URBANDALE, IOWA — Stahl is underway on the construction of the Millard A. Olmsted Elementary School within the Urbandale Community School District near Des Moines. The two-story, 118,000-square-foot elementary school will feature classrooms, auxiliary spaces, a kitchen and cafeteria, gymnasium and administration area. The $28 million building, located at 7110 Prairie Ave., will replace the previous Olmsted Elementary School. Demolition of the old school began in July 2019. The new school is expected to house up to 650 students with future expansion capabilities. It is slated for completion in May 2021.
Midwest
ROCHESTER, MINN. — Kraus-Anderson has completed the adaptive reuse and construction of the Development Services and Infrastructure Center and the North Station for the Rochester Police Department (RPD) in southern Minnesota. The total project investment was $18.4 million. As space became limited at City Hall, the City of Rochester bought the former Think Bank building and land in 2016 in order to relocate the RPD and the city’s newly formed Development Services and Infrastructure team, which includes the Community Development Department, Building Safety and Public Works. Designed by BKV Group, the 47,000-square-foot transformation of the Think Bank building began in July 2019.
HIGHLAND, ILL. —The City of Highland has selected S.M. Wilson & Co. to build a new $6.5 million public safety building. The 27,930-square-foot facility will house the city’s police, fire and EMS departments under one roof. A committee of public safety employees worked alongside the project architect, Loyet Architects. Completion is slated for summer 2021. Highland is located about 35 miles east of St. Louis.
CASSVILLE, MO. — Westco Home Furnishings Co. has signed a 10-year, 13,325-square-foot retail lease at Cassville Plaza in Southwest Missouri’s Cassville. The furniture retailer maintains 12 locations across Missouri, Kansas and Oklahoma. Midwest Retail Properties (MRP) owns Cassville Plaza, which is a Walmart-anchored shopping center. Other tenants at the property include Tractor Supply and Dollar Tree. Westco is relocating from its current space on 8th Street. Tom Heintz of MRP is working with Westco to manage the buildout of the space. Westco anticipates opening for business at the new location in February.
ST. PETERS, MO. — Pappy’s Smokehouse is the latest business to join the tenant roster at The Shoppes at Mid Rivers in the suburban St. Louis community of St. Peters. The 2,800-square-foot restaurant is expected to open by the end of this month. This is the second location for Pappy’s, which serves signature dry-rubbed baby back ribs. GBT Realty Corp. owns The Shoppes at Mid Rivers, which opened in 2018 and is home to a mix of retailers such as Academy Sports, HomeGoods, Ulta, Marshalls and Outback Steakhouse.
DETROIT — The Detroit City Council has approved the sale of the former Michigan State Fairgrounds, providing the green light for a $400 million redevelopment of the site. Detroit-based Sterling Group and Dallas-based Hillwood Investment Properties have agreed to pay $9 million for the land, with plans to build a 3.8 million-square-foot distribution center for Amazon at the property. The e-commerce giant will occupy half of the 142-acre site, located at the corner of Woodward Avenue and 8 Mile Road. Its facility is projected to bring more than 1,200 new full-time jobs to the area. The remaining acreage will be dedicated to auto part suppliers or other employers, according to the developers. The Michigan State Fair took place annually in Detroit from 1849 to 2009 when the publicly funded event was removed from the budget. In 2011, the fair went private and moved to nearby Novi. The redevelopment plans call for the demolition of several buildings at the old fairgrounds, including the 5,600-seat arena built in 1922, according to local news outlets. The project also includes the development of a new indoor transit center to replace the current one on Woodward Avenue near the fairgrounds. As part of the agreement, …
KANSAS CITY AND PARK CITY, KAN. — Amazon.com Inc. has unveiled plans to open two new fulfillment centers in the state of Kansas. The centers, which are expected to open in 2021, will together create more than 1,000 new, full-time jobs. Each facility will span roughly 1 million square feet. One will be located at 9700 Leavenworth Road in Kansas City while the other will be located at 7130 N. Broadway Ave. in Park City. Amazon associates will pick, pack and ship bulky or large items such as patio furniture, outdoor equipment and rugs. Amazon also says it plans to open a new delivery station in Wichita. Since 2010, Amazon has created more than 4,500 jobs in Kansas and invested nearly $3 billion across the state.
VERNON HILLS, ILL. — Venture One Real Estate, through its acquisition fund VK Industrial V LP, has acquired a 30,356-square-foot industrial building in Vernon Hills, a northern suburb of Chicago. The purchase price was undisclosed. The transaction was structured as a sale-leaseback with H&H Graphics. Located at 450 Corporate Drive and constructed in 1991, the building features two docks, one drive-in door and parking for 40 cars. Brian Bocci of Entre Commercial Realty represented Venture One. VK Industrial V is a partnership between Venture One and Kovitz Investment Group.
STREETSBORO, OHIO — Slim Chickens, a fast-casual restaurant, has opened its newest location in Streetsboro, about 30 miles southeast of Cleveland. David Giesen is the franchisee behind the Streetsboro restaurant. He has opened 16 restaurant franchises with the Arby’s and Freddy’s brands. The Streetsboro Slim Chickens is expected to create 75 new jobs in the community. Since its founding in 2003, Slim Chickens has grown to more than 100 restaurants in 17 states with a goal of opening 600 restaurants by 2025. This is the brand’s second location in Ohio. Fayetteville, Ark.-based Slim Chickens is known for its fried chicken and Southern-inspired sides.
MIDLAND, MICH. — The Boulder Group has brokered the $1.4 million sale of a 9,002-square-foot property occupied by Dollar General in Midland, about 28 miles east of Mount Pleasant. The single-tenant building is located at 3401 James Savage Road. Dollar General has a 15-year lease at the newly built property. A Midwest-based developer sold the asset to a Midwest-based real estate investor. Randy Blankstein and Jimmy Goodman of Boulder represented both parties in the transaction.