A visionaries dream – Urban Infill near major league ballpark

The Northern Auto Parts property is a visionaries dream.  A site that is searching for a new beginning as the urban landscape around it transitions from industrial to transit oriented.  At one point in time before its current use as an auto parts warehouse the building was a bakery and distribution facility.  Now, after decades of living as an industrial property located on the West side of downtown Minneapolis, change is happening and Northern Auto Parts will be part of it.

Located on 5^th Street North a section of a corridor that connects East Minneapolis to West Minneapolis as a major transit and pedestrian spine, Northern Auto Parts contains and is near many of the cities amenities that create and drive traffic into downtown. The immediate area is referred to as “freeway west” whose future land use is transitioning into high-density transit-oriented.

Prospective users or investors will benefit from the cities focus on this particular area of downtown and recent developments that include: Target Field, Multi-modal Transit Stations, Excellent freeway access points, evolving CBD/Warehouse amenities and Neighborhood Revitalization and participation.

If you have questions or are curious about the site and area, please contact the exclusive listing agent,  Josh Floring.

Diamond in the ruff – 117 potential

117 27th Ave SE, Minneapolis, MN 55414

117 27^th Ave SE has been a reliable and sturdy property during its eighty years as a distribution warehouse for a firebrick supply company and is seeking a new opportunity to grow.  117 is positioned on the West side of 27^th Avenue SE, a four lane traffic corridor that connects University Avenue to the Seward neighborhood located on the west side of the Mississippi. 117 enjoys a prominent position in the Prospect Park neighborhood and is surrounded by many housing types including student, senior, affordable, and single-family residential.

117 is an exceptional opportunity for prospective new owners as a result of its multiple zoning which allows a variety of uses that include light industrial (I1), Multiple-family (R5), and Industrial Living Overlay (IL).  This type of zoning provides a variety of holding and exit strategies for owners.  Potential uses might include high-density apartments, technology-based light industrial or limited retail.

117 has tremendous upside potential for users or investors that can appreciate and use a highly-visible, well located, and adaptable urban infill location.  Many of the areas residents use the surrounding transit options (east river road, bus stops) to commute to and from the U of M campus and downtown Minneapolis.

Please contact the exclusive listing agent, Josh Floring to wrap your arms around this industrial gem.

Welcome to a Minneapolis Growth Center – The Story of 445

445 Malcolm Ave SE, Minneapolis, MN 55414

445 Malcolm is seeking a new owner after seven splendid years of being the proud headquarters for a 5^th generation lumber importing, milling, and distribution company.  Situated on the Northwest corner of Malcolm Avenue and the University of Minnesota’s Rapid Bus Transit way intersection, 445 has prominently shown off her industrial stature to passerby’s for decades.

445 is looking to evolve with the times as well as add to her own capabilities and is offering prospective new owners the opportunity to guide her into the 21^st century.  445 has the ability to provide a sale leaseback structure or other investment terms to prospective new owners that can utilize her close proximity to I-94, Highway 280, U of M campus, future rail transit, industrial yards, and existing infrastructure.

445’s beauty lies in her current Industrial zoning (I2) composition and “untapped” future potential.  445 has been witness to a number of recent public improvements close-by that include newly built public sidewalks, roadways, and curbs on Malcolm Avenue which will connect to Granary Road, the “spine” of the area which is being created to help facilitate increased traffic patterns and provide addition connectivity to other areas of the community.

Additionally, the city of Minneapolis which has designated the area as a “growth center” and has received grant funding for infrastructure development are fervently working on development that recreates a street grid, high density industrial development, structured parking, and open space that promotes regional growth and investment.

To discuss the many opportunities associated with 445 please contact the exclusive listing agent, Josh Floring.

Storm-water abatement and federal tax law incetives

A great article on a local company’s (Murphy Warehouse) efforts to mitigate storm-water runoff using a storm-water management system and the economic value associated with it. Murphy will recover the cost within eight years through abatement of a $68,000 annual city storm-sewer assessment. And that was before the chief financial officer realized the company was allowed to depreciate 50 percent of the project in the first year under 2008 federal tax law designed to spur investment in environmental and clean-energy projects.

Full article: http://www.startribune.com/business/44624592.html?elr=KArksUUUU

Working smart is not a mystery.

Successful, experienced, executives often have a mystical quality about them.  They know what to work, how to work it and who to contact.  They do it often, effectively, and successfully.  They also work smart as well as hard.

They have the discipline to study a market and choose a responsiblity and stick to it, they identify a specialty.  Working smart is understanding that time is our ally or our enemy depending on how we choose to work.  Make today’s technology work for you.  Look for and define and work your niche.  New methods will soon compliment and outrank old ways.  Working smart advances your trade, gets you involved and includes goals that are thought-out, reviewed, and challenged.

Work smart.

Time Management

I'm thirsty

If you want to enjoy one of the greatest luxuries in life, the luxury of having enough time, time to rest, time to think things through, time to get things done and know you have done them to the best of your ability, remember there is only one way, take enough time to think and plan things in order of their importance your life will take on a new zest, you will add years to your life and more life to your years, let all your things have their places, let each part of your business have its time.

- Ben Franklin

Progression…

I grew up snowboarding and skateboarding, it’s all I did 24-7.  Making ramps, learning tricks, driving to new locations, reading magazines, riding fakie, ollies, nollies, frontside, backside, switch, kickflips, rodeos, 3’s, 5’s, hips, powder, pipes, snowmobiles, hiking, setups, gear etc.  As I result I got pretty good in both sports and couldn’t wait for the next day.  This was before dedicated parks, magic carpets (like escalator on a hill) and tow ropes were in place which have enabled kids to progress even faster…  It’s amazing how far the sports have progressed.

90’s – halfpipe

90's halfpipe - small, not uniform, difficult to learn on

Today’s halfpipe

Today's halfpipe - uniform, large, easier to learn on, more initimidating

Which brings me to commercial real estate industry and how slow it is to adopt change.  It’s an industry that has exceptional resources and influence which needs to embrace and fast track pr0gressive ideas/technologies and models for our living environment.  This is a discussion that excites me and is primary driver in my career.  If you’d like to discuss your ideas with someone that is dedicated to changing the ways things are done I encourage you to call, write, twitter, email, and sit down with me.  Otherwise you can find me touring buildings, walking city streets, networking, talking with property owners, writing proposals, creating deal structure, showing property, uploading real estate data, creating proformas, selling, leasing, and looking forward to the next day of change 24/7.

Ride the wave…down then up.

I’ve spoken to a lot of real estate insiders in my career and have been humbled by many.  Here are some things I understand:

• There is no shortcut.
• Love it or leave it.
• Have a system and follow it.
• Smile.
• Don’t talk shi#!
• Have fun.
• Take genuine interest.
• Find something new.
• Be inquisitive.
• Listen closely.
• Ask for the job.
• Say no.
• Be honest.
• Pass business.
• Say hi, and introduce yourself.
• Pay attention to business, all aspects.
• Have a specialty.
• Show up.
• Be honest with yourself.
• Look up.
• Look back.
• Do it right or don’t.
• Slow down.
• Be accountable.
• Make suggestions.
• Be relentless.
• Believe.
• Envision the outcome.

Evolution of a site… Twinsville redevelopment opportunity

Change.  I enjoy and often yearn for it and is one of the reasons I love what I do.  It’s also why I enjoy touring and looking at the different neighborhoods in a city.  Recently I started working with a 60,000 sf industrial zoned site that sits just west of the new Twins stadium.  It was developed in the early 1900’s and has seen a variety of uses most recently as a used auto parts warehouse.  But the time has come to find a higher and better use for the site and its location next to mass transit and the new Twins stadium should lend itself to a very nice commercial land use.  Also the owner is willing to look at an equity stake in a project in lieu of a sale.  So if you’ve got the dream and ability to make things happen we should talk.  Below is a pic I took of one of the old signs on the site.  Please call me for the setup, it’s a great site in need of fresh ideas…

60,000 sf twinsville redevelopment site

Halloween = fun and vikings tickets!

This year for Halloween I decided to make a mask. It snowballed a bit and I ended up creating quite the paper mache project with paints we had sitting around and some basic supplies from the everyone’s favorite big box home retailer. My brother also made a costume (lucky cat). I won a 1st place and a grand prize of VIP Vikings tickets for the Bengals game in December and my brother won most original.

My theme for the year (to be my creative self) is already paying off!!!

Home made costumes halloween 2009

Boo!

naked mask