Hopkins City Council Gives Opus Approval for Excelsior Crossings Office Campus
Cargill to Occupy First Two Phases of the Project
MINNEAPOLIS (Jan. 3, 2007) – The Hopkins City Council today announced it has given final site plan approval to Opus Northwest for the Excelsior Crossings office campus, located on the northeast corner of Highway 169 and Excelsior Boulevard in Hopkins, Minn.
Cargill will initially occupy two buildings, or 450,000 square feet, in the new campus. The first building will be seven stories and 250,000 square feet. A ground-level skyway will connect it to the second building, which will be approximately 200,000 square feet and five stories tall. The plan also allows for a third building.
“As Cargill’s Twin Cities workforce continues to grow, we felt it was time to add a second world-class office complex here,” said Cargill Vice President and Office Services Manager John McCabe. “Excelsior Crossings promises to be just that. Its proximity to our headquarters, its access to public transportation, and its accessibility to the Hopkins commercial district will be huge benefits for our employees.”
The Excelsior Crossings campus, formerly a Supervalu warehouse site, will consolidate employees who are presently at several locations across the Twin Cities and will become the home of approximately 1,700 Cargill employees by mid-2010. The employees will begin moving into the facility in mid-2008. Cargill’s world headquarters will continue to be in Wayzata, Minn.
“We’re honored to have a well-respected organization such as Cargill create a large presence in our city,” said Hopkins Mayor Gene Maxwell. “We’ve worked with Opus for some time on the Excelsior Crossings project and believe it showcases the high quality for which this city stands.”
“Cargill wanted an office space that would foster interaction and collaboration,” said Dave Menke, vice president of real estate at Opus Northwest. “Excelsior Crossings’ larger floor sizes and minimal walls separating workspaces accomplish that goal. Amenities such as a large cafeteria, exercise and locker facilities, plus proximity to regional walking trails make this an attractive work environment for Cargill employees.”
Menke and Tom Shaver, vice president of real estate development for Opus Northwest, led the project on Opus’ behalf. Kurt Knoff, John Ferlita and Brandon Megal of CB Richard Ellis served as Cargill’s representatives in the transaction.
Opus Northwest, L.L.C. is headquartered in Minneapolis, with offices in Denver, Kansas City, Mo., Portland, Ore., Seattle and St. Louis, and is one of five regional companies within The Opus Group. Opus Northwest has developed more than 80 million square feet since starting operations in 1953 and currently has six million square feet in planning or under development.
The Opus Group, based in Minneapolis, is a $1.4 billion premier, full-service real estate development company with nearly 55 years experience. Specializing in office, industrial, retail, multifamily, government and institutional development, The Opus Group has completed more than 2,300 projects and 227 million square feet and currently has 35 million square feet in planning or development. Opus employs 1,600 people in 28 offices in the United States and Canada. A community steward since its inception, The Opus Group contributes 10 percent of its pre-tax profits to community organizations. For more information, visit www.opuscorp.com.
Cargill is an international provider of food, agricultural and risk management products and services. With 149,000 employees in 63 countries, the company is committed to using its knowledge and experience to collaborate with customers to help them succeed. For more information, visit www.cargill.com.