Johnny Opara featured on F&C's The POWER List 2024
[Originally published by Finance & Commerce: View Source]
Welcome to The POWER List, a regular feature from Finance & Commerce that examines the power brokers who lead and influence Minnesota’s business community.
For this edition of The POWER List, we’ve chosen to focus on the development of commercial real estate. Inside you’ll find profiles of leaders and movers and shakers who are key players in Minnesota’s development community.
F&C’s editorial team built this list by interviewing respected members of the community and consulting the archives of Finance & Commerce to find people whose achievements and influence are significant in Minnesota’s real estate development field.
Rather than feature traditional profiles of these leaders, we wanted to give
you an opportunity to hear directly from them. Each POWER LIST honoree answered a series of questions that have been lightly edited for length and clarity. Traditional profile stories were written about honorees who declined to answer the questions.
Congratulations to all featured in this year’s developer POWER LIST.
Johnny Opara, President/CEO, JO Companies
What do you think are the biggest construction needs in Minnesota?
The biggest construction needs is housing in my opinion. We’re decades behind the eightball on this, but I still see opportunities locally, and nationally. When you look at the baby boomer population by percentage, that is the largest group by far, and presents the biggest opportunity in terms of growth if done the right way. We obviously need more affordable housing options for individuals, and families. We also need market-rate and single-family options so we can have a wide range of assets classes for a diversity of people. I’m still bullish on commercial, and you will continue to see the government invest heavily in our nation’s infrastructure, airports, subways, etc.
What is one thing you would change about Minnesota if you could?
That’s a loaded question. We need to find a solution for homelessness. This population is growing, and with Minnesota being one of the best-performing economies, home to great academic institutions, home to Fortune 500 companies, and home to one of the best hospitals in the world, we have the best and brightest minds in our state that can come together to find a solution that works, I truly believe that!
What’s something most people don’t know about you?
Growing up in St. Paul, my favorite sport was baseball which surprises a lot of people when I tell them. Even to this day, I still enjoy the game very much. I love the Twins, but the Yankees were always my favorite team growing up. I do wish, however, sometimes I would’ve kept playing. It would’ve been nice to know where that could’ve led. Watching movies like “The Sandlot,” “Rookie of the Year,” “The Rookie,” or even “Mighty Ducks 2” always brings back nostalgia.