ST. PAUL, MINN. — Ecolab Inc., a provider of water, hygiene and energy technologies and services, has signed a purchase agreement to acquire the 17-story North Tower from Travelers in downtown St. Paul. The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter. By the end of 2018, Ecolab will relocate its associates from the three buildings that comprise its world headquarters in downtown St. Paul to the North Tower. Ecolab will begin the process of relocating associates to the North Tower in the latter part of this year. Built in 1999, the North Tower includes 882,000 square feet of space, of which 484,500 square feet comprises office space, a data center and building common areas.
SAINT PAUL, MINN. — Marcus & Millichap has brokered the $4.1 million sale of Phalen Shores, a 53-unit apartment property located in Saint Paul. Phalen Shores is located at 985 East Ivy Ave. The 53-unit building includes 24 one-bedroom units, 29 two-bedroom units and was 97 percent occupied at the time of sale. Dan Linnell, Mox Gunderson and Annie Arneberg of Marcus & Millichap’s Minneapolis office listed the property on behalf of the seller, a partnership. Linnell and Gunderson also represented the buyer, a private investor.
MAPLE GROVE, MINN. — Doran Cos. has purchased a 40-acre development site adjacent to The Shops at Arbor Lakes in Maple Grove for $10.5 million. The Frances A. Seleen Trust was the seller of the land. Located on the northeast corner of Hemlock Lane and Elm Creek Boulevard, the property was once farmed by multiple generations of the Seleen family. The Doran Cos. has no immediate plans for the property, but plans to work with the city of Maple Grove to determine the future development of the land.
MINNEAPOLIS — Dougherty Funding LLC has arranged a $12.7 million tax credit equity bridge loan as part of Aeon’s Minneapolis Portfolio Preservation Project. The borrower will utilize 4 percent low income tax credits (LIHTCs) as well as federal and state historic tax credits as a portion of the equity required for the acquisition and renovation of the property portfolio. The loan will provide bridge financing until receipt of the capital contributions from the sale of the LIHTCs and the Federal HTCs, as well as the receipt of State HTC proceeds. The project includes substantial renovation of ten affordable projects located in the Elliot Park and Loring Park neighborhoods of downtown Minneapolis. As part of the project, 566 existing units will be renovated and 16 new units will be constructed. Dougherty Funding LLC serves as lead lender and servicer for the loan, arranged for Aeon.
MINNEAPOLIS AND ROSEVILLE, MINN. — NorthMarq Capital’s Minneapolis office has arranged $33 million in refinancing for two multifamily properties in Minneapolis and Roseville. The first property is ElseWarehouse Apartments, a mixed-use building that includes 116 apartment units and five commercial spaces. The property is located at 730 Washington Ave. N. in Minneapolis. NorthMarq arranged $21 million in financing for the borrower through its seller-servicer relationship with Freddie Mac. Cherrywood Pointe is the second property, which is a seniors housing property that includes 80 units. The property is located at 2996 Cleveland Ave. N. in Roseville. NorthMarq arranged $12 million in refinancing for the borrower through its seller-servicer relationship with Freddie Mac. Patrick Minea of NorthMarq arranged both of the loans.
INVER GROVE HEIGHTS, MINN. — Oak Grove Capital has originated a $42.5 million fixed-rate Fannie Mae loan for joint venture White Oak Partners and a fund managed by Ares Management. The loan will be used to acquire Southview Gables, a 425-unit garden-style apartment complex in Inver Grove Heights, a suburb in the Twin Cities. The fixed-rate loan has a 10-year term with three years of interest-only payments and seven years of yield maintenance.
ST. PAUL, MINN. — Dougherty Mortgage LLC has secured a $31.3 million Fannie Mae loan for the refinancing of Victoria Park Apartments, a 215-unit multifamily apartment property located in St. Paul. The 12-year loan includes a 30-year amortization schedule and three years of interest-only payments. Dougherty’s Minneapolis office arranged the loan for the borrower, Victoria Park Communities LLC. Victoria Park Apartments include one-, two- and three-bedroom options. The units feature open concept floor plans and high-end finishes, including gourmet kitchens with granite countertops, designer cabinetry and energy-efficient appliances. Property amenities include outdoor swimming pool with terrace, club room with bar, fitness center, tech lounge, underground heated parking, yoga room, free bike rentals and concierge services.
WACONIA, MINN. — Upland Real Estate Group has arranged the $1.5 million sale of a Caribou Coffee retail property located in Waconia, approximately 32 miles west of Minneapolis. A local buyer purchased the property, which is a new construction. Caribou Coffee signed a 15-year lease at the building. Upland Real Estate Group represented the undisclosed seller in the transaction.
EDEN PRAIRIE, MINN. — Marcus & Millichap has arranged the $5.9 million sale of Southwest Station, a 14,031-square-foot retail property located in Eden Prairie. The property is located at 13300 Technology Drive. Built in 2004, the property is fully occupied with five tenants. Cory Villaume, Sean Doyle and Brian Klancke of Marcus & Millichap’s Minneapolis office represented the undisclosed seller and buyer in the transaction.
Buoyed by a healthy economy, the Twin Cities industrial market has experienced strong demand for functional, 24- to 32-foot clear height space, with more companies expanding during the first three quarters of the year, according to Cushman & Wakefield | NorthMarq. The market posted nearly 1.3 million square feet of absorption in the first three quarters of 2014, a solid number. The overall vacancy rate for multi-tenant properties 20,000 square feet and above stood at 10.1 percent at the end of the third quarter, down from a high of 16.4 percent in 2010. The bulk/warehouse segment has posted the most leasing activity with 451,097 square feet of net absorption year-to-date, including 140,514 square feet in the third quarter, and a tight 9.2 percent vacancy rate. Office/warehouse absorption totaled 476,032 square feet year-to-date through the third quarter, and 391,676 square feet in the third quarter alone, lowering the vacancy rate in that segment to 9.6 percent. Office/showroom absorption totaled 359,687 square feet during the first three quarters of 2014, lowering the vacancy rate in that segment to 12.8 percent, the lowest since 2006 when it stood at 11.7 percent. The Northeast submarket posted 222,267 square feet of net absorption in the …