Breunig paid $1.3 million for condo downtown with YMCA branch

Kendall Breunig’s Sunset Investors paid $1.3 million for the fourth floor of the Plankinton Building that houses the downtown branch of the YMCA of Metropolitan Milwaukee, Breunig confirmed Monday.

The price was at the low end of a valuation range included in a liquidation analysis conducted for the Milwaukee YMCA during its Chapter 11 reorganization case. The analysis determined the range was $1.125 million to $2.5 million for space the branch has occupied since 1999 at 161 W. Wisconsin Ave.

The…

State senate leader to propose sweeping climate-change legislation

Senate leader Kevin de Leòn plans to propose sweeping climate change legislation this week that would begin building a regulatory path for cutting vehicle gas consumption by up to 50 percent in California by 2030, according to people familiar with the plan.

The heart of the proposal, which was first announced by Gov. Jerry Brown in his State of the State address, also seeks to derive half of California’s electricity from renewable sources by 2030, and cut energy use in existing buildings by half.

The…

District-based UrbanStems lands $1.5 million seed round

UrbanStems, the District-based flower delivery startup, has just announced a seed round of $1.5 million from a handful of local investors, including NextGen Angels and Middleland Capital, both based in the District.

Other investors in the round included Baltimore-based Sagamore Ventures, owned by Under Armour founder Kevin Plank, and New York City-based Great Oaks Venture Capital.

The seed funding will be used primarily for marketing and expansion into new markets. The founders would not say which…

Duke Energy buys majority stake in California solar developer

Duke Energy Renewables plans to invest $225 million over the next several years in building and operating solar projects for commercial customers after purchasing a majority stake in California solar company.

Duke Renewables and REC Solar of San Luis Obispo, Calif., declined to provide the financial details of the purchase. But Duke will use the $225 million to purchase about half of the projects REC Solar develops in the next several years.

Mark Manly, head of Duke Energy Corp.’s (NYSE:DUK) commercial,…

Office Evolution expands to Ohio

Office Evolution, a Denver company that provides furnished office space, has opened the first of a planned five centers in central Ohio.

Franchise owner Roland Medrano last week debuted the 20-suite Office Evolution center in Dublin, Ohio.

Medrano expects to soon close a deal to buy an office suites business in Easton, Ohio. His expansion plans over the next two years could target the Ohio communities of Polaris, New Albany, Worthington and Grandview Heights.

Office Evolution was founded in 2003…