Opus Northwest Announces Sale of Crest Ridge Corporate Center

MINNEAPOLIS, MN – August 18, 2009 – (RealEstateRama) — Opus Northwest, L.L.C. announced today the sale of the newly completed Crest Ridge Corporate Center, a first of two-phase, 116,000–square-foot Class A office building, located on the southeast corner of Interstate 394 and Hennepin County Road 73 in Minnetonka, Minn., to RT CREST RIDGE, L.L.C.

Syngenta Seeds Headquarters, a Swiss-based agricultural firm leased the three-story, 116,000-square foot LEED® Gold Certified building and offices approximately 350 Syngenta employees. The new headquarters consolidated approximately 200 Syngenta employees from multiple sites in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area.

The Opus Northwest, L.L.C. was represented by Tom Holtz and Steve Buss, with CB Richard Ellis as the listing broker, while Sygenta Seeds was represented by Russ Nelson and Anna Coskran with Nelson Tietz & Hoye in the lease transaction.

“There is still significant demand for prime sustainably built office space in the Twin Cities and Crest Ridge Corporate Center provides Syngenta and their employees with an office of environmentally-friendly elements, plus employee-centered amenities,” said Dave Menke, vice president of real estate development for Opus Northwest. Incorporating a highly functional floor plan, the building includes a large day-lit atrium, wide public circulation corridors, a fitness center and outdoor patio dining space.

Sygenta Seeds developed a sustainable office environment with “green” elements; such as high-efficiency heating and cooling systems, incorporating natural day-lighting and lighting control strategies for workspace areas, controlling indoor air quality, reducing water usage by over forty-percent including landscaping with water efficient native plants, and maximizing open green areas, dedicating parking for fuel-efficient vehicles, on-site storm water management for water quality, and recycling construction waste & using recycled, recyclable and local materials. July 2009, Syngenta took occupancy of building.

About Opus Northwest

Opus Northwest, L.L.C., is a full-service design-build development firm with expertise in office, industrial, retail, multifamily, government and institutional projects. Headquartered in Minneapolis, Opus Northwest has developed more than 84 million square feet of space since starting operations in 1974. Currently, Opus Northwest has more than 3.3 million square feet under development and has signed more than $150 million in third-party construction contracts since the beginning of the year. Committed to creating great real estate, Opus implements best practices in sustainable design and construction to maximize building performance and reduce environmental impact. For more information, visit www.opuscorp.com and follow us on www.twitter.com/opuscorp.