner of the state. The six-story building will include 9,000 square feet of ground-level retail space. Amenities will include a dog wash, swimming pool, fire pit, clubroom and fitness center. Unit sizes will range from studios to penthouses. Completion is slated for summer 2019. Opus Design Build LLC is the design-builder and Opus AE Group is the interior designer, architect and structural engineer of record.
Exciting times are in store for the senior living industry. A massive generation of baby boomers is entering the golden years of retirement and beyond, driving a wave of demand for seniors housing. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates 78 million baby boomers were born between 1946 and 1964. The youngest boomers are 54 this year and the oldest are 72, so we are just eclipsing the front end of the wave. In 2029, just 11 years from now, all baby boomers will be at least 65 years old, with the vast majority beyond age 65. This group will represent 20 percent of the U.S. population, and that is when the wave may start to resemble a tsunami. Strength in numbers Demographers agree that circumstances are favorable for growth in the seniors housing market, and the real estate industry is responding. In the Twin Cities, market conditions are balanced with an adequate supply of seniors housing to handle the first groups of seniors moving in. At this time, we observe that the greatest demand is for independent living versus assisted living, memory care or skilled nursing. Overbuilding has not been an issue in the Twin Cities and most of the Midwest …
WHITE BEAR LAKE AND LAKE ELMO, MINN. — US Storage Centers, in partnership with Harrison Street Real Estate Capital LLC, has acquired two self-storage facilities in Minnesota for an undisclosed price. Both properties, which feature climate-controlled units, will be rebranded as US Storage Centers. One of the facilities, a 922-unit, 83,264-square-foot property, is located in White Bear Lake, about 20 miles northeast of Minneapolis. The other is a 790-unit facility with 69,038 square feet of self-storage space in Lake Elmo, about 24 miles east of Minneapolis. US Storage Centers currently manages approximately 8 million square feet of self-storage space nationwide.
MINNEAPOLIS — City Club Apartments (CCA) has broken ground on its newest community in the central business district of Minneapolis. The 17-story property will feature 307 apartments and penthouses. CCA is also preserving the adjacent 1907 Handicraft Building and converting the historic Guild Assembly Hall, which will be a 3,500-square-foot, two-story restaurant and bar, entertainment and event space with a year-round outdoor patio. A 17th-floor Sky Club will feature a gourmet kitchen, big screen TVs and fireplace. A Sky Park will include an outdoor pool, spa and movie theater. Completion is slated for summer 2019. Frana Cos. is the general contractor and BKV Group and Damon Farber are the project architects. Union Labor Life Insurance Co. provided construction financing. The majority of the apartments are considered affordable for those earning between $45,000 and $65,000 per year.