Jim Montez is a name to know in commercial real estate. No newcomer, he was central in the marketing and development of the North Loop and is always on the lookout for the next area to pop. Commercial real estate keeps him busy. “Our business always moves forward, even in difficult periods,” he says. There are still lots of downtown leases to reset, and companies are making significant capital investments in space, but, he notes, “investors and developers are sitting on the sidelines in Minneapolis, they see it as too politically messy.” He envisions the Glenwood/Harrison/Farmer’s Market area as the next part of downtown to be reinvented—if not in 2026, not long after.