DENVER (Dec. 3, 2019) – United Properties announced today that Matt Oermann has moved to a new role as senior development manager within the senior housing group, effective Nov. 1, 2019. As senior development manager within senior housing, Oermann will play an integral role in the expansion of United Properties’ senior living business in the Colorado market.

“Senior housing is a fast-growing area within United Properties, and we’re pleased to have Matt on our team as we build on the success of our first senior housing collaboration in the Colorado market, Balfour of Littleton, and introduce Colorado residents to our successful senior living co-op model, Applewood Pointe,” said Mark Nelson, executive vice president, residential development, United Properties.

Oermann joined United Properties in 2015 and was promoted to senior development manager in March 2019. He has worked on various aspects of development, from construction management, sales, acquisitions, sourcing, underwriting and more, working primarily on the INOVA developments. Oermann will continue to oversee the initial phase of INOVA Aero development while he transitions to senior housing.

Prior to joining United Properties, Oermann spent 12 years in design and construction management with Project One Integrated Services and Turner Construction. He holds an MBA in entrepreneurship, finance and real estate from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Michigan.

MINNEAPOLIS (Nov. 21, 2019) – The Nordic, United Properties’ mixed-use building located at 729 Washington Ave. N., announced today a series of exciting developments as the project nears completion. Nearly 70 percent of the space is now leased, with just three floors totaling 60,000 sq. ft. remaining.

New tenants now open include FRGMNT coffee shop and Thr3 Jack restaurant and indoor golf venue, and programming at the outdoor public plaza has been in full swing.

FRGMNT, a coffee shop owned by Ben Banse and Sarah Roehl, has opened in the ground floor lobby of The Nordic. The brand was created specifically for The Nordic and features coffee from Monogram Coffee in Calgary, Canada, Heart Roasters in Portland, Oregon, and Saint Frank Coffee in San Francisco. The coffee shop has a partnership with Honey & Rye Bakehouse to provide pastries for patrons. FRGMNT is open 6:30 a.m. – 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. – 3 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

Thr3 Jack, a restaurant and indoor golf venue on the ground floor of The Nordic, had its grand opening Oct. 7. Created by siblings Lucy Robb and Bo Massopust, the venue features six best-in-class simulators for golfers of all levels and a thoughtfully crafted food and drink menu. Thr3 Jack is open 5 p.m. – 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 5 p.m. – 1 a.m. Friday and Saturday.

The outdoor plaza space at The Nordic has begun programming and events with yoga classes, a festive Halloween celebration and other activities. Featuring an outdoor firepit, planning is underway for additional winter outdoor events in the coming months.

Sable, The Nordic’s residential component, represents the first owner occupied condominium building that allows short-term rentals in the Twin Cities. Several units have closed, with just 15 percent remaining. The building features a Members’ Lounge, rooftop deck with downtown views, outdoor firepits and same-floor parking access. Contact Joe Grunnet with Downtown Resource Group at (612) 244-6613 for more information.

The Nordic is a modern warehouse-style building designed to be the living room and backyard of the North Loop. Other tenants include Ovative Group and WeWork, a cooperative office space. A food hall operated by Galley Group on the first floor is expected to open next month. The Nordic is United Properties’ fifth project in Minneapolis’ historic North Loop neighborhood.

MINNEAPOLIS (Nov. 12, 2019) – United Properties has announced its plan to develop Canterbury Distribution Center in Shakopee, Minnesota. The 302,650 sq. ft. building, located at 3200 Fourth Ave. E., will be moving forward as a speculative industrial product.

United Properties purchased the 24-acre property near U.S. Route 169 and Canterbury Road from Canterbury Park in 2015. Site work on the project began in August 2019, with an expected completion in the spring of 2020.

Canterbury Distribution Center is currently the only large bulk space available in the south metro area, and the property is located less than a quarter of a mile from the Amazon Fulfillment Center in Shakopee, noted Connor McCarthy, development manager, United Properties. “We’re pleased to be developing much-needed large bulk space in the supply-constrained southern metro,” he said.

R.J. Ryan Construction Inc. is the general contractor on the project. Kris Smeltzer and Jason Meyer of Cushman & Wakefield are the leasing representatives.

United Properties also recently purchased land in Burnsville at 35 South Business Center located at the corner of Interstate 35 and Highway 13. The 96,000 sq. ft. build-to-suit industrial project represents phase four of United Properties’ 35/13 Crossings project.

MINNEAPOLIS (Nov. 12, 2019) – United Properties announced today that it has broken ground on Cherrywood Pointe of Bloomington, located at 5501 American Blvd. W., within the Normandale Lake area of Bloomington, Minnesota. The senior living community is expected to open March 2021.

This marks the first time United Properties will bring its Cherrywood Pointe concept to Bloomington, a community that is already familiar with another of its senior living options, Applewood Pointe senior cooperatives. “We are delighted to be further serving Bloomington seniors with the continuum of care offered by Cherrywood Pointe, from independent living to 24-hour on-site nursing staff,” said Mark Nelson, executive vice president, residential development, United Properties.

The four-story community offers a variety of floor plans and housing solutions, with options ranging from independent living to services with around-the-clock personalized care. Cherrywood Pointe’s 118 units feature 82 maintenance-free independent and assisted living apartments, 24 memory care apartments and 12 care suite apartments. Amenities include a multi-venue dining room, pub room, community room, salon, fitness room and yoga studio, sun porch and outdoor patio, underground parking, and balconies on most units. Community members will have access to daily chef-prepared meals, scheduled transportation services and a comprehensive life-enrichment program designed to create engaging experiences and an active lifestyle.

Great Lakes Management will manage Cherrywood Pointe of Bloomington. Customized health-care services will be provided by Gentle Touch Health, including a 24-hour on-site team of licensed nurses and nurses’ assistants.

Cherrywood Pointe of Bloomington was designed by Kaas Wilson Architects and Henrik & Co Interiors and will be constructed by Weis Builders.

The Bloomington location is United Properties’ sixth Cherrywood Pointe community in the Twin Cities. The other metro locations include Forest Lake, Minnetonka, Plymouth, Roseville on Cleveland and Roseville on Lexington. The company also has a senior living community in Littleton, Colorado, as well as communities under development in Naples and Sarasota, Florida.

Teaming with Habitat to help Twin Cities families create deep roots

One work day.

It’s something very small to give on the individual level. But then one company donates 10 employees’ labor for a day. Then 10 companies donate. Sometimes every year, several times a year. Then future Habitat homeowners contribute their “sweat equity” – 100 hours of homebuilding. Just one work day multiplied means working families in need all over the world can reach their aspiration of homeownership. And that ownership creates deep roots.

Earlier this month, United Properties joined forces with Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity (TCHFH) for two days of homebuilding and teambuilding. More than 30 employees from United Properties and senior living partner Ebenezer traded a day at the office for a day on-site, where 981 Euclid was in its third week of construction. Once finished, the 1800-square-foot St. Paul home will include 5 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, and an 800-square-foot unfinished basement (2600 square feet total) with an egress window. All volunteers will be invited to the housewarming.

“It was a very rewarding day personally, learning carpentry skills and doing tangible work with our hands for a cause we feel good about,” shared Kevin Powell, United Properties IT Director & AVP. “Working together and getting to know your colleagues in a different environment is also very rewarding – you learn things you wouldn’t have expected about them. Plus the Habitat team was brave enough to trust us with power tools…”

To date, TCHFH has constructed more than 12,000 homes for Minnesotan families in need. But what do these homes really mean for local families?

Why Home Matters

According to Habitat, having a stable place to come home to each day is associated with better public health and education outcomes. But what does that look like in the day-to-day? WHY does this work matter? TCHFH engages with past volunteers on a regular basis to help them understand the WHY behind the homebuilding – which isn’t really about the buildings at all:

For those of us who’ve never needed to question where home was, a window into a Habitat family’s day-to-day can be awakening. It helps us start to understand what home means to those who don’t take it for granted, and it helps us see why even one work day matters.

One work day at a time – one home build at a time – adds up to a lot of impact. It means a child can stay at one school long enough to make meaningful friendships and host sleepovers at home. It means making memories that become stories about “the neighborhood” and “the house where I grew up.” Habitat’s work is about more than providing shelter – it’s about how the shelter helps families create deep roots. It’s about the thing that makes a space a place and a house a home. That’s why United Properties is proud to partner with Habitat each year to help lift up families putting down their own roots in the greater Twin Cities.

Further Multiplied

Habitat for Humanity developed several programs that multiply each chapter’s local impact, all of which work toward the central mission of building strength, stability, and self-reliance through shelter:

1. A Brush with Kindness – TCHFH’s A Brush with Kindness Paint and Home Repair Program partners with low-income families, veterans, and seniors to affordably maintain safe, stable homes. Over the last 30 years, the program has touched more than 2,000 families in the greater Twin Cities area.
2. ReStore Home Improvement Outlets – Think Goodwill meets Home Depot. ReStore vets new and gently used home improvement products and building materials and is open to the public. Sales at the Minneapolis and New Brighton locations support Habitat homebuilding initiatives in the Twin Cities area.
3. Age in Place – In partnership with Allina Health, TCHFH launched Age in Place to support older low-income homeowners who wish to age peacefully in the comfort of their own homes. The program provides assistance with seasonal chores, yard work, home modifications (e.g., building wheelchair ramps, installing handrails), and other services that allow homeowners to continue living safely and affordably.

Visit tchabitat.org to learn about other programs and help Habitat multiply its impact for Twin Cities families!

AUTHORED BY COLE STERR

We all love public art. We love to look at it, marvel at it, interact with it, learn about it, and take pride in it. The Spoonbridge and Cherry sculpture has become an icon for the city of Minneapolis and instilled local pride within our community, while the Mary Tyler Moore statue in downtown Minneapolis reminds us that our city was once the home of a popular and progressive sitcom.

But, what is the purpose of public art and why is it so important to communities? Further, how has United Properties been able to incorporate public art to enrich the communities where we live, work and play?

Public Art Uplifts Public Health

First, what is public art? It’s simple. According to Americans for the Arts, public art is “art in public spaces.” The way art is incorporated into a public space can be a response to the place and community in which it resides and is often site-specific. It can reflect a place’s history, culture, people, and societal norms.

Additionally, there are several health benefits that public art can provide to a community:

1. Helps us take a breather. In such a fast-paced world, public art can slow us down and help us appreciate the values in our communities we may not have previously noticed. Colin Ellard, a neuroscientist who studies the relationship between psychology and urban design, researched this and found that city residents walk at an average speed of three miles per hour. However, when comparing walking speeds of walkers in areas where there was public art and areas without, he discovered that those who walked passed the artwork reduced their speed by 50%. Even when it’s unbeknownst to us as citizens, public art affects how we move and view our surroundings.
2. Cultivates positive emotions. Contributor to Forbes Raquel Laneri articulates that public art pieces can break up “the monotonous and sometimes oppressive nature of city working life.” Simply put, it can just make you smile. Art installations can be clever, downright funny, interesting, goofy, fun, or be the source of a happy thought on your daily commute, while relaxing in a park, or exploring a new area.
3. Instills local pride and social capital. The Fearless Girl statue that was placed on Wall Street in New York City exemplifies this function of public art. Remember Spoonbridge and Cherry and the Mary Tyler Moore statue? Public art installations represent cultural icons that trigger a community’s collective sense of pride – especially when it can be used for a feel-good Instagram moment.
4. Represents marginalized communities. Public art can uplift voices of those who may not be at the forefront of the mainstream media or whose history might not be known to the general public. Pieces that have ties to indigenous tribes or communities of color can be a reminder that different communities exist and are present while fostering feel-good moments and open-mindedness in a community.

United Properties’ Public Art in Action

As part of our brand promise to enrich communities, United Properties has incorporated several public art installations into its developments – all of which can provide some sort of benefit to our communities!

Be The Match – Sidewalk Harp

In front of the Be The Match headquarters – developed by United Properties in 2015 – lies a unique structure that at first glance just seems like a fancy light fixture. After walking past the installation, however, one might start to hear noises. That’s no accident. That’s right – this piece has motion sensors to detect when someone walks by or waves their hand under it and subsequently plays different notes to resemble that of a harp. Created by artist Jen Lewin, this public art piece causes people to slow down and interact with their surroundings while having a little fun.

Align Sculpture at Enterprise Business Center

At our prime industrial building in Colorado, we’ve recently implemented a unique sculpture titled Align by artist Joshua Wiener. The piece resembles a root system and appears to be “growing” into the surrounding space, conveying wholeness and unity. Align brings an interesting perspective and gives bystanders and workers something inspiring to look at.

Mural at 7-Eleven in Broomfield, CO

The first-ever mural implemented at a 7-Eleven in Colorado has unique ties to the community of Broomfield. The mural itself reflects the community by highlighting the Colorado sunset palette and the area’s vegetation and landscapes. It brings a fun and vibrant mood to the gas station for shoppers and workers to admire through its bright and eye-catching colors while becoming a hot spot for social media engagement. It was created by members of So-Gnar Creative Division.

Curve Ball Art Piece near Caribou & Target Field Station

Near one of our Caribou Coffee developments and Target Field Station lies a rock sculpture titled “Curve Ball” by artist Zoran Mojsilov. The piece lies in the center of a gathering space that is encompassed by rock seating. This public art piece cultivates a sense of community within the heart of the North Loop and provides visually appealing scenery while one enjoys a good ‘ole cup of Caribou.

United Properties imagines the possibilities of how public art can transform real estate. Whether a public art piece sparks creativity, ignites curiosity, or instills positivity, one thing is for sure: it can certainly enrich a community.

“I hope to always be a tourist in this city. When I cross Hennepin Avenue Bridge over the Mississippi River on my way to work, I often find myself in awe of the national landmark on our doorstep. Sometimes I stand next to the Grain Belt sign with the awareness that I’m walking across a national divide – from the Pillsbury side to the Gold Medal side over the natural wonder that helped grow the city I plan to call home for many years.”

–      UP Sunrise event attendee, Minneapolis resident (1 year)

It’s easy to appreciate the Mississippi’s powerful force on foot over a bridge – the speed of the water and the pounding sound – but it’s also easy to forget that this river is the birthplace of the tiny frontier settlement that grew into the 422K-resident metropolis we know today. The river powered Minneapolis’ thriving milling and logging industries that contributed to the economic prosperity of our growing city through the late 1800s.

Today, the upper and lower St. Anthony Lock and Dam plants alone generate a combined 24 megawatts of electricity per hour. That’s enough to power over 17,000 homes.

For over a hundred years, the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board (formerly the Minneapolis Board of Park Commissioners) has worked to preserve access to the historical river. Today, the Minneapolis Parks Foundation and the Board strive to strengthen the Minneapolis community’s sense of stewardship and connection to the Mississippi and preserve the urban park spaces integral to mitigating the impacts of climate change in urban areas.

Sponsoring the Park Foundation’s annual Sunrise on the Mississippi event is just one way United Properties is creating deep roots in the Minneapolis community. The 5^th annual event raised over $110,000 for the Minneapolis Parks Foundation’s work.

This year’s Sunrise was hosted at Boom Island Park on the unmistakably end-of-summer morning of Sept. 5. Attendees enjoyed mingling over hot coffee and tea under a fireplace pavilion before making their way under the tent for the program and breakfast overlooking the Mississippi.

Keynote speaker Paul Huttner, Chief Meteorologist at MPR, first woke the audience with stats highlighting the very real global impacts of climate change for perspective. Huttner then zeroed in on Minneapolis’ context and the importance of park space and preservation efforts in bracing for the impacts of climate change in metropolitan and riverside areas.

Data from NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) indicate that the years 2014-2018 had the warmest global temperatures of any year since 1881. Since 1970, average temperatures in Minnesota have risen 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit; average temperatures in Minneapolis have risen 3.7 degrees Fahrenheit.

If you’re younger than 34, you have not experienced a cooler-than-average month.

These numbers seem small, but ground-level ozone is more concentrated on hotter days, magnifying the impacts of heat stress. Warmer air also holds more moisture, so as the climate warms, heavier rains are projected to continue to increase the instance of flooding in urban areas.

Fortunately, parks can mitigate many of the issues associated with a warming world.

• Trees not only provide shade and filter pollutants, they perform evapotranspiration, a process by which evaporating water cools the surrounding air.
• Parks near rivers provide a buffer zone for floods so heavy rainfalls do not cripple a city’s economy.
• Green things in parks reflect more sunlight than dark urban rooftops, helping them achieve temperatures 5-10 degrees cooler than normal for a typical downtown.

Access Huttner’s full presentation here.

Minneapolis Park Board Superintendent Al Bangoura then recounted the influence of parks on his youth in Milwaukee and his journey to a role overseeing Minneapolis parks. He was elected in late 2018 after a national search and is proud to lead “the premier park system in the country.”

United Properties shares Bangoura’s belief in the ability of parks to transform human life and considers the benefits to our clients, our communities, and our planet as we continue to care for the roots that originated the great City of Minneapolis. Though these benefits are not immediately tangible, one thing’s for sure: You’ve got to know your city’s roots and aspirations for your roots to take hold, and there are few places better than the banks of the Mighty Miss at sunrise to contemplate that.

MINNEAPOLIS (Sept. 5, 2019) – United Properties announced today that Scott Peterson has joined United Properties as vice president of hospitality and residential development, effective Sept. 3, 2019. In this new role Peterson reports to Bill Katter, president and chief investment officer, United Properties Development.

Peterson joins United Properties with more than 13 years of residential and hotel experience across various markets. Most recently, he served as senior director of development and construction for CSM Corporation in Minneapolis over a five-year period in which his team executed on more than $200 million of lodging projects delivering several hundred newly constructed units. Prior to that he held senior construction management and land acquisition roles in the Lake Tahoe, California, Kauai, Hawaii and Las Vegas, Nevada, markets.

As vice president of hospitality and residential development, Peterson is responsible for generating and executing all facets of the hospitality and residential/workforce housing development cycle in Minneapolis and Denver, including site acquisition, project underwriting, design, development and construction. His areas of focus include non-senior residential projects and hotel development, including United Properties’ upcoming Four Seasons Hotel and Private Residences Minneapolis at RBC Gateway.

“Scott brings strong experience partnering with major hospitality brands to successfully develop new hotels,” said Katter. “I am very excited to have Scott join us.”

Peterson holds a Bachelor of Science in business management from Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, and an Executive Master of Business Administration from the Eller College of Management at the University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona. He is an active member of the MN NAIOP chapter and also dedicates his time to mentorships at the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Business and several other community organizations.

AUTHORED BY COLE STERR

In Broomfield, CO, the United Properties Denver team had a vision of transforming a city street corner into a 7-Eleven. Initially, that proposal didn’t quite catch the attention of the city. With a plan to make the space more meaningful with public art and innovative design elements, while working closely with the city’s council members, an imagined possibility became a reality for the Denver team.  

Let’s look at how the 7-Eleven in Broomfield, CO became the mid-century modern, artistic 7-Eleven it is today.  

Imagining the Possibilities with Broomfield  

The city of Broomfield originally didn’t envision a gas station occupying the space – it imagined a different purpose for 120th Ave. and Perry Street. However, the Denver team presented a mid-century modern 7-Eleven that would incorporate a public art element to reflect the city’s culture and history to win over the city. 

The city became responsive to the approach and appreciated UP’s work in listening to the needs of the community, as well as incorporating innovative design elements. By working closely to accomplish the same goal, United Properties and the city of Broomfield were able to transform this space from an imagined possibility into not just another 7-Eleven, but a gateway to an artistically inspired community. It became the first mural a 7-Eleven store in Colorado ever commissioned.  

The Mural  

The artwork is by Denver street artists and muralists Pat Milberry (a Minnesota native) and Pat McKinney, as part of the So–Gnar Creative Division, with the help of Josh Deitchman (who goes by @lowkey_creative on Instagram). The mural reflects aspects quintessential to Colorado.  Inspired by art deco, the mural complements the 7-Eleven palette and aims to imitate the golden hour of the day that we wish we could freeze in time.  

The Broomfield font choice is also important and aligns with what United Properties stands for – future growth. The interpretive and abstract visual of the corn on the left side of the painting gives roots to the area’s landscape and vegetation and is reflective of our “Creating Deep Roots” tagline.  

This mural serves as an outlet to not only an art-inspired area, but what United Properties strives to accomplish in real estate development: looking for innovative ways to imagine possibilities and work with others to execute meaningful and transformative real estate.  

To learn more about the artists behind the mural, visit sognarcreativedivision.com and rkymtnwalls.com.  

AUTHORED BY COLE STERR 

Ah, the most wonderful time of the corporate year – the community giving campaign is back, and United Properties is participating once again to support the Pohlad Companies’ charitable giving initiatives.

Our community giving campaign will officially kick off this Friday, Aug. 23 – the birthday of the Pohlad Companies founder Carl Pohlad, who passed away ten years ago. Each year, all offices under the Pohlad Companies honor the late founder by wearing his favorite pattern: polka dots! For every employee that decks themselves out in some polka dot gear, their respective company will donate $10 to the overall charitable giving fund.

The four main charities that the Pohlad Companies will sponsor span across a range of social issues. Let’s explore a little of each one.

Greater Twin Cities United Way:

The Greater Twin Cities United Way is a non-profit organization that works to push equity at the forefront of our communities. The organization works on a variety of prevalent issues such as combatting hunger, assisting individuals with life after incarceration, closing the education gap and welcoming new United States citizens to Minnesota for a smooth transition into our society. By galvanizing communities to build prosperity and equity for all, the United Way hopes to cultivate a united community where all people realize their full potential.

Community Shares Minnesota:

Comprised of nearly 50 local non-profits that tackle hard issues at the core, the Community Shares Minnesota is part of a national network of organizations that “connect, fund and raise awareness for community groups fighting for fairness and equality.” The network focuses primarily on improving access to education and healthcare, fighting for human rights, securing affordable housing and effectuating change through the arts. It is also committed to funding social justice by emphasizing equity, diversity, inclusion and the arts.

Community Health Charities:

Community Health Charities empowers people to improve their health and wellbeing by making health and wellness resources available to communities. By doing so, the non-profit organization funds education, treatment, prevention and financial assistance for people with health challenges.

Minnesota Environmental Fund:

Protecting, conserving and restoring Minnesota’s environment is the mission of the Minnesota Environmental Fund. This non-profit encourages workplaces and individuals to support renowned non-profit organizations that work to maintain our beautiful Minnesotan environment. Their efforts include maintaining clean water, lakes, rivers, air, prioritizing healthy food, biodiversity and wildlife, and combatting toxic pollution and laws that ignore environmental issues. Raising more than $13 million since its founding in 1991, the fund hopes to build a “sustainable and just future for Minnesota’s environment.”

United Properties’ Role

Throughout the next couple of weeks, United Properties will host awareness events and invite speakers from each of the organizations to discuss their work and how they enrich our Twin Cities community. Employees are also encouraged to donate money to a charity of their choice through an online donation program called iPledge, and if 45 employees do so by October 15, the company will be given a half-day on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving.

We’ve said it once, and we’ll say it again. Here at United Properties, we’re more than just bricks and mortar – we do more outside of our real estate realm. Through our charitable giving efforts, we invest in and enrich our communities to cultivate healthy and prosperous communities.