John Herman has been one of the central figures in Minnesota real estate development and environmental policy for more than 25 years. His experience includes real estate development and finance, legislative and government relations, and environmental and land use law. John has represented developers of numerous large scale projects involving housing, industrial, commercial, cultural, historic and mixed uses. His legal expertise includes:

Development

• Housing: Representing developers of more than 15,000 units of housing, including the 800-unit Laurel Village, 580-unit Heritage Landing/RiverStation, 600-unit Silver Lake Village, 200-unit Glen Lake Cove, 175-unit Village at St. Anthony and 216-unit Emerald Garden
• Downtown Mixed Use: Riverplace, Block E, City Center, Ivy Hotel and Residences, and Stinson Technology Corridor
• Corporate Headquarters: General Mills, Cargill (Hopkins Campus), Graco and Medtronic Headquarters
• Industrial: New French Bakery Kasota Facility, Stinson Technology Corridor and Graco Main Plant
• Cultural: Walker Art Center, The Children's Theatre Company, Minneapolis Institute of Arts, MacPhail Center for Music and Cowles Center for Dance
• Historic: Forum Cafeteria, Ivy Tower, Swinford Apartments, Lumber Exchange Building, Riverplace Livery Stable and Warehouse, Washburn Crosby Milling Complex and Tension Envelope Building involving historical tax credit approvals, donation of facade easements and Heritage Preservation Commission permits
• Low Income Housing: Representing developers of more than 5,000 units of low and moderate income housing, including tax exempt bonding (4 percent credit), tax increment, low income tax credit (9 percent credit), housing preservation projects and FHA insured multi-family projects
• New Market Tax Credits: Representing many projects using New Market Tax Credits and allocates of credits

Government Affairs

• Drafting and lobbying into law numerous state and federal statutes, particularly in the environmental, energy, health care, development finance and banking areas
• Conceptualizing and successfully lobbying for Minnesota's award winning Voluntary Investigation and Clean-up (VIC) Program
• Lobbying successfully for more than $250 million of park and open space bonding and legislation creating Root River State Trail, Tettagouche State Park, and Cedar Lake Park and Trail
• Representing numerous projects in obtaining or closing state bond financing, including five Residential Environmental Learning Centers, Jungle Theater, Urban YWCA Olympic Soccer Training Center, Harriet Tubman Center for Women, Children's Theatre Company,  MacPhail Center for Music, Shubert Theatre, Ordway Center for Performing Arts and Minnesota Orchestra
• Representing three Independent Power Producer (IPPs) projects in special tax legislation and development approvals
• Legislative counsel for many businesses and trade associations, government entities and nonprofit organizations

Regulatory Approvals and Land Use

• Drafting the Minnesota Coastal Zone Management Plan for the North Shore of Lake Superior and the Metropolitan Land Use Planning Act and Metropolitan Significance Regulations of the Metropolitan Council, legal advisor to City of Minneapolis on 1998-99 zoning code revisions, and legal advisor to City of Minnetonka on open space acquisition
• Extensive experience in project specific permitting and land use approvals and with environmental, historic and hazardous waste issues in real estate transactions
• Extensive experience in major facility siting and permitting, including mining, solid waste landfills, solid waste incinerators, and power plant and high voltage lines

Professional Recognition

• The Best Lawyers in America – Real Estate, Environmental Law and Land Use & Zoning Law for more than 20 years
• Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business– Real Estate, Environmental and Zoning/Land Use since inception of rankings in 2003
• Minnesota Super Lawyers – Real Estate since inception of rankings in 2003
• Certified Real Property Specialist
• Minnesota State Bar Association – Best Author's Award

Publications and Presentations

• Hot Topics in Housing and Community Development:
  Minnesota Historic Tax Credit  (2010)
• Condominium Development-The Developer Perspective (2005)
• Tax Increment Update (2002)
• Historical Preservation - Regulation and Incentives (2002)
• Governmental Assistance for Development (1999)
• Brownsfields in Bloom: Restoring Contaminated Property
  Bench and Bar of Minnesota (1997)

Recent Civic Appointments

• Metropolitan Council – Transportation Advisory Board, 1999–2003
• Trust for Public Land – Minnesota Advisory Board, 2001–present
• Legislative Citizen's Commission on Minnesota Resources – Commissioner, 2006–14 (Senate appointee)
• Permanent School Trust Fund Advisory Committee, 2008–present