VOLUME 30, NUMBER 3
©2014 Law Bulletin Publishing Co.
March 2014
Minnesota’s Oppidan: Enjoying booming success after the Great Recession
By Dan Rafter, Staff Writer
H
ow good of a year did Oppidan Investment Company have in 2013? The development firm based in Minnetonka, Minn., developed 783,467 square feet of property across the country in the second half of the year alone. That second-half surge means that for the entire year of 2013 Oppidan developed more than 1.8 million square feet. Also in the second half of 2013, the company sold 342,353 square feet of retail space, 12.13 acres of land, 114 apartment units and 50 home sites.
What was behind this big success? Joe Ryan, president of Oppidan, said that the brokers at his firm laid the groundwork for 2013's success by the way they conducted themselves during the worst days of the Great Recession. "We had to weather the storm during the down times just like everyone else. And we we weathered it well," Ryan said. "And once the economy started to improve, we were aggressive in expanding to new parts of the country. We've also broadened our base. We've taken on industrial work and we're doing more on the residential side. Those were areas that we weren't tackling in the past." Oppidan to page 16
It's official: Cabela's loves Minnesota By Dan Rafter, Staff Writer
W
es Remmer doesn't hesitate: Yes, Cabela's loves Minnesota and its people. Cabela's Incorporated, the giant retailer specializing in hunting, fishing and outdoor gear, will prove this once again on May 15. That's when the newest Minnesota Cabela's will open in the community of Woodbury.
"We love Minesota," said Remmer, Cabela's corporate communications manager, in a phone interview. "We've had great success with our previous Minnesota locations. Based on the response from those three stores, and the feedback from the people in Woodbury, we are really excited about opening the doors to this store." Cabela's will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 10:45 a.m. on May 15. Then the business will officially open its doors at 11 a.m. The opening-day event will be the first in a weekend-long celebration featuring
outdoor celebrities, family events and giveaways. The Woodbury store boasts 85,000 square feet and sits at 8400 Hudson Road in the Tamarack Village Shopping Center. This marks Cabela's fourth location. The company already operates Minnesota stores in Rogers, East Grand Forks and Owatonna. The Woodbury store will employ about 185 full- and part-time employees. Remmer said that Cabela's officials first studied the Cabela’s to page 18