Construction starts on Charlotte food-waste power plant

An Israel-based company that has its small U.S. operations based in Charlotte has started construction on a $27 million plant here to produce electricity from food waste.

The 5.2-megawatt plant is being built on 6 acres off Johnson Road in northeast Charlotte. It is owned by Blue Sphere Corp. of Evan Yehuda, Israel. Financing was arranged by Entropy Investment Management.

Entropy is a Charlotte renewable-energy investment firm that last year bought a majority stake in the former Argand Energy Solutions…

MEL-O Honey maker is moving its HQ from Cannon Falls

Sweet Harvest Foods is relocating its Cannon Falls headquarters to Rosemount.

The 92-year-old company has fully leased a 180,000-square-foot building in the Rosemount Business Park, at 15100 Business Parkway, according to a news release from the city.

Sweet Harvest previously leased only part of the building for distribution operations. It’s taking over space most recently occupied by Cannon Equipment Co.

The 25-person headquarters will move from Cannon Falls to the Rosemount location by May 1.…

Retail broker Barnwell jumps to SRS Real Estate Partners

Veteran commercial real estate broker Alison Barnwell has left Live Oak-Gottesman for an executive position at SRS Real Estate Partners.

After more than a decade with Trammell Crow Co. and CBRE Group Inc., Barnwell had been persuaded to be a part of Live Oak-Gottesman’s aggressive foray into retail leasing in 2013.

After less than two years on the job, however, she has signed on with Dallas-based SRS Real Estate Partners as senior vice president in Austin. SRS’s local office is headed by Will…

Mark Twain Tower, River Market projects seek abatements

Developers of two large and unusual downtown projects are seeking property tax abatements and hope to advance them during Wednesday’s meeting of the Economic Development Corp. of Kansas City board.

The projects, both seeking findings of blight, a prerequiste for abatements, are:

• The $38 million acquisition and historic rehabilitation of the 22-story Mark Twain Tower, 106. W. 11th St. Previous efforts to redevelop the historic building have been thwarted, in part, by parking challenges. But…

International Autos plans to enter Minnesota with big Twin Cities Audi dealership

International Autos Group of West Allis has submitted plans to build a three-story Audi dealership along Interstate 494 in Richfield, Minn., just south of Minneapolis.

International Autos’ proposed Audi Terminal of Richfield would be at 1420 78th St. E., according to documents included in the city’s March 23 Planning Commission agenda. The first phase would be a 95,000-square-foot dealership on the west side of the site. Construction would start this summer, with the dealership opening in the spring…