Collaborative Commercial Real Estate Development and Design-Build

With a proven track record of serving clients across all commercial real estate sectors, our in-house experts at Opus will collaborate with you to create a transformative building that supports your organization's mission and enables your vision for the future. Through our unrivaled, one-team, comprehensive approach to development, design and construction, we have delivered millions of square feet of meaningful spaces with enduring value.

How We Deliver Best Overall Value

You need a partner you can trust — a firm with a proven track record of delivering the best overall value for high-quality, cost-effective buildings. For more than six decades, we have been that partner to our clients. We are relentless in our pursuit to maximize value for you, and our fully-integrated approach makes it possible.

When working with us, you can count on:

  • Single Point of Responsibility

    Developing, designing and constructing buildings is a complex process with moving, interrelated parts. To simplify the process for you, we act as a single point of responsibility, assuming risk and overseeing the entire project. You are kept informed and involved, creating efficiencies and reducing your administrative burden.
  • Earliest Commitment to Firm Price

    With our fully-integrated team overseeing the entire process, we establish a guaranteed maximum price (GMP) early, during design, rather than later when designs are locked and costs fluctuate. With us assuming the risk of project variables, you receive peace of mind.
  • Fully-Integrated Project Delivery

    Our fully-integrated team, made up of experts in all necessary disciplines, is laser focused on innovating and collaborating on your behalf. Our experts bring their experience and perspective from project to project, working together on behalf of you toward one goal — yours.
  • Increased Ability to Influence Cost & Create Value

    Integrating and involving all key stakeholders and team members very early in the process increases our ability to positively influence costs. It also helps rule out constructability issues later, maximizing the scope of your project while minimizing impact to your budget.
  • Deal Structure Flexibility

    Our balance sheet is strong, and our in-house capital markets experts have built relationships with capital partners, including some of the largest in commercial real estate. We can lock in and close on desirable properties quickly and efficiently, while establishing flexible, cost-effective financing.
  • Local People with Local Relationships

    We bring local knowledge and experts to your project, and we build strong relationships with key stakeholders in every community. In addition to certainty of outcome, these authentic community connections ensure your organization receives a warm welcome when moving into your new building.
  • One Team; One Objective

    Working as a single, multidisciplinary team of in-house experts, we're one team with one goal — yours. We collaborate with you to translate your vision into a building that supports your organization's needs, culture and goals. We're building for you.
  • Single Point of Responsibility

    Developing, designing and constructing buildings is a complex process with moving, interrelated parts. To simplify the process for you, we act as a single point of responsibility, assuming risk and overseeing the entire project. You are kept informed and involved, creating efficiencies and reducing your administrative burden.
  • Earliest Commitment to Firm Price

    With our fully-integrated team overseeing the entire process, we establish a guaranteed maximum price (GMP) early, during design, rather than later when designs are locked and costs fluctuate. With us assuming the risk of project variables, you receive peace of mind.
  • Fully-Integrated Project Delivery

    Our fully-integrated team, made up of experts in all necessary disciplines, is laser focused on innovating and collaborating on your behalf. Our experts bring their experience and perspective from project to project, working together on behalf of you toward one goal — yours.
  • Increased Ability to Influence Cost & Create Value

    Integrating and involving all key stakeholders and team members very early in the process increases our ability to positively influence costs. It also helps rule out constructability issues later, maximizing the scope of your project while minimizing impact to your budget.
  • Deal Structure Flexibility

    Our balance sheet is strong, and our in-house capital markets experts have built relationships with capital partners, including some of the largest in commercial real estate. We can lock in and close on desirable properties quickly and efficiently, while establishing flexible, cost-effective financing.
  • Local People with Local Relationships

    We bring local knowledge and experts to your project, and we build strong relationships with key stakeholders in every community. In addition to certainty of outcome, these authentic community connections ensure your organization receives a warm welcome when moving into your new building.
  • One Team; One Objective

    Working as a single, multidisciplinary team of in-house experts, we're one team with one goal — yours. We collaborate with you to translate your vision into a building that supports your organization's needs, culture and goals. We're building for you.

An Integrated One-Team Approach

We are a multidisciplinary firm with in-house team members managing and executing all aspects of your project — development, design and construction. Instead of contracting with external firms, our experts are Opus employees who share the same objective — yours. They collaborate together sharing ideas and adding value, which is why our designs and buildings often exceed expectations. Managing the entire process also makes us uber-efficient, leading to faster completions and reduced costs without sacrificing quality. We are one team with one objective: building for you.

Take a deeper look at how we do that:

One Team. One Objective.
"The value in the design-build approach stems from Opus' ability to work as a cohesive team. Even in our early meetings, it was not just the project managers present, but the architect as well. By having all parties at the table, there was never a question about our goals or the outcomes of our meetings."
Bruce Torgerson, General Manager — St. Paul Division
Chicago Tube & Iron
Industrial Renovation & Expansion

Opus DB3™ vs. Traditional Design-Bid-Build

Opus' founder, Gerry Rauenhorst, was way ahead of his time in the 1960s when he pioneered the design-build project delivery method. Observing disconnects and tension between independently hired architects and contractors, he spearheaded the design-build approach we use today — Opus DB3. With developers, designers and project managers and field workers operating as one team, we work collaboratively to establish the guaranteed maximum price earlier than other models and even complete construction sooner.

Working together from project to project, we align around your goals and can meet aggressive schedules without shortcutting or compromising the full design process.

See how design-build is better:

Speed. Savings. Value.

Your Benefits from Opus DB3

With Opus DB3, we have the required resources and expertise for all aspects of your project — development, design and construction — and integrate all functions for meaningful collaboration from the day your project initiates until the last detail is finished. This single-source approach pays dividends for you with faster schedules, early guaranteed pricing, less risk, reduced costs, less administrative burden and better buildings.

See the benefits you reap with our model.

  • Shorter Schedules, Reduced Risk & Potential for Early Delivery

    Speed of delivery, without sacrificing quality, is a key attribute of our model. While delivering your project at the lowest possible cost, Opus DB3 fast-tracks timelines. In addition to reducing your risk, it can lead to early delivery and additional cost savings for your organization.
  • Allows for More Informed Client Decision Making

    As a fully-integrated team, we manage the entire scope of your project. To help you make the best decisions, our team collaborates with you and provides all the information needed — designs, cost and timeline implications and more — often in the form of multiple options.
  • Cost Savings

    The collaborative nature of our approach makes the process of designing and constructing your building more efficient. It's unparalleled within the industry and allows us to move faster, leading to shorter schedules and speedier deliveries. This translates to cost savings by making your building operational sooner.
  • Greatest Potential for a Successful Outcome

    Employing the tenets of Opus DB3, our in-house, multidisciplinary team can meet aggressive project schedules without shortcutting or compromising the full design process. This results in speed of delivery, savings and value for you, guaranteeing your satisfaction.
  • Certainty of Outcome

    Buildings are significant expenditures. We understand you need certainty of outcome with a building that looks and functions as designed while also having the schedule and budget managed. With our integrated model, risk is managed collectively by one team with aligned goals, rather than individual firms working independently.
  • Shorter Schedules, Reduced Risk & Potential for Early Delivery

    Speed of delivery, without sacrificing quality, is a key attribute of our model. While delivering your project at the lowest possible cost, Opus DB3 fast-tracks timelines. In addition to reducing your risk, it can lead to early delivery and additional cost savings for your organization.
  • Allows for More Informed Client Decision Making

    As a fully-integrated team, we manage the entire scope of your project. To help you make the best decisions, our team collaborates with you and provides all the information needed — designs, cost and timeline implications and more — often in the form of multiple options.
  • Cost Savings

    The collaborative nature of our approach makes the process of designing and constructing your building more efficient. It's unparalleled within the industry and allows us to move faster, leading to shorter schedules and speedier deliveries. This translates to cost savings by making your building operational sooner.
  • Greatest Potential for a Successful Outcome

    Employing the tenets of Opus DB3, our in-house, multidisciplinary team can meet aggressive project schedules without shortcutting or compromising the full design process. This results in speed of delivery, savings and value for you, guaranteeing your satisfaction.
  • Certainty of Outcome

    Buildings are significant expenditures. We understand you need certainty of outcome with a building that looks and functions as designed while also having the schedule and budget managed. With our integrated model, risk is managed collectively by one team with aligned goals, rather than individual firms working independently.
"When you get into a tough situation, Opus' people have dealt with it, are accustomed to dealing with it and know how to get it done because of their history and experience."
Ben Mohns, Senior Vice President
Harrison Street Real Estate Capital
Multiple Student Living Projects

See the Results

Our client-centric model and one-team Opus DB3 approach deliver immense value.

Witness this through the lens of these successful collaborative projects:

Meet the Experts

Our fully-integrated team includes development, capital markets and finance; project management and construction; and architecture and engineering. With years of experience across many sectors and project types, there's not much we haven't seen or done on a project.

With deep experience and innovative solutions, our experts are well respected within their areas of the industry. As thought leaders, they are often asked to speak at industry events and contribute to articles in industry-leading media outlets. Check it Out

Learn more about each of our experts.

Minneapolis real estate professional, Minneapolis residential developer
President & CEO
Peter Conlon, senior director of capital markets, real estate finance
Executive Vice President of Capital Markets
man in professional attire
Executive Vice President & General Manager
man in professional attire
Executive Vice President & General Manager
man in professional attire
Senior Vice President
Nick Murnane, commercial real estate, Minneapolis real estate, development
Vice President & General Manager
Matthew Visnansky, Phoenix commercial real estate development
Vice President & General Manager
person in professional attire
Vice President
Paul Robertson, Chicago real estate professional, Chicago real estate manager
Vice President
Michael Robinson, Chicago commercial real estate development
Vice President
man in professional attire
Vice President
man in professional attire
Senior Director
man in professional attire
Senior Director
Joe Mahoney, Minnesota commercial real estate developer
Senior Director
Jay Ramos, Phoenix commercial real estate development
Senior Director
Joe Swensson is a real estate developer for Opus in Denver, Colorado.
Senior Director
portrait of a smiling woman in a black suit jacket
Director
headshot of Mike Stromberg
Director
man in professional attire
Director
Anna Bode, Minneapolis real estate developer
Senior Manager
Jamie Gerber is a real estate developer in Arizona for The Opus Group.
Senior Manager
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Real Estate Representative
man in professional attire
President & CEO
Chicago project manager, Chicago construction management professional
Regional Vice President
Minneapolis regional vice president, Minneapolis construction management professional
Regional Vice President
man in professional attire
Regional Vice President
Oscar Healy, Kansas City construction project management
Regional Vice President
Richard Kauffman, Regional Vice President
Regional Vice President
Jeff Smith, Iowa construction professional, Iowa construction project management
Senior Vice President
James (J.R.) Reynolds, Director, Project Management
Vice President
Minneapolis director of project management, Minneapolis construction management professional
Vice President
Minneapolis project manager, Minneapolis construction management professional
Vice President
Minneapolis senior project manager, Minneapolis construction management professional
Project Executive
Megan Garner construction project management
Project Executive
Minneapolis project manager, Minneapolis construction management professional
Project Executive
Pat Rumpza, construction project management
Project Executive
Scott Staros is senior project manager for Opus Design Build.
Project Executive
Rick Tucker is project manager for Opus Design Build.
Project Executive
Shawn Turner, Kansas City construction project management
Project Executive
Josh Babiasz, Director of Safety Management
Director of Safety Management
Nick Lauters, Denver construction professional, Denver construction project management
Director
Brad Leimer, Director, Project Management
Director
Minneapolis project manager, Minneapolis construction manager
Director of Operations
Shawn Allen, construction project management
Senior Project Manager
Chris Chromos, Milwaukee construction management professional
Senior Operations Manager
Trey Gallagher, construction project management
Senior Project Manager
Alex Lord, construction project management
Senior Project Manager
Ryan Mahoney, construction project management
Senior Project Manager
Nick Mann, construction project management
Senior Project Manager
Phil Rdzanek, construction project management
Senior Project Manager
Eric Ryan, construction project management
Senior Project Manager
Dan Schwab, construction project management
Senior Project Manager
Michael Silver, construction project management
Senior Project Manager
Chicago project manager, Chicago construction management professional
Regional General Superintendent
Tom Troemel, construction project management
Senior Project Manager
man in professional attire
Senior Project Manager
Luke Zizzo, construction project management
Senior Project Manager
Craig Anderson, Minneapolis construction professional
Senior Superintendent
Jeff Charpentier - Superintendent
Field Coordinator
Jeremiah Cunningham, construction project management
Project Manager
Man in collared shirt smiling
Project Manager
Man in collared shirt smiling
Project Manager
Brian Eckart - Superintendent
Senior Superintendent
man in professional attire
Field Coordinator
Chris Lamon, construction project management
Project Manager
Kelsie Lanz, construction project management
Project Manager
person in professional attire
Project Manager
man in professional attire
Project Manager
Tim Schmidtke is an experienced commercial construction superintendent.
Field Coordinator
Man smiling
Senior Superintendent
Jeremy Sowin - Superintendent
Field Coordinator
Peter Carlsen - Associate Superintendent
Superintendent
man in suit smiling
Superintendent
Roger Hedrick, Minneapolis construction professional
Superintendent
Darin Hernlem, Minneapolis construction professional
Superintendent
Man smiling
Superintendent
Joel Boulter, Minneapolis construction professional
Associate Superintendent
Man with glasses and beard smiling
Associate Superintendent
architectural design, commercial architecture
President & CEO
commercial architecture, architectural design
Vice President
Minneapolis architect, Minneapolis architect professional
Vice President
commercial architecture, architectural design
Director