DENVER (Tuesday July 9, 2019) – United Properties is pleased to announce that Summit Utilities, Inc. has signed a lease for 17,822 sq. ft. on the fourth floor of INOVA Office II at 10825 E. Geddes Ave., in Centennial, Colorado. Headquartered in Colorado, Summit Utilities owns natural gas distribution and transmission subsidiaries that operate in Arkansas, Colorado, Maine, Missouri and Oklahoma.

The relocation, which is planned for Nov. 1, 2019, represents a consolidation of several offices. “We are excited to relocate our corporate headquarters to Centennial, which is central to our operations here in Colorado,” said Steve Birchfield, Summit Utilities’ Chief Financial Officer. “We selected the INOVA II property based on its open floorplan layout, proximity to I-25 and commuter rail, and floor-to-ceiling windows providing abundant natural light and views of the Front Range.”

The new space will include architectural details that tie in with Summit Utilities’ work installing piping for their distribution network. Powers Brown Architecture created elements that resemble utility piping to run from the reception area and wind through the ceiling, creating a playful design feature and way-finding tool. The design element is also practical as it will be used to bring power to the open office workstations. Additionally, open space on the west side of the office will allow employees to enjoy the mountain views.

With the lease signing, just 40,100 sq. ft. of space remains available within INOVA II, according to Matt Oermann, senior development manager, United Properties. “We’re thrilled to welcome Summit Utilities to our highly successful INOVA project and are very pleased to have such strong continuing interest in INOVA, which now consists of three phases,” Oermann said. INOVA I and II tenants have responded positively to the proximity and easy access to I-25, higher parking ratios and highly efficient floor plate designs, he added. United Properties recently announced plans for a third phase of the project, INOVA Aero, with the purchase of a 43-acre adjacent site.

Ryan Link with CBRE represented Summit Utilities in the transaction. Dave Lee and Jason Addlesperger of Newmark Knight Frank represented United Properties.

About Summit Utilities, Inc.
Summit Utilities, Inc. owns natural gas distribution and transmission subsidiaries that operate in Arkansas, Colorado, Maine, Missouri and Oklahoma, serving approximately 100,000 customers and operating more than 5,400 miles of pipeline. The business began in 1997, when two entrepreneurially-minded executives recognized a need to deliver a more cost-effective and environmentally sustainable fuel option to residences and businesses in rural areas where other utilities could not or would not serve with natural gas. While the company started in Colorado with the founding of Colorado Natural Gas, Inc., it has since grown to provide safe, clean and affordable natural gas to businesses and residents in five states through Summit Natural Gas of Missouri, Inc., Summit Natural Gas of Maine, Inc. and Arkansas Oklahoma Gas Corporation. Each of Summit’s subsidiaries constructs and installs natural gas distribution systems with the goal of supporting economic development by providing clean-burning, safe and reliable natural gas to residential and commercial customers through exceptional customer service and commitment to community. To learn more, visit www.summitutilitiesinc.com

AUTHORED BY COLE STERR

On June 18th, 2019, United Properties celebrated the start of construction on RBC Gateway, a 34-story mixed-use tower that will be completed in late 2021.

As part of this event, key partners shared objects to be included in a time capsule to be buried under the building.  The United Properties team included a letter that encapsulates what is currently happening in downtown Minneapolis and how we strive to create deep roots in all of our developments. It reads:

Dear Minneapolis,

From where we sit today, the future of Minneapolis looks very, very bright. Today, we broke ground on Gateway, the tallest mixed-use tower to be built in the city in nearly 20 years. When completed in 2021, it will be home to a Four Seasons Hotel, the headquarters of RBC Wealth Management, and 31 private residences. All this on a block that sat fallow for decades.

Sizable as it is, Gateway is just one of many positive developments in our downtown. The nearby North Loop is buzzing once again, shedding its industrial past to become a tech hub for the 21st Century. We are proud to have played a major role in this transformation, with loving restorations of the Ford Center, Loose-Wiles and Kickernick Buildings, as well as with new buildings like The Nordic.

We recently relocated our headquarters to downtown Minneapolis. Across Nicollet Mall from our office, the Dayton’s Project promises to bring back to life a treasured  Twin Cities destination. We are privileged to be part of this effort.

The list goes on: thousands of people now call downtown home, the Nicollet Mall has been given a needed makeover, a comprehensive public transit system is in full swing, green space and our famous river are enjoyed daily. To cap it all off, our Minnesota Twins have the best record in major league baseball!

Our roots in the Twin Cities run deep. We’ve been here for over 100 years. With Gateway, as with every project we are part of, we sincerely hope to create deep roots for the future, so this great city can continue to grow and prosper.

Sincerely,

The people of United Properties

Below are scans of the actual letter that will be put in the time capsule.

With RBC Gateway, we will leave a lasting legacy in our community. And hopefully, a hundred years from now that legacy will still be deeply rooted in our community.

AUTHORED BY COLE STERR

We’ve galvanized an awakening of the North Loop since the beginning of the neighborhood’s renaissance. From the Ford Center and Be The Match to Loose-Wiles, Kickernick and Target Field Station, there’s no doubt we’ve left a staggering vitality in the area. The Nordic, a retail/mixed-use property that will become the neighborhood’s “living room and backyard,” is one of our most recent advancements.

Just last week, a video of vice president Gordy Stofer was released on the North Loop Neighborhood Association’s website highlighting how the mixed-use tower is taking shape.

“The whole goal of the Nordic was to recreate the authenticity of a classic warehouse-style building with the modern efficiencies of a twenty-first century building,” says Stofer. This includes fostering a friendly public plaza with yard games making it a “consistently active environment,” a potential rooftop bar and private event space and maintaining the century-old brick character.

Some tenants of the building include WeWork, which will take up four floors of the building and Ovative Group, who is already working in the office. There’s also a residential component of this project called Sable, which is for-sale condos that will be the first of its kind in the North Loop, that adds a more modern authenticity.

The project is expected to be completed by Labor Day.

To keep up with more updates on The Nordic, follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn. You can also stay up-to-date with the North Loop neighborhood by following the North Loop Neighborhood Association’s Twitter page and visiting its website.

We are proud to be ranked No. 1 in the 2018 Top Real Estate Developer list published this week by Minneapolis St. Paul Business Journal, marking the fifth consecutive year that United Properties has topped the list. Co-presidents Bill Katter and Matt Van Slooten, were both humbled and proud by the recognition around our ongoing list status.

“It’s an exciting and busy time for United Properties. Securing the top-ranking position for five straight years is a direct testament to our amazing team who work hard every day to create deep roots in the Twin Cities community,” said Bill Katter, president and chief investment officer, United Properties Development.

“In my short tenure here, I’m already seeing how our unique, collaborative approach makes United Properties the leader in this market,” said Matt Van Slooten, president and chief investment officer, United Properties Investment.

This accomplishment would not have been possible without the support of United Properties’ owner The Pohlad Companies, as well as the incredible efforts from the United Properties Minneapolis and Denver employees.

United Properties looks forward to creating more deep roots within the Twin Cities communities in 2019.

The holiday season is right around the corner, and here at United Properties, we’re strengthening our communities through some holiday giving efforts.

As the holidays approach, our United Properties “elves” are busy finding ways to spread holiday cheer – loud and clear for all to hear!

In both the Twin Cities and in Denver, the focus is on giving back to our communities.

Buy a Pair, Give a Pair

United Properties chose to purchase and send Bombas socks for its 2018 effort. The popular, trendy socks from Bombas include a “buy a pair, give a pair” philanthropic component. Bombas started when the founders learned that socks are the most requested clothing item at homeless shelters.

Working with the Pohlad Family Foundation, with its focus on helping to end homelessness, the company identified and chose St. Stephens Homeless Shelter in Minneapolis, an organization the Foundation supports. And in Denver, we chose Volunteers of America Colorado Chapter, a local organization that the team has supported for several years.

More Holiday Efforts

But the efforts don’t end there. In both offices, employees are also pitching in to provide more holiday cheer for those in need. For several years, the Denver team has adopted a family through Volunteers of America. This year, the team will be gifting a single mom and her four children. The team is also buying for a group of young men currently in transitional shelter housing, knowing that older teens and young, single men are often overlooked when it comes to holiday donations.

Minneapolis employees are also pooling their own funds toward the purchase of “comfort baskets”, for elderly residents at Ebenezer’s Loren on Park, an assisted living facility in Minneapolis. Many of these residents have little or no family support so these donations go a long way in bringing smiles to the faces of these vulnerable seniors.

We are proud to support our neighboring communities that contribute and enrich the places we call home.

From all of us at United Properties, we wish you all a safe and happy holiday season.

AUTHORED BY COLE STERR

The historic Kickernick building in the Minneapolis Warehouse District has gone through quite the renovation. This past May, an extensive lobby renovation plan that would enhance the historic charm of the 150,000-sq.-ft. building, “kicked” into full swing.

Now, six months later, the renovation is complete, and voila! Our tenants are ready to start kickin’ it back at Kickernick with a new interior!

Out With the New and In With the Old

Built in 1896, the seven-story building was originally a factory and warehouse, which was later occupied by a lingerie company called Kickernick – hence, why the building is now called Kickernick.

Throughout its six-month renovation, it was a goal to imagine possibilities of restoring the building’s history by exposing more of its existing brick and timber construction. Additionally, with the elimination of the added dropped ceilings and drywall, the building’s original 19^th-century materials were exposed.

Other Renovations

The new lobby took on the open concept with collaboration stations and a more eminent entryway off First Avenue. New elevators, bathrooms, bike storage and showers have also been added onto the first floor.

The renovation also included a full demolition of a multi-tenant floor into a refurbished single tenant floor plate. Other floors in the building received new bathrooms and upgraded corridors.

At United Properties, we strive to imagine possibilities through renovations. With the Kickernick building, we reinforced its historic character to implement unique office spaces for a charming and visually appealing interior.

We will continue to envision such possibilities so that our communities, clients and tenants can have welcoming and enjoyable working spaces.

Last month, Prime Landing welcomed its first employees from Prime Therapeutics, as Phase 1 of the company’s new campus was complete. This significant milestone in a fast track project means 900 employees of the prominent pharmacy benefit management company can now call Prime Landing home.

As the lead developer, United Properties worked closely with Prime to create a vision for a facility that will eventually consolidate four of Prime’s current office locations in Minnesota, housing their IT and operations teams.

Once completed, the entire facility will span nearly 400,000 sq. ft., offering state-of-the-art office spaces for employees of the growing company.

The Right Location

From the beginning, finding the right location for Prime to consolidate their Twin Cities operations was key. The location at Interstate 494 and Dodd Road in Eagan offered exactly what Prime was looking for.

The 47-acre site overlooking scenic Lake Shanahan offers an exceptional location for Prime’s new corporate campus. In addition to its natural beauty, the site is adjacent to the Vikings Lakes development and offers access to a wide variety of restaurants, entertainment and other amenities.

A State-of-the-Art Facility

Prime Landing is a great example of United Properties’ ability to work on large, complex projects with a discerning client like Prime Therapeutics, and we are proud to support them as they consolidate four separate locations into this new, state-of-the-art facility at Prime Landing.

Representing one of the largest office projects built in the Twin Cities this year, Prime Landing features a flexible, light-filled office environment with numerous conference rooms and meeting space options to promote internal mobility and collaboration. It also includes a meeting center featuring a 300+ seat auditorium for employee meetings; a fully-equipped fitness center and outdoor walking paths with views of Lake Shanahan; and a full-service cafeteria offering healthy, artisan food, a Caribou Coffee and visiting chain food options, along with an expansive dining area and deck overlooking Lake Shanahan.

Delivering on – and ahead! – of schedule

Phase 1 of the project – 225,000 square feet – was completed on schedule. Phase 2 is underway and on track with occupancy set to begin in spring 2019 – a full five months ahead of schedule. The third and final phase of the project will be completed in early 2020.

The Prime Landing project is one of many examples of how we transform imagined possibilities into reality. At United Properties, we execute possibilities into exciting, innovative and impactful results for properties that will leave a lasting footprint in our communities.

Learn more about Prime Landing on its project profile page.

AUTHORED BY COLE STERR

Here at United Properties, we are committed to supporting the communities where we live and work, as reflected by our tree-like logo and brand statement of “Creating Deep Roots.”

We support organizations and missions that coincide with our company values – which is why we’ve partnered with The Nature Conservancy, an organization dedicated to conserving our nation’s lands and waters to better the health of our communities. Since we began our relationship with The Nature Conservancy in 2017, we have been working with the organization to evaluate and choose locations that need tree-canopy replacements in both Colorado and Minneapolis.

Together, we’re imagining possibilities of what not only trees and nature can provide, but what real estate and we humans can do to improve the health and well-being of the communities we serve.

Imagining Possibilities in Colorado

The Colorado Nature Conservancy is imagining possibilities with us and creating deep roots – literally!

The organization is committed to a tree planting effort in Globeville, a neighborhood of significant need in North Denver, Colorado. The community faces significant challenges that puts its environment and well-being at risk.

Back in October, The Colorado Nature Conservancy partnered with the Elyria-Swansea Coalition and The Park People for a neighborhood-wide tree planting day. This project began in the spring of 2018 and with intentional and direct community outreach, a block-scale and community-defined planting event blossomed. With more than 300 flowers, 60 trees and 400 shrubs planted, more than 120 community members and volunteers helped transform approximately 30 properties in the area.

Talk about leaving a lasting legacy!

Now, nearly a month later, TNC is following up with the area, ensuring that it is maintained with quality care and respect it deserves. With our donations, TNC has imagined possibilities by completing four tree plantings in the area, leaving 600 new plants in the ground and more than 130 trees.

Possibilities at a Local Level

We are also working with The Nature Conservancy here in Minneapolis to lead urban reforestation efforts in the Camden Neighborhood, located in North Minneapolis. The area was greatly affected by the path of the 2011 tornado, which incurred significant tree loss. TNC is working toward a full community tree-planting effort to increase forest diversity and transform the affected area into a highly usable and tree-filled space.

We have financially supported the The Nature Conservancy’s two chapters in 2017 and 2018 as part of our charitable giving program.

Together, we’re imagining possibilities of cultivating healthier, stronger communities.

United Properties and our valued partner Ebenezer were among the sponsors and participants at the 12^th Annual Senior Housing Summit, presented by Minnesota Real Estate Journal on October 25, 2018. The four-hour event gave an excellent overview of local and national trends, as well as insights from leading experts in the industry, including our very own Ray Oborn, President of Cherrywood Pointe Investments.

Let’s look at a few takeaways from the event and how the senior housing industry, as well as United Properties, is strengthening communities for today’s senior citizens.

Today’s seniors are savvy consumers.

Senior housing developers are competing not only with each other but with a boom in construction of general occupancy apartments. (One general occupancy property manager noted over 50% of his tenants are seniors.) To attract consumers to their properties, developers have had to become much more creative in building in next-generation amenities like pet spas and makerspaces.

Create a lifestyle, not just a place to live

That was the advice of Joyce Stupnik of bdh+young. Joyce identified four key components necessary to creating a lifestyle: engagement, enrichment, experience and enjoyment. She emphasized that design is not just a visual exercise, but one that should involve all five senses. And forget about bingo! Today’s program directors should think of a variety of enriching and engaging activities like wine tastings or bringing in speakers from the local university.

Details matter

Architect Chris Pakowitsch of BKV Group suggested site-specific differentiators. One California complex is planning an on-site vineyard, for instance. He also encouraged developers to think how branding can come into play in their projects. As an example, he showed a communal table with raw wood accents, which was created specifically for an outdoors-themed community.

The importance of community

Mari Strong, Chaplain at The Fountains of Hosannah!, shared moving stories of how communities can bring purpose and joy to seniors’ lives. One resident, whose handmade quilts were no longer needed at a local hospital, was able to redirect her donations to a global children’s charity, thanks to the resources and guidance of The Fountains of Hosannah!

Put seniors at the center of development

It seems obvious that the consumers come first, but several presenters acknowledged the difficulty of doing so while trying to “value engineer” projects. A few shared eye-opening experiences of helping their own parents choose senior housing and how it has changed their approach to their work. Ray Oborn challenged the group to invite actual residents to future Seminars, so attendees could hear first-hand from the people the industry serves.

These are just a few of the highlights from the Summit, which underscored the enormous opportunities – and real challenges – facing developers because of the “silver tsunami” that’s just beginning to hit the marketplace. Increased competition demands that developers continue to innovate, differentiate and stay up-to-date in the industry.

United Properties strives to be the best in-class real estate provider for seniors choosing to move into a community-based solution. By providing quality living spaces and keeping up with the senior housing trends, we aspire to bring joy to the lives of the seniors we serve.

AUTHORED BY COLE STERR

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month. On this final day in October, we’re looking at some of the cool features implemented in buildings, including some of our own developments, to honor hard-working employees with disabilities nationwide.

First, every public accommodation needs to be up-to-code based on mandates from the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Common accessibility features include wheelchair ramps, elevators, retrofitted restroom stalls, automatic doors and braille communications.

However, there are some features that go above and beyond what’s mandated by law to accommodate employees with disabilities. Consider the following innovative features from The Guardian, a British daily newspaper:

• Quiet HVAC systems to cater to the needs of people with autism, who can be hypersensitive to sound, light and movement and help them feel at ease while in a public building.
• Simple, neutral and clean interior design to help employees feel a sense of calm.
• Adjustable height sinks and accessible toilets to accommodate those who are disabled so they can easily wash their hands and use the bathroom comfortably and efficiently.
• Drive-through lifts so that employees who use wheelchairs don’t have to turn around and position themselves in an elevator to get from one floor to the next.
• Ceiling hoists to lift and/or move employees who are disabled for increased efficiency and comfort.
• Beacon navigation systems that provide directions to people who are visually impaired while in a building. These systems usually provide audio cues via Bluetooth like “approaching escalator on right” or “automated doors on left.”

For more information, you can view the full article titled What would a truly disabled-accessible city look like? on The Guardian’s website.

Creating Deep Roots in Our Properties

At United Properties, we’re working to create deep roots with employees and tenants who are disabled so they can do what they do best in our properties.

Take the Kickernick building, for example. With its recent renovations, we gutted the lobby and re-routed the new entrance to accommodate disabled tenants and building visitors. We’ve also installed new push buttons and wheelchair ramps to make the new entrance more accessible. Additionally, there are heart defibrillators available in the building that can be tracked by an app on your phone in case anyone needs medical assistance.

As another example, at Prime Therapeutics, we included mental health notices on electronic message screens to encourage Prime employees to prioritize their mental health. This implementation encourages a healthy mental state in the workplace to accommodate those who may be dealing with stress on the job.

The Importance of Accessibility

Accessibility matters. It’s crucial that public space can be accessed, used and enjoyed by everyone using spaces, regardless of their physical abilities.

At United Properties, we’re striving to ensure our properties are inclusive and available for employees who are disabled so that we can fulfill our mission of creating deep roots within our communities. That said, happy National Disability Employment Awareness Month!