As part of a broader effort to consolidate and create efficiencies in its bricks and mortar operations, Edina Realty said today that they will close two Minneapolis-area offices and open a new one at the site of a popular St. Louis Park grocery store.
The operations of the City Lakes (3270 W. Lake St.) and Park West (4800 Olson Mem. Hwy.) offices will be consolidated into a new one that will open in August at 4100 Minnetonka Blvd. in St. Louis Park, where Fishman's Delicatessen and Bakery (now closed) had operated for 15 years.
The folks at Edina Realty said that the move is intended to create a more centralized location that will serve the same markets in a "landmark site." The new office, which is smaller than the combined square-footage of the two that will be closing, is also a reflection of changes in the way real estate agents operate. Technology allows them to spend more time out of the office and to conduct business in the communities where they sell. Ron Peltier, head of Edina's parent company, HomeServices of America, said earlier this year that the real estate office of the future will be much smaller than what's typical today.
Edina is leasing the new 10,000 square-foot space from the Ackerberg Group, which will inlclude a 2,400 square-foot addition to the existing building. The Ackerberg Group says that the build-out will be done in a "sustainable" way including energy efficient lighting, water saving fixtures, low VOC (volatile organic compounds) paints and a white roof that will reflect heat rather than absorb it.
