Fredrikson provided wide-ranging real estate guidance to Northside Economic Opportunity Network (NEON) in launching the development and construction of NEON Collective Kitchens, a commercial kitchen and food business incubator facility along West Broadway Ave. on Minneapolis’ Northside.
Founded in 2006, NEON is a nonprofit established to advance the efforts of businesses owned by low-to-moderate income entrepreneurs in North Minneapolis and surrounding communities. The organization provides training and financial support to help these local businesses thrive. Fredrikson attorneys and staff have been involved with NEON since the organization’s inception, providing pro bono legal advice and serving on NEON’s board.
The size and scope of the approximately 24,000 square feet, $21 million commercial kitchen construction project convinced NEON to engage the firm as outside counsel. Fredrikson attorney David Streier managed the project, in which he was joined by several firm attorneys and paralegals, including Lisa Lindenfelser, Mary Ranum, John Patterson, and Christian Hokans to help NEON with real estate development and construction matters. The work involved negotiating a redevelopment contract with the City of Minneapolis to acquire the building site; conducting extensive real estate diligence such as title, survey, and environmental review; and reviewing, revising, and advising on construction contracts, as well as consultant and grant agreements, with contributions from colleagues Chris Storey and Tony Mendoza.
The project broke ground in the fall of 2024 and is anticipated to complete construction in January 2026. More than 40% of NEON’s clients are food-oriented businesses, such as food truck operators, catering companies and consumer packaged goods manufacturers. When completed, NEON Collective Kitchens will help address the shortage of local commercial kitchen space that food businesses need to operate and expand their businesses: It will feature shared commercial-grade kitchen space, private kitchens, food preparation space, storage and refrigeration, consumer goods packaging equipment, offices, a large space for training and events, and a retail area with food stalls open to the public, serving food prepared by local entrepreneurs. Many of the prospective tenants of the facility are current NEON clients who see NEON Collective Kitchens as an opportunity for their businesses that will also serve the community.
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