The Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal reports that Chick-fil-A, the Atlanta-based fast food chain, has shared its tentative plans with the city of Bloomington to tear down a former Target Commercial Interiors building at Interstate 494 and Penn Ave and open a new 132-seat restaurant there that would also have a drive-through window.
Lund Food Holdings has totally redesigned its plan for redeveloping an existing Byerly’s store on France Avenue near the Southdale Mall in Edina.
A year ago, Edina-based Lund’s brought an armful of renderings for a mixed-use project at the site into the city of Edina for sketch plan review, which turned into a critique of its first plan. Read more
Three Rivers Park District has taken a step toward acquiring nearly 42 acres of prime acreage in Minnetrista that could become an important link in a future north-south trail system in the west metro.
District commissioners gave the go-ahead last week for staffers to negotiate with Tom Meyer, property representative of the Von Blon family that owns the land. Most of the acreage is a maple-basswood forest that is protected by a conservation easement and is surrounded on three sides by the future Woodland Cove development. Read more
The Fridley City Council has approved the wording of an environmental review document needed for a $145 million redevelopment project at the site of the former BAE plant along the Mississippi River. Read more
Dry weather that has persisted in Minnesota through the fall and winter is raising concerns among farmers about this year’s growing season.
Most of the state didn’t get significant precipitation before the soil froze, meaning dirt that was already moisture-depleted didn’t get the recharge it desperately needs. Drought Monitor, a drought-tracking website, shows that since last fall’s harvest, a big chunk of Minnesota has moved from “moderate” drought to “severe.” Read more
The “power strip” along Interstate 394 between Hwy. 100 and I-494 in Golden Valley is not only proving to be a top draw for office users, it’s also becoming one of the hottest spots in the Twin Cities for apartment development. Read more
A Cushman & Wakefield Brokered Transaction
The new FedEx distribution facility planned for Maple Grove will replace a smaller distribution center in Brooklyn Park, company officials said Tuesday. Read more
According to the Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal, Jerry’s Enterprises plans to open a new 68,000-square-foot grocery store in Woodbury, but it doesn’t know yet which brand.The store will be in Bielenberg Gardens, a grocery-anchored shopping center at the southwest corner of Radio Drive and Bailey Road in a previously-announced development by United Properties. Read more
The Pioneer Press reports that Gertens, the family owned garden center, based in Inver Grove Heights, has bought 80 acres from Buell’s Landscape and Design Center on Manning Avenue in Denmark Township. Read more
The 2013 housing market is off to a promising start, with area home sales up 11 percent over last year.
“It’s as if we skipped the traditional winter slowdown,” said Emily Green, Minneapolis Area Association of Realtors (MAAR) president-elect. “We expect to see buyer activity continue into the spring market.” Read more