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Element brought its tenant advisory and project management services to deliver a new home for the Loring Nicollet Alternative School (LNAS), a program of the non-profit Project for Pride in Living (PPL), within an aggressive timeframe to minimize disruption for LNAS students.
Role
Tenant Representation, Site Selection, Lease Negotiation, and Project Management
Opportunity & Challenges
Element partnered with Project for Pride in Living (PPL) to relocate the Loring Nicollet Alternative School (LNAS) into a new home designed to better support students, staff, and programming needs. LNAS needed a new facility that could better support its alternative education model while meeting critical requirements around accessibility, transit access, safety, and learning environment quality. The challenge was identifying a site within a constrained geographic area near the existing campus, while also navigating a complex buildout, tight timeline, and coordination between ownership, design teams, and construction partners to ensure a seamless transition for students.
The chosen site, strategically located on Harmon Place near Metro State University, presented both opportunities and complexities. Although the full second-floor vacancy initially posed a size mismatch, Element's vision and innovative approach to finding creative solutions, led to Element working with the landlord and tenant to sub-divide the vacancy into two suites with contributions by both the tenant and landlord.
Approach
LNAS sought a new space that addressed key factors like transit accessibility, greenspace proximity, and adequate parking for staff, while also providing a functional and inspiring learning environment for students and staff. Element conducted a comprehensive search across various Twin Cities neighborhoods for both lease and purchase options, ultimately delivering strategic off-market solution with a community-minded landlord sharing PPL's values of creating a respectful and safe space for all students. Element led a comprehensive site search and evaluation process across the surrounding market, identifying and securing an off-market solution that met both programmatic and community needs. The team negotiated a complex lease structure involving multiple stakeholders and coordinated closely with the landlord, design team, and contractor to deliver a highly customized space. Element also provided hands-on project management throughout design and construction to ensure alignment with operational and educational requirements.
Results
→ Secured and delivered a new home for Loring Nicollet Alternative School within a 3-mile radius of the Riverside campus
→ Completed a complex lease structure involving multiple parties and coordinated city infrastructure requirements
→ Delivered rapid buildout on an accelerated schedule
→ Enabled seamless relocation with minimal disruption to students and staff
→ Reconfigured full second-floor space to meet program needs through collaborative design solutions
→ Supported completion of a fully functional, student-centered learning environment within an active urban setting
With a lease secured in November 2023, Element worked closely with Gardner Builders to coordinate a rapid buildout over the holidays, overseeing contracting, design management, construction pricing, and closeout. Students were able to seamlessly transition to the new space by February 2024, coinciding with the sale of their former property.
Element's expertise in project management services, strategic partnerships, and market analysis was pivotal in delivering a customized real estate solution for LNAS students and staff. The close collaboration with LNAS staff, building ownership, and contractor ensured a seamless transition, from the initial assessment of space needs to the signing of a lease and the implementation of a customized buildout solution.
