Overview
When it comes to real estate, Stinson covers the map, focusing in all facets of real estate development and land assembly to provide direction, guidance and perspective to our clients on property in virtually every state in the country. In fact, our real estate attorneys completed 3,561 transactions across the Midwest in the past year alone.
Our attorneys handle the development of a wide range of real estate projects, including commercial, retail, office, mixed-use, industrial and residential projects. We work with developers, property owners, tenants and governmental entities, offering the range of services our clients need to complete their real estate transactions and achieve their business goals.
Our team blends comprehensive knowledge of real estate law with the resources of attorneys with experience in complementary practices such as financing, government contracts, environmental law, and tax, trusts and estates. Many of our lawyers have prior professional experience as architects, in-house real estate counsel, and in government positions, further cementing our go-to position as the law firm industry insiders choose to guide their most challenging and complex real estate development projects.
Capabilities
Our team can assist your business in the following areas:
- Acquisitions and sales
- Tax increment financing, tax abatement and other governmental incentives
- Tax-free exchanges
- Historic preservation and use of federal and state historic tax credits
- Syndications
- Development of office buildings, shopping centers, mixed-used and residential projects
- Development of apartments, student housing and build-to-suits
- Leasing (landlord and tenant representation)
- Construction and architect's agreements
- Gaming and liquor licensing issues
- Property management agreements
- Zoning, land use regulation and tax matters
- Environmental issues
- Condemnation
EXPERIENCE
We represent clients across the full spectrum of real estate development, with experience including:
- Counsel to a NYSE-listed specialty Real Estate Investment Trust, in investments of more than $1.4 billion in 110 destination megaplex theaters, over $600 million in eight destination entertainment retail center properties, approximately $150 million in ski parks with 312 trails across 1,598 acres, and is one of the nation’s largest institutional owners of public charter school properties.
- Represent a major developer in the construction of a 1.14 million square feet state-of-the-art Internal Revenue Service processing center, including the renovation of the historic Main Post Office Building, and the relocation and renovation of facilities for the United States Postal Service in the Railway Express Building and the Grand Hall of Union Station.
- Counsel a regional health care provider and health insurance company in connection with development and leasing of medical office space, clinic space and hospital space in Minnesota and Wisconsin.
- Represented the Port Authority of the City of Saint Paul in connection with purchase and redevelopment of the 47 acre former 3M headquarters facility in northeast St. Paul into a multi-use business center now known as Beacon Bluff Business Center.
- Counsel to Cerner Corporation in the site acquisition and development of its planned 4 million square foot office campus in Kansas City, Missouri; including zoning and development incentives (TIF, Super-TIF, and State Supplemental TIF).
- Represents Burns & McDonnell, one of the nation's largest engineering and architectural firms, in obtaining entitlements and incentives (including tax abatement, TIF and job incentives under State programs) for a new 450,000 square foot campus project.
- Developer's Counsel for historic mixed-use Custom House apartment and hotel redevelopment project in St. Paul, Minnesota.
- Developer's counsel for historic C&E Lofts apartments and "green" C&E Flats in St. Paul, Minnesota.
- Developer's counsel for mixed-use Cobalt Condominiums and grocery-anchored retail center in Minneapolis.
- Midwest Real Estate News listed Stinson among the "2023 Best of the Best" in real estate law. The firm ranked third on the list with 2,561 completed real estate transactions throughout the Midwest.
- Five members of the real estate team have been inducted into the Midwest Commercial Real Estate Hall of Fame: Todd LaSala, Kate Hauber, David Frantze, Alan Van Dellen, and Todd Phelps.
REPRESENTATIVE CLIENTS
Our clients tell our story best—following is a brief list of those we’ve worked with recently:
- Allina Health System
- Buffalo Wild Wings national restaurant chain
- D.R. Horton national residential homebuilder
- Goodwill Easter Seals retail and job training sites
- Hennepin County/Minnesota Twins Ballpark
- Target Corporation nationwide shopping centers
- United Entertainment Group nationwide chain of movie theaters