Biz briefs: Japanese bistro plans spring opening in Mendota Heights

Mendota Plaza is getting a new restaurant.

Construction of the Haiku Japanese Bistro began earlier this month, and the restaurant is expected to open in April or May, according to owner Jonathan Li. The new 2,800-square-foot restaurant will be next to Anytime Fitness, in space previously occupied by Do it Best Hardware.

Li said the menu will be similar to those at his other two restaurants in Golden Valley and Fargo, N.D., that both operate under the name Osaka Sushi & Hibachi. He said he chose Mendota Plaza because there are few other Japanese restaurants nearby and because Mendota Heights has a relatively high level of disposable income.

The addition of the new restaurant will bring occupancy at the center to 82 percent, according to Jeff Horstmann, leasing agent for the mall. The center's three other restaurants include Theresa's Mexican Restaurant, Subway and BC2 Artisan Bakery.

Located at Hwy. 110 and Dodd Road, Mendota Plaza is one of 13 Twin Cities area neighborhood shopping malls developed and operated by St. Paul-based Paster Enterprises.

Southcross office property changes hands

An entity of EFH Realty Advisers recently bought the Southcross Commerce Center V at 2800 County Road 42 W. in Burnsville from BMO-Harris Bank National Association.

Backyard bird-feeding store comes to Lakeville

Wild Birds Unlimited, a Carmel, Ind.-based chain of retailer of backyard bird-feeding products and accessories, opened its fifth Twin Cities outlet in Lakeville at the end of 2012.

The new store in Lakeville, near Cedar Avenue and Dodd Boulevard, is run by franchisee Chris Hanson, who previously worked for Target Corp. and Northwest Airlines. "It was time to do something different," Hanson said. "I wanted to get out of the corporate world."

Hanson said the store fulfills her interest in backyard bird-feeding, a longtime hobby. In addition to bird seed, feeders and bird houses, the store also carries nature-oriented accessories like jewelry, T-shirts and outdoor wind chimes.

Wild Birds Unlimited has about 275 stores nationwide, including outlets in Eden Prairie, Minnetonka, St. Paul and Savage.

The building that houses the Kohl's store in Burnsville has a new owner.

St. Louis-based Bianco Properties recently paid $12.8 million for the big-box retail building at 13900 Aldrich Av. S. The 102,412-square-foot, free-standing property was built in 1992 and is fully occupied by Kohl's, which leases the property.

The purchase from an affiliate of Phoenix-based Cole Real Estate Investments was an all-cash sale, according to the CoStar Group. The price was a healthy premium over its most recent taxable value of $7.2 million, according to Dakota County property records.

Please send your Dakota County business news to susan.feyder@ startribune.com.