MINNEAPOLIS (Dec. 1, 2022) — United Properties, one of the largest real estate investment and development companies in the Midwest, announced today it is rebranding its senior living communities in Naples and Sarasota, Florida, and transferring operations of the communities from Watercrest to Ebenezer Management Services. United Properties will retain ownership of each community.

“We’re excited to expand our partnership with Ebenezer and to continue to deliver a lifestyle that seniors are looking for — one full of caring relationships, and activities seniors can share with people who have similar interests and are at similar stages in life,” said Matt Van Slooten, United Properties president and chief investment officer. “We are proud to have developed these two beautifully designed communities, and pleased to bring Ebenezer’s management to these locations under the Amira Choice brand.”

Amira senior living developments are well-positioned to meet demographic demands, building on United Properties’ 18 years of experience with senior living developments in 31 locations, including 20 Applewood Pointe co-op communities, Van Slooten noted. 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.

Ebenezer Management Services, which is affiliated with Fairview Health Services, is Minnesota’s largest senior housing operator and has decades of experience in the senior living market. Ebenezer currently manages over 100 locations and offers senior housing and care options including independent living, assisted living, memory care and skilled nursing care.

“We are honored to expand our relationship and footprint to Florida with our valued partner United Properties,” said Jon Lundberg, Fairview Senior Services and Ebenezer president and chief executive officer. “It is a pleasure to welcome the residents, family and staff of these two communities to the Ebenezer family, and we look forward to sharing our long-standing values of dignity, integrity, service, compassion and innovation as we begin serving older adults in Florida.”

Amira Choice residents in Florida will notice a new name, logo, website designs, signs and employee uniforms in their communities. They will also experience the benefits of United Properties and Ebenezer’s partnership with best-in-class levels of service, care and quality of life.

Additional details about the rebranding will be available on the community websites.

About Ebenezer Management Services

Ebenezer Management Services is Minnesota’s largest senior living operator. Part of Fairview Health Services, Ebenezer Management Services develops, consults, and provides management services to more than 100 senior communities throughout Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Nebraska and Florida.

MINNEAPOLIS (Sept. 21, 2022) — United Properties broke ground today on The Ellie, a new four-story residential community development on six acres in Eden Prairie.

Located 12 miles southwest of downtown Minneapolis, and a 15-minute drive to MSP Airport at the intersection of Lincoln Lane and Eden Prairie Road, The Ellie will consist of 239 studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments. Twenty-five percent of the residential units will be affordable.

“United Properties is excited to break ground and deliver this multifamily project to the city and residents of Eden Prairie,” said Scott Peterson, vice president of hospitality and office development, United Properties.

“Purchasing the land was complex; it included the acquisition of seven off-market homes, as well as rezoning, relocating major utilities, right-of-way changes, and a tax increment financing (TIF) agreement,” Peterson said. “We arrive at today’s groundbreaking thanks to close coordination with the city council, city and county staff, and the Metropolitan Council’s Housing and Redevelopment Authority.”

Named after Elizabeth F. Ellet, a writer who visited the area in the mid-1800s and is credited with naming Eden Prairie, The Ellie has a large outdoor courtyard area for residents to gather with friends and family, plus shared indoor spaces such as a fitness center, a community lounge and fireplace, bike storage rooms, storage spaces to rent, and ample underground and surface parking.

The central courtyard area will have an outdoor pool with lounge seating and shade umbrellas, a children’s play area, a culinary garden to grow food, an outdoor kitchen and fire pit area, and a lawn area for games.

The project was designed to maximize natural light in all indoor spaces, and features refined materials and a color palette that mimics Eden Prairie’s natural surroundings.

Apartments will have oversized windows, balconies/patios, walk-in closets, in-unit laundry and kitchen islands. A mail room and parcel package lockers will make it easy to receive mail and packages worry-free.

“The Ellie is a great example of an infill development opportunity that benefits the overall community,” said Carrie Eggleston, senior development manager, United Properties. “We worked closely with the City of Eden Prairie to vacate the existing road (Lincoln Lane) and replace seven homes with 239 units of new construction — all in close proximity to area amenities.”

“We’re proud we were able to preserve four of the original homes and physically move them to new locations in Minnesota,” she added.

The development is close to a robust park network — including Miller and Round Lake parks — and is located seven minutes from public transit with easy access to Highways 212 and 5.

The Ellie was designed by DLR Group and is being constructed by Eagle Building Company. Construction on The Ellie is anticipated to be complete by the spring of 2024.

AUSTIN, TEXAS (Aug. 8, 2022) — United Properties announced today that Victor Young has joined United Properties – Austin as senior vice president of commercial development. In this role, Young will serve as market lead and direct all development activities based out of the Austin office. He will report directly to Bill Katter, United Properties president and development chief investment officer.

“We are very excited for Victor to lead the United Properties – Austin team as we expand our portfolio in the region,” said Katter. “He’s an experienced developer and longtime Austinite who has strong relationships with the companies, brokers and financial institutions that call Austin home.”

Young comes to United Properties with an extensive background in real estate development. Most recently, he was a principal at Cypress Real Estate Advisors where he specialized in multi-family, office and mixed-use developments.

“As a lifelong Texan and long-term resident of Austin, I have witnessed firsthand the dramatic transformation of our city and have been fortunate to raise my family while participating in the most active real estate market in the country,” said Young. “The company’s mission of ‘creating deep roots’ while building and strengthening communities, along with the innovative team that makes up United Properties, is what attracted me to this opportunity. I’m thrilled to channel my passion for this field into my role at United Properties.”

Before joining Cypress Real Estate Advisors, Young launched Greenbelt Commercial, the real estate acquisition and development company behind properties such as the award-winning SXSW Center in downtown Austin — which houses South by Southwest’s headquarters — and the Eastlake at Tillery office development, among others. He was also a development partner at Capital City Partners, Inc. and a commercial real estate broker for Aquila Commercial in Austin.

Young is a Texas native with a bachelor’s degree from Rice University (where he played football) and a law degree from the University of Texas at Austin School of Law. He lives in Austin with his wife and two children and serves on the board of the Pease Park Conservancy while actively supporting many other local nonprofit organizations.

United Properties expanded operations to Texas in 2020, opening a development office in Austin after carefully studying the area’s growth trajectory and how it has responded to both market expansions and downturns.

“We love the diversity and growth opportunities in Austin,” Katter said. “We like the strong tech hub and the culture and people of Austin, and we’re excited about new projects on the horizon.”

MINNEAPOLIS (July 26, 2022) — JLL is pleased to announce that United Properties has broken ground on their new 199,919-sq.-ft. industrial building in Oakdale, Minnesota. The Class A development, dubbed the 4Front Industrial Park, will be located directly off the Interstate 694 and County Road 14 interchange. JLL’s leasing agents include Managing Director Chris Hickok, Executive Vice President Eric Batiza and Vice President Connor Ott.

The new project is a rare development in Oakdale, a suburb of St. Paul in the east metro. It will offer suites that range in size from 30,000 sq. ft. to the full 199,919 sq. ft. Sitting on 12 acres with 284 parking stalls for visitors and employees, the building will also provide 21 dock doors with levelers and three oversized drive-in doors, with the ability to add additional doors by tenant request. Floor plans are available here.

“We’re thrilled to take advantage of the industrial market momentum in the Twin Cities and bring such an unparalleled product to Oakdale,” said United Properties Vice President Connor McCarthy. “The community’s labor market is best-in-class, and the site offers employees a superb work atmosphere. We’re confident that this project will be a win-win for the city and its employers.”

Additionally, the industrial park is located less than 25 miles from the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, 15 minutes from St. Paul, 25 minutes from Minneapolis, four minutes from I-94 and less than 15 miles from Atlas Cold Storage in St. Paul, making it an ideal site for medical, manufacturing and warehouse operations. Upcoming construction on I-94 and the I-494 and I-694 interchanges will also widen the north and southbound interchange bridges, as well as create auxiliary and buffer lanes, enabling trucks to navigate the ramps more easily.

4Front Industrial Park is also strategically located near several restaurants and retail options along I-694, including Costco, Whole Foods, The Home Depot, The Tavern Grill, Wild Bill’s Sports Saloon and Tamarack Tap Room.

According to recent JLL research, the Minneapolis-St. Paul industrial market has nearly 4.2 million sq. ft. under construction. 4Front Industrial Park will contribute to this growing number.

“The demand for industrial space in the Twin Cities region has not slowed down in the least and this is just one of the numerous projects United Properties is developing to answer that demand,” said Hickok. “The accessibility of 4Front Industrial Park is superior and its location is prime for medical, manufacturing and warehouse uses.”

The industrial park is slated for a June 2023 delivery.

MINNEAPOLIS (Feb. 24, 2022) — United Properties announced today the appointment of Karla Carlson to vice president of capital markets. In this role, Carlson will be responsible for raising equity for speculative and build-to-suit developments, structuring joint ventures and coordinating the due diligence process for equity partners to ensure timely closings.

Based in United Properties’ Minneapolis office, she will work closely with Eric Skalland, chief financial officer and executive vice president of capital markets. Additionally, she will coordinate with both Skalland and Brian Schmidt, director of capital markets, to monitor capital markets as it relates to equity capital, maintain strong investor contact and manage capital relationships.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Karla to our Capital Markets team,” said Skalland. “Her extensive market knowledge, history of building trusted relationships, and strong business acumen and financial skills will be an asset to us moving forward.”

Carlson joins United Properties with over 13 years of experience as a partner and lead developer in the commercial real estate industry. Most recently, she was the partner/vice president of a team at Capital Real Estate, Inc. where she assisted partners with deal procurement and managed the entire development process of projects. While there, she successfully completed more than 25 development projects that yielded $140 million in project value.

DENVER (Feb. 10, 2022) — United Properties announced today the appointment of Jamie Pollock to senior vice president and national director for retail development. In his new role, Pollock’s responsibilities will be expanded to include leading the company’s retail development and investment initiatives, and leading the retail development team to identify, develop and manage retail real estate projects from inception through completion, stabilization or sale. Based in United Properties’ Denver office, Pollock will also continue to oversee Denver office operations, leading and implementing corporate initiatives.

“I am pleased to announce the well-deserved promotion of Jamie, who has played a key role in developing our commercial real estate business and building relationships locally,” said Bill Katter, president, United Properties. “Jamie is a strong leader who brings expertise, experience and passion to his work, with an incredible talent for connecting with people. I look forward to reaching new levels of success and growth with his increased involvement.”

Pollock has been with United Properties for nearly 15 years, starting in 2007 as a retail development manager. Most recently, Pollock has held leadership roles in asset management. Some of his latest accomplishments include oversight of the successful closings of roughly $250 million in transactions that include the sales of Enterprise Business Center Building Six – Breakthru Beverage, Inova II, Tower Business Center, Barlow Plaza and Lyndale Green shopping center.

DENVER (Feb. 10, 2022) — United Properties announced today the appointment of Jamie Pollock to senior vice president and national director for retail development. In his new role, Pollock’s responsibilities will be expanded to include leading the company’s retail development and investment initiatives, and leading the retail development team to identify, develop and manage retail real estate projects from inception through completion, stabilization or sale. Based in United Properties’ Denver office, Pollock will also continue to oversee Denver office operations, leading and implementing corporate initiatives.

“I am pleased to announce the well-deserved promotion of Jamie, who has played a key role in developing our commercial real estate business and building relationships locally,” said Bill Katter, president, United Properties. “Jamie is a strong leader who brings expertise, experience and passion to his work, with an incredible talent for connecting with people. I look forward to reaching new levels of success and growth with his increased involvement.”

Pollock has been with United Properties for nearly 15 years, starting in 2007 as a retail development manager. Most recently, Pollock has held leadership roles in asset management. Some of his latest accomplishments include oversight of the successful closings of roughly $250 million in transactions that include the sales of Enterprise Business Center Building Six – Breakthru Beverage, Inova II, Tower Business Center, Barlow Plaza and Lyndale Green shopping center.

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.