MINNEAPOLIS (Dec. 13, 2021) — United Properties announced today that it will triple the number of senior living communities that it owns and develops over the next three years — averaging about six groundbreakings per year — and unite its three types of senior living developments under the umbrella of one brand: Amira.

“The name Amira represents what we offer: flourishing communities for a new generation of seniors where we promise continued life enrichment with a sense of community and meaningful experiences,” said Matt Van Slooten, co-president and chief investment officer for United Properties Investment, who is leading the rebranding initiative. “Amira delivers a lifestyle that seniors — especially baby boomers — are looking for; namely, caring relationships and activities with people at similar stages of life, sharing similar interests and experiencing life together.”

The following three types of senior living communities will fall under Amira:

• Amira – 55-plus independent living rental communities (formerly known as ThePOINTE)
• Amira Choice – 62-plus integrated independent living, assisted living and memory care communities (formerly known as Cherrywood Pointe)
• Applewood Pointe – For-purchase cooperative communities owned by seniors

The company currently has 13 for-rent senior living developments in its Amira offerings. Seven of these properties are already open and 96% occupied. Three others were recently completed and are available to lease, and three more are currently under construction. In addition to these locations, the company has an active pipeline of sites that will break ground in 2022. This expansion will increase the number of housing units from 1,100 open today to 3,800 over the next few years — and not just in Minnesota, but in Colorado, Texas and Florida as well.

United Properties’ growth is in response to demographic trends that project that the number of people in the U.S. over 75 is expected to nearly double over the next two decades — from 23 million in 2020 to 45 million in 2040.

Amira senior living developments are well-positioned to meet demographic demands, building on United Properties’ 17 years of experience with senior living developments in 30 locations, including 20 Applewood Pointe co-op communities, Van Slooten noted.

Amira residents will notice a new name, logo, website designs, signs, and employee uniforms, but the company’s commitment to best-in-class levels of service, care and quality of life for communities will remain the same.

In Minnesota, construction recently began on Amira Minnetonka, its newest 55-plus active adult rental community, located on five acres at 801 Carlson Parkway in Minnetonka. Amira Minnetonka will have six floors and 186 units. 19 units will be designated as affordable to meet the needs of the community. The active adult community will also feature a variety of lifestyle amenities, such as a state-of-the-art golf simulator, an outdoor pool and hot tub, pickleball court, community gardens, art and fitness studios, an expansive community room and a sky lounge. Occupancy is planned for 2023.

Van Slooten summed it up this way: “The name ‘Amira’ reflects the growth and evolution of our senior living developments — communities that prioritize a sense of place, a commitment to community, personalized services and meaningful experiences — as well as our vision for the future.”

AUSTIN (Nov. 10, 2021) – United Properties and AQUILA Commercial today announced CED Greentech has signed a prelease for 38,840 sq. ft.at Buda Midway at 1795 Fire Cracker Drive in Buda, Texas. CED Greentech is the nation’s leading solar equipment distributor.

Buda Midway is the first Austin-area project from Minnesota-based developer United Properties. The groundbreaking for the Class A industrial development took place in June, with completion expected in 2022. Buda Midway is planned in two phases and will ultimately encompass 800,000 sq. ft. when completed.

Mitchell Becker and Ralph Coppola of Stream Realty represented CED Greentech, and Leigh Ellis, Blake Patterson, Omar Nasser with AQUILA Commercial represented the landlord.

About AQUILA Commercial

Founded in 2007, AQUILA Commercial is a recognized leader in Austin commercial real estate. Today AQUILA manages and leases over 11 million square feet of office, industrial and retail properties and has over 600 corporate tenant representation clients. AQUILA offers clients full-service real estate solutions, providing tenant representation, project leasing and asset, property and project management services for office, industrial and retail properties. For more information, visit: www.aquilacommercial.com.

MINNEAPOLIS (Aug. 3, 2021) — United Properties announced today that construction has begun on Amira Minnetonka (previously known as ThePOINTE Minnetonka), its newest 55-plus active adult rental community, located on five acres at 801 Carlson Parkway in Minnetonka.

“We are especially excited to break ground on Amira Minnetonka since it marks United Properties’ first location under our new Amira brand,” said Rick McKelvey, senior vice president, United Properties. McKelvey said that the Amira name reflects the company’s intention to create a next-generation approach to senior living communities, one that is “grounded in joyful living and innovative services and approaches to community life for our residents as they age.”

“We believe that Amira Minnetonka opens up new possibilities for living an abundant life. Residents can focus their time and energy on what matters most — community, family, friends and interests — while enjoying beautiful homes with a wide array of high-quality service levels and offerings,” McKelvey said.

Both inside and out, Amira Minnetonka offers a gracious host of amenities for every season, including beautifully landscaped grounds and spacious apartment homes featuring comfortable, light-filled layouts — from alcove studio to three-bedroom floor plans — with premium finishes and fixtures. An experienced team will manage the day-to-day maintenance, freeing up time for residents to enjoy community activities and events with their neighbors.

The active adult community will have six floors and 186 units. A total of 19 units will be designated as affordable to meet the needs of the community. Many homes include a flex room that can be used as an office or hobby space and most units feature private outdoor areas.

“We chose this location because it allows us to create an oasis for our residents in the existing lush, serene environment while still offering immediate proximity and easy access to the greater Twin Cities metro,” said McKelvey. “The location fulfills our goal to provide beautiful homes in a community that frees residents of many duties of home ownership so that they can spend more time doing what they love.”

Amira Minnetonka will feature quartz countertops, stainless-steel appliances, underground heated parking and more. The rental fee is all-inclusive, with the exception of electricity — making it an ideal option for seniors looking to budget monthly costs.

The active adult community will also feature a variety of lifestyle amenities, such as a state-of-the-art golf simulator, an outdoor pool and hot tub, community gardens, art and fitness studios, an expansive community room and a sky lounge. The location offers easy walking access to Carlson Towers’ restaurants and businesses, in addition to convenient access to Interstates 394 and 494.

Occupancy is expected in 2023. Project partners include Weis Builders, ESG Architecture & Design, Bremer Bank and Great Lakes Management.

MINNEAPOLIS (July 19, 2021) — The Upper Harbor Terminal Collaborative Planning Committee (UHT CPC), comprised of volunteer representatives from the community, has voted to approve the UHT Coordinated Plan. This represents the culmination of over four years of planning and community engagement work by the city, community and development team. The vote had two abstentions.

The UHT Coordinated Plan includes a mix of housing, community spaces and job-focused development that will also create a new 19.5-acre riverfront park, a 10,000-seat riverfront community performing arts center (CPAC), and new bike and pedestrian improvements that aim to reconnect the Northside neighborhoods to the Mississippi River. The UHT CPC also voted to recommend public ownership of the CPAC property, which was previously planned as a private development project with majority ownership by a First Avenue-controlled entity. Instead, the city will enter into a long-term management agreement with First Avenue. The plan now awaits approval by the Minneapolis City Council in late September. If approved, city infrastructure work, park improvements and phase 1 development construction is anticipated to start in spring 2023, with completion of phase 1 in summer 2024.

UHT CPC was formed in conjunction with the approval of the UHT Concept Plan on March 1, 2019, in response to community concerns that the concept plan did not fully address the needs of the Northside Community. The Minneapolis City Council recommended the creation of a dedicated group of community representatives that would collaborate with the development team to advance the plan and ensure that community perspective remained central to the process. UHT CPC’s volunteer work began June 30, 2019.

“The CPC was committed to seeing this through and making sure that the Draft Coordinated Plan was one that the community would be proud of,” said Markella Smith, a UHT CPC member. “I’m thankful for the opportunity to collaborate with other individuals who had the best interest of the Northside at the forefront during this entire process. This development could spearhead changes in how the city and private developers conduct business in the future with other communities, but especially communities of color. I am immensely proud of the work we have done.”

“Since 2019, the UHT CPC, city and development team have tackled challenging and emotionally charged topics, including city policies and impacts on racial equity, economic disparities and equitable economic development, housing affordability, environmental justice, gentrification and displacement, and community wealth and ownership,” said Dayna Frank, First Avenue CEO and owner. She noted that UHT CPC volunteers have been meeting on average twice per month, with many meetings lasting three hours or longer.

During this process, a separate but collaborative community-led engagement process — the Community Learning Tables — was introduced by Pillsbury United and the Public Policy Project. The Community Learning Tables dove deeper into the topics the UHT CPC was addressing by bringing community voices and subject matter experts into the discussion. The monthly events attempted to bridge the divide between community, city and developer, and offered a chance for all parties to talk freely and directly about the challenges of finding common ground.

“The work of this group will never be fully appreciated, and anyone who has witnessed the amount of work knows the true impact this will have on the future of the city,” said Brandon Champeau, United Properties senior vice president & commercial development market leader. “The changes they demanded and the improvements they recommended have truly made this a community-driven plan. While this was never easy, I’m appreciative of the process and the way it gave us the time to present alternatives, discuss opportunity costs and ultimately to bring conviction to our decisions, and to know that we were advancing the best possible plan, given the constraints and requirements of each stakeholder. They sparked true change and progress toward more equitable development.

“I am personally humbled by the experience, depth of knowledge and perspective they brought to this process,” Champeau continued. “It is changing how we approach development, how we measure value creation — and I know it has laid seeds for systemic change to city policies and practices that will reverberate beyond the boundaries of this project, and for years to come.”

“The UHT CPC refused to accept status quo and found creative ways to continually make this development smarter, stronger and better than ever,” said Frank. “Because of their work, the Community Performing Arts Center will not only be a world-class place to enjoy entertainment on the Mississippi River, but a catalyst for community programming, local entrepreneurship, employment and youth development. I am amazed at their work and honored to have been a part of the process as they turned their passion to action.”

Called “the most consequential project in Minneapolis’ history” by Channon Lemon, a UHT CPC member, UHT is hailed as a once-in-a-generation opportunity to create a large-scale, community-building asset in North Minneapolis, grounded in a restorative approach toward racial justice that meets the needs, aspirations and priorities of the nearby residents.

The UHT Development team is currently seeking community partners to continue guiding redevelopment efforts to ensure they reflect the values of the Northside Community. Expressions of Interest (EOI) can be submitted through Aug. 15, 2021. For more information about the EOI, including a UHT project overview, partner role descriptions and role-specific qualifications, visit the UHT Redevelopment section at upperharbormpls.com.

About the Upper Harbor Terminal project

Upper Harbor Terminal is a 48-acre site located on the Mississippi River. It formerly housed a barge shipping terminal that ceased operations in 2014. In 2016, United Properties responded to an RFP for the City of Minneapolis to imagine the possibilities of this site. Since then, the company has worked in partnership with the city and community to create an equitable development plan that meets the community’s needs and sets a precedent for how private development can align more intentionally with community values. For more information, visit www.upperharbormpls.com.

MINNEAPOLIS (July 14, 2021) — To ensure that all Upper Harbor Terminal (UHT) redevelopment efforts reflect the values of the Northside Community, the Upper Harbor Development team of United Properties, First Avenue and George Group North is inviting community-based organizations to submit Expressions of Interest (EOI) by Aug. 15, 2021.

“This represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to create a large-scale, community-building asset in North Minneapolis — one that’s grounded in a restorative approach toward racial justice that meets the needs, aspirations and priorities of the Northside Community,” said Brandon Champeau, United Properties senior vice president & commercial development market leader. “It’s very important that we get this right, and we cannot be successful without the direction and insights that community partners will provide.”

The Expression of Interest has been open since early June, and interest from community organizations looking for opportunities to partner with the development team is robust. “We have heard from large corporations, smaller nonprofits and individual community members with varying degrees of interest and potential roles in the future redevelopment plans for the site,” Champeau added. “This visionary development aims to transform the North Minneapolis riverfront into a vibrant, lively community that offers opportunity for all. We hope to find partners for key critical roles that can make this a national model for community representation and ownership.”

The Upper Harbor Development team is seeking to fill three critically important community partner roles. The first is a community fund manager who will be responsible for the management and handling of community performing arts center (CPAC) funds, generated by a ticket fee for all First Avenue events. Additionally, the fund manager will make annual recommendations to the city on how to deploy ground-lease funds from private development into anti-displacement and anti-gentrification initiatives. The second is a CPAC community program manager/advisor who will work with First Avenue to oversee community programming, operations, marketing and event management. This includes prioritizing existing and new community entrepreneurs to expand into this space, creating events and programming that serve to build on existing community events with a focus on showcasing work from local artists, and using zip code priority hiring for event staffing. The third is a private development real estate partner who could partner with the development team on the leasing, ownership or management of the proposed ground floor commercial space in the project.

“As an African-American developer that focuses on revitalizing underserved communities, I am excited about this innovative project that addresses a multitude of needs that can transform North Minneapolis to a place I don’t believe it’s ever seen,” said Devean George, president and CEO of George Group North, which is part of the Upper Harbor Development team. “I look forward to working with talents and resources within the community to create a sense of ownership in the project that can ensure its success for years to come.”

For more information about the EOI, including a UHT project overview, partner role descriptions and role-specific qualifications, visit the UHT Redevelopment section at upperharbormpls.com.

Interested community organizations should send their EOIs to uhtinfo@uproperties.com by Aug. 15. Questions can be directed to the same address.

About the Upper Harbor Terminal project

Upper Harbor Terminal is a 48-acre site located on the Mississippi River. It formerly housed a barge shipping terminal that ceased operations in 2014. In 2016, United Properties responded to an RFP for the City of Minneapolis to imagine the possibilities of this site. Since then, the company has worked in partnership with the city and community to create an equitable development plan that meets the community’s needs and sets a precedent for how private development can align more intentionally with community values. For more information, visit www.upperharbormpls.com.

MINNEAPOLIS (June 28, 2021) — United Properties is moving forward on Phase 1 of the expansion of 4Front Technology & Office Campus located in Oakdale, Minn. The project — which is a joint venture with the Larson family, Slumberland’s founders — recently received a PUD Amendment to develop one of the last large parcels with direct freeway access and visibility within the major city freeway loop.

Phase 1 of the project will consist of 24 acres for industrial use. The full site sits at 122 acres and will be redeveloped in phases. The proposed master development plan will provide amenities to the existing office campus, with future phases of development — including commercial, industrial, retail, hotel, medical and office use — that will bolster local economies and create jobs.

“We are excited about the future of our partnership with the Larson family and working together to create and deliver a comprehensive master plan elevating the overall campus to the premier office and mixed-use location within Oakdale and the East Metro,” said Scott Peterson, vice president of hospitality & office development, United Properties. “The partnership merges two local families with deep roots in real estate and three generations of family-owned businesses. These facts have resulted in like-minded investment strategies, capital structures and anticipated investment vehicles.”

“The Larson family is very proud of the work that has been done to revitalize the existing 4Front campus,” said Michael Larson, vice president of development for Slumberland and Larson Enterprises. “Today, 4Front is 85% occupied and home to a wide range of companies from biotech to medical devices to digital marketing, as well as start-ups. The partnership with United Properties is the next step to fully develop this property into a world-class facility.”

About Slumberland Furniture

Slumberland Furniture is one of the Midwest’s top retailers of home furnishings. With more than 120 stores across twelve states, Slumberland sells high-quality mattresses and a full line of furniture and home décor, all at an incredible value to the customer. A family-owned company with strong roots in the community, Slumberland has a long history of giving back. Its 40 Winks foundation has given away over 45,000 new beds to kids in need since 1991.

DENVER (June 10, 2021) — United Properties, a commercial developer and investor with a successful track record developing industrial properties in the Denver metro area, has broken ground on their Trade@2534 industrial project. The 280,323-sq.-ft. Class A development, located at 4201 Ronald Reagan Blvd., is the developer’s third project in the 2534 master-planned community in Johnstown, Colo.

The project is part of a joint-venture partnership between United Properties and PCCP, a Los Angeles-based real estate investment and management firm, that plans to develop an 11-building industrial portfolio in Minneapolis, Denver and Austin.

The new industrial project will consist of three Class A buildings – Building 1 at 72,896 sq. ft., Building 2 at 145,008 sq. ft. and Building 3 at 62,419 sq. ft. Both Buildings 1 and 2 are now under construction, with an expected completion of spring 2022. Building 3 is available for build-to-suit with completion in late 2022. The three-building plan includes a variety of product designs with two front, park rear load buildings and a single cross-dock building that can accommodate space requirements from 15,000 to 145,008 sq. ft.

“We are seeing growing demand for industrial space in Northern Colorado, driven largely by the in-migration that the corridor has experienced over recent years,” said Megan Turner, vice president of development, United Properties. “Trade@2534 offers modern, functional space for companies to grow within a business-friendly community. We look forward to serving the tenants in this market with quality, Class A product.”

Trade@2534 is strategically located near the intersection of Interstate 25 and U.S. Highway 34 with close proximity to a variety of amenities, including retail, restaurants, offices, health care, housing and other services. Once finished, the buildings will provide 24’ and 28’ clear height and feature energy efficient, modern design, TPO 60-mil “Cool Roofs,” ESFR sprinkler systems and modern truck courts with significant car parking.

“The combination of Trade@2534’s best-in-class location, developer, design, and building quality, along with the entirely new to market cross-dock product makes this a very unique and exciting project,” said Ryan Schaefer, chief executive officer, NAI Affinity. “Trade@2534 is anticipated to lease up quickly due to the aforementioned qualities, in combination with accelerated demand from in-migration and increasing per capita usage of industrial space.”

Trade@2534 is United Properties’ third industrial project within the 2534 master-planned community. Most recently, a built-to-suit project for U.S. AutoForce was completed in 2019.

Project partners include Newmark and NAI Affinity.

MINNEAPOLIS (May 18, 2021) — United Properties announced today that it has broken ground on five industrial facilities in the Twin Cities, bringing nearly 750,000 sq. ft. of industrial space to the market. Half of the space has already been pre-leased, which the developers say is a testament to the strength of the Twin Cities industrial market.

“Despite the uncertainty around the economic impacts of COVID-19, and most recently the rising construction costs and material lead times, we continue to see robust leasing velocity and new tenant requirements across the Twin Cities,” says Brandon Champeau, senior vice president and market leader, United Properties. “We were poised to act on this demand, and the build-to-suit and pre-leasing activity in our speculative projects is evidence of the strength of our site positions in each submarket.”

Four of the five buildings are part of a recently announced $165 million joint venture partnership between United Properties and PCCP, a Los Angeles-based real estate investment and management firm. The joint venture will develop an 11-building industrial portfolio in Minneapolis, Denver and Austin.

The first business park development, dubbed as 610 Junction, is located at the intersection of Highways 169 and 610 in Brooklyn Park. The plan includes three industrial buildings of 110,000, 199,500 and 245,000 sq. ft. that will feature state-of-the-art specifications. The business park will open for occupancy in the fourth quarter of 2021. All but one of the buildings are spoken for, with Buildings 1 and 3 pre-leased by Marmon Holdings and JunoPacific, a subsidiary of Cretex Companies, respectively.

The second site, 35 South Business Center, situated at the intersection of Oliver Avenue and 126th Street West in Burnsville, will total 96,000 sq. ft. and is 50% pre-leased by Poly-Tex. The facility boasts a clearing height of 28 feet, multiple drive-in doors and considerable parking capacity.

The third development, InverPoint Building #2, a speculative 108,000-sq.-ft. facility, is the second phase of InverPoint Business Park in Inver Grove Heights which spans approximately 45 acres and will accommodate 460,000 sq. ft. when fully developed. United Properties completed a build-to-suit for Simpson Strong-Tie in InverPoint Business Park in 2020, subsequently selling it to STAG Industrial for a record single-tenant cap rate.

“We’re thrilled to see the amount of investor and tenant demand in the industrial space. Of the 750,000 sq. ft. of industrial space we are delivering to the market in 2021, over half is pre-leased and that is a testament to the strong market fundamentals in the Twin Cities,” says Connor McCarthy, developer director, United Properties. “We’re proud of each of the development projects and look forward to leasing the remainder of the space, and to continue more development in the Twin Cities.”

MINNEAPOLIS (April 27, 2021) – True to its commitment to providing best-in-class, vibrant senior living communities, United Properties opened the doors to Cherrywood Pointe of Bloomington this week and welcomed its founding residents to their new home.

The 118-unit, four-story community features 82 beautifully appointed independent and assisted living apartment homes, 24 memory care apartments and 12 care suites, and is the perfect blend of modern amenities and classic sophistication.

Residents have an array of amenities to enjoy, including 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. Other services include daily chef-prepared meals, scheduled transportation services and a robust life enrichment program.

The development team implemented several advanced technologies in the common areas such as the bipolar ionization air filtering system to mitigate the spread of viruses, including SARS-2-CoV, the virus that causes COVID-19.

Located at 5501 American Blvd. W, the Bloomington location is United Properties’ sixth Cherrywood Pointe senior living development in the Twin Cities. Great Lakes Management will manage the facilities and customized health care services will be provided by Gentle Touch Health, including a 24-hour on-site team of licensed nurses and nurses’ assistants.

Weis Builders constructed the facility designed by Kaas Wilson Architects and Henrik & Co.

For more information on Cherrywood Pointe of Bloomington, please visit: https://www.cherrywoodpointe.com/bloomington/ or call 952-800-7791.

About Great Lakes Management

Great Lakes Management (GLM) is a Minnesota-based real estate firm that provides development, property management, marketing, home healthcare and consulting services to property owners and investors. Founded in 1988, GLM’s senior housing portfolio includes active adult and continuum communities which offer a mix of independent, assisted living, memory care and care suite components. Gentle Touch Health, a wholly owned subsidiary of GLM, currently delivers the licensed clinical oversight and healthcare services to all GLM-managed communities where health services are offered.

AUSTIN, Texas (March 25, 2021) — United Properties announced today that Chris Mase has joined United Properties – Austin as vice president, construction management, effective March 15, 2021. Mase will report to Renee Kirscht-Rascher, senior vice president, development operations, United Properties.

Mase brings more than 15 years of experience in commercial real estate project management, development and construction to his new role. He will be responsible for managing all projects in the Austin market and overseeing the construction process through all phases of development. Mase is the third member to join the team at United Properties – Austin, which was established in April 2020.

“We are pleased to welcome Chris to our growing team in Austin,” said Kirscht-Rascher. “Chris brings a diverse skill set to our team with his background in structural engineering, construction management and development. We have several projects in the pipeline where his expertise will be put to good use.”

Most recently, Mase served as the senior project director, development and construction, for Kushner Companies in New York City where he was responsible for overseeing and leading all phases of the company’s ground up multi-family residential, hospitality, office and retail projects. Previously he held positions with GFI Capital Resources Group, Turner Construction Company and McLaren Engineering Group.

Mase holds a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering from the University of Delaware. He is a LEED AP Building Design and Construction accredited professional and a licensed professional engineer in New York state.