In the second episode of the Larkin Hoffman Real Estate Podcast series, I had an opportunity to wrap up a recent Bisnow panel I moderated at Bisnow’s Twin Cities State of the Market event held in Minneapolis in late August. The panel covered the trends, opportunities and forecasted growth of the Twin Cities
Jake Steen
Environmental Regulations, Land Use, Real Estate
Multifamily Housing Shifts Focus to the Suburbs
Like most things in 2020, the multifamily housing market is in a state of flux. Recently, I had the opportunity to moderate the Bisnow webinar, Twin Cities Deep Dive: Multifamily Update. The panelists included Brent Webb, Development Manager, Mortenson, Christian Osmundson, Director of Development, Alatus, and Josh Brandsted, President of Greco Properties. These leaders…
Pandemic Disrupts the Multifamily Housing Market
The global pandemic has affected every aspect of life in America and across the world, the multifamily housing market is no exception. The impact of the pandemic is affecting every aspect of multifamily development from product design and selection, to getting deals done, to building management and operation.
Over the last decade, there has been…
Navigating State and Local Governments During a Pandemic: How Continuing Government Action on Major Issues Can Impact Your Investments
Peter Coyle and Jacob Steen discuss the land use, government relations and regulatory environment during the COVID-19 pandemic. They share examples of how Larkin Hoffman has been able to assist clients in overcoming the unique challenges presented by a statewide stay-at-home order and discuss the ways that the global pandemic has shaped the local land…
What Happens to Minnesota’s Zoning Shot-Clock During a Peacetime Emergency?
Like many states, Minnesota has an automatic approval statute, or “shot clock,” to protect applicants for zoning and land use applications. Minnesota Statutes section 15.99 requires that local land use authorities must act within 60 days of receiving a completed zoning application. If the government fails to act within that time frame, the application is …
Minneapolis Bans Drive-Throughs; Will It Do Any Good?
In August 2019, the Minneapolis City Council adopted an ordinance banning new drive-through windows in the city. With the adoption of the new Minneapolis 2040 Comprehensive Plan, beginning in January of 2020, all gas stations will soon be prohibited, as well. These policy changes are part of the City’s aggressive goal of reducing greenhouse gas…
Minneapolis’s Inclusionary Zoning Ordinance is Failing to Make Gains
When the Minneapolis City Council adopted its inclusionary zoning ordinance, together with its Unified Housing Policy, in late 2018 there was optimism that the ordinance would result in the creation of much needed affordable housing in the city. The ordinance mandates a minimum percentage of 10-20 percent of units within multifamily buildings be affordable where…
Reasonable Accommodation and Group Homes
In the realm of local land use there are few development proposals that have the tendency to evoke neighborhood resistance than a new group home. The response is particularly vehement when the home is intended to serve those with chemical dependency and especially controversial in a low-density neighborhood. While most people acknowledge a need for…
What the Supreme Court’s Murr v. Wisconsin Decision Means for Property Owners
To what extent can the government restrict the ability of property owners with lakefront and riverfront property from developing their land before those restrictions go “too far”? A recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling may change the threshold. In a decision that may have substantial impacts on property rights throughout the state and the region, the…