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Instructions and Help on Using MSP Prospector.com Who can use MSP Prospector? MSP Prospector is free and available to all users. It is funded by a regional, public-private consortium convened by the Minneapolis Regional Chamber Development Foundation. It is powered by GIS Planning's ZoomProspector software. Commercial, industrial and retail firms – large and small – are taking advantage of this powerful, data-rich tool.
How do I search for available buildings or land? To search for vacant building space or developable land, click on the Search Properties tab on the top menu. To specify the type of property you’re interested in, you can:
Then click on the Search button. MSP Prospector will search its database of properties to find those that match your specific criteria. It then displays them for your review.
How do I create demographic reports? Once you have selected a property that intrigues you, you can create site-specific demographic reports by clicking on a link or the tab near the top of the Demographics page. Just select the type of report you want to create. Then enter the distance from the property that you want the analysis to include – up to 20 miles. Four different reports are available. Each succinctly captures the demographic characteristics of the area you are analyzing.
How do I create reports on business competition and potential allies? After selecting a property, you can create site-specific business competition and alliance reports by clicking on a link or the tab near the top of the Businesses page. Start by selecting the distance from the property you want to analyze. Then click the Calculate button. MSP Prospector will display the business clusters on the map. It also will calculate the number of businesses in each business category. To view a list of all businesses in a given category, simply click on the Category link. This identifies businesses that could be potential competitors or synergetic allies – including suppliers, partners or customers.
Are the maps interactive? Each property on MSP Prospector is linked to an interactive map. The map displays important geographic information – including streets, highways, freeways, cities, counties, bodies of water, rivers, railroads, points of interest, educational facilities, and parks. All maps are completely interactive. You can determine the information that is displayed by checking the features listed below the map.
How are commercial properties listed in MSP Prospector? Property listings on MSP Prospector are provided by the Minnesota Commercial Association of Realtors (MNCAR) and updated weekly. Broker contacts are provided for each property. Listings of publicly identified/owned development and redevelopment areas are provided by local governments within the 11-county Metro MSP region. They are updated quarterly. Government and chamber of commerce contacts are provided for these listings.
How do users access MSP Prospector? Anyone with an Internet connection can access MSP Prospector's maps, properties and GIS-based data by visiting www.MetroMSP.org. However, the website caters to the needs of site selectors and consultants, businesses considering an expansion or relocation, entrepreneurs starting or growing a business, and community or economic development staff. For lifestyle information on the Minneapolis-Saint Paul region, visit MSP More to Life.
How is MSP Prospector different than other site selection sites/services? MSP Prospector is a unique site selection and economic development tool. In addition to providing detailed listings on available commercial and industrial property, it delivers proprietary local data that is critical in relocation and/or expansion decisions – including demographic, business and workforce data. By using GIS data, decision makers can quickly and accurately gauge the site-specific advantages of each business location under consideration.
What types of properties are listed? Commercial, industrial, office, and retail properties are catalogued and displayed on MSP Prospector.
How often is data updated? Commercial real estate professionals update their property listings through the Minnesota Commercial Association of Realtors (MNCAR) on an ongoing basis. Demographic data, consumer expenditure data, and business and workforce data are updated annually. Critical data is updated as frequently as possible to maintain a current and robust database.
What kind of information can users access? MSP Prospector offers current site location and demographic data in an easy-to-access format. Each property listing includes the asking price, square footage, property description, brokerage company, broker and economic development contact information – plus other vital details of interest to site selectors. Users also can request demographics, workforce data, existing competitors and potential ally businesses in any radial vicinity of the property. “Layers” of information can be turned on and off on the interactive map display for customized viewing.
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