Given the recent lull in the multi-tenant office market, some landlords like United have decided to convert their buildings to medical office use. United officials say that successfully transitioning a multi-tenant office building to a medical office building requires several key characteristics: a good location, proper building infrastructure, adequate parking and prominent signage, among others.

The building's location near Fairview Southdale Hospital lent itself to placing a stronger emphasis on attracting medical tenants, as did its ample onsite parking -- necessary to handle patient flows. "Not only is it near Fairview Southdale Hospital, it's also across the street from the 1.8-million-sf Southdale Shopping Center—and squarely in the middle of one of the most affluent areas in the Twin Cities," says Eva Stevens, who represents United Properties as the building's asset manager.

Stevens worked with United Properties' healthcare real estate group to determine which improvements would be most useful to healthcare or medical office clients. The building's renovations have focused on infrastructure improvements such as higher-output electrical service, fire-safety systems that comply with code regulations for healthcare facilities, and a variable air volume HVAC system. Other improvements include an updated lobby, interior redecorating, and a new monument sign with space for individual tenant names.