Greg Kushner: Northern Colorado 40 Under Forty Honoree
Brinkman Construction's Director of Operations Greg Kushner has been named one of Northern Colorado's Top 40 Under Forty by BizWest. This group of 40 professionals are the emerging leaders who are shaping the future of Northern Colorado.
Greg began at Brinkman Construction as a Project Manager and quickly moved into a leadership role overseeing multiple projects and teams. He has served as the Director of Operations since 2017. In this role, Greg is responsible for the overall success of all projects with regards to safety, quality, schedule, and budget, and takes an active role in the recruitment and training of staff to support the company's continued growth. Greg's focus on mentorship, training and establishing operational procedures has been crucial to Brinkman Construction's continued success.
Greg utilizes the employee ownership model to empower employees and achieve long-term buy-in. He's helped steward a company-wide commitment to training and development that focuses on how each employee can “think like an owner” and positively impact the company from their position. This has directly impacted operational success and provided leadership opportunities to staff at every level of the organization.
Denver Developer Receives Financing for Two Projects in Capitol Hill
Denver-based development and property management company LCP Development, has secured $25 million in financing for 777 and 757 Grant Street in Denver. 777 Grant Street is a vintage office building that will be renovated and repositioned while 757 Grant Street is a Class A, ground-up multifamily development.
JLL worked on behalf of LCP Development, to secure the three-year construction and bridge loan through a national bank. Brinkman Construction is the GC for both projects. Open Studio is the architect for the office project and Humphries Poli is the architect for the multifamily development.
Located on the hard corner of 8th Avenue and Grant Street within Denver’s Capitol Hill neighborhood, 777 and 757 Grant Street possess phenomenal access throughout the Denver metro via automobile, public transit or the Cherry Creek Bike Path. Capitol Hill is highly amenitized with numerous bars and restaurants, entertainment destinations and retail options all within a walkable live-work-play environment that boasts one of the highest resident concentrations in Denver.
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LCP Development Breaks Ground on Visionary Capitol Hill Project
LCP Development has officially broken ground on a visionary project on a storied site on the corner of 8th Avenue and Grant Street. The project includes the renovation of an existing office building and the construction of a neighboring apartment building and garage.
The office portion of the project, located at 777 Grant Street, will transform an existing 1950’s-era building that formerly served as the headquarters for the Denver Housing Authority into a multi-tenant modern office space. The six-story, 109,700 SF building will undergo extensive design and infrastructure renovations including window expansions and the addition of ground floor retail space. A corporate living room will include communal work and lounge areas as well as connected outdoor patio areas.
The 80,709 SF multi-family portion will be built on a neighboring site at 757 Grant Street. The ground-up, eight-story building will include 68 studio units all under 500 SF and below and above-ground parking. Amenities will include a community room, fitness center and rooftop deck.
This visionary project looks to bring a distinct product to the already vibrant Capitol Hill neighborhood.
“LCP was attracted to the 777 Grant project because the asset afforded the opportunity to redevelop a unique office building in an amenity rich neighborhood,” remarked Jonathan Bush, founding principal and managing partner for LCP Development. “The existing surface parking lot also offered the ability to increase density, with the addition of 68 market-rate studio apartments as well as new parking to serve both projects. Between the revitalization of the existing structure and ground-up construction of a new building, 777 Grant will become a distinct asset for the Capitol Hill neighborhood, serving both residents and businesses.”
The office renovation is expected to be complete in July 2020 with the apartments tracking an April 2021 completion.
Brinkman Construction is the general contractor for both projects. Open Studio Architecture designed the office building and RATIO | HPA designed the apartments. NAI Shames Makovsky is handling the retail and office leasing.
Jane Everhart Named Finalist in Denver Business Journal’s Outstanding Women in Business Awards
Jane Everhart has been named a finalist in the Denver Business Journal’s Outstanding Women in Business Awards in the real estate category. From nearly 300 nominations, thirty-six finalists and one Lifetime Achievement Award winner were selected in 12 industry categories. Winners in each category will be announced at the awards ceremony on August 21 at Hilton Denver City Center.
For nearly three decades, Jane has served as a top tier leader for entrepreneurial, fast-growing companies. Whether it be as CFO for a luxury winter sports retailer, the owner of a furniture and interior design franchise business or as the Global Director of Finance for OtterBox, Jane has combined her financial expertise with her entrepreneurial spirit to succeed in her career.
As the current CFO for two entrepreneurial companies, Brinkman and Brinkman Construction, Jane works in a full-time real estate finance capacity. She pairs her progressive approach to finance and strategic growth with an analytical and information-driven awareness of the real estate landscape and factors affecting it. In addition to her primary finance-driven role, Jane is also a Partner and Chief Operations Officer of Brinkman and a member of the Board of Directors for Brinkman Construction
Since joining Brinkman and Brinkman Construction, she has been instrumental in restructuring the company’s business model to incorporate progressive finance processes, minimize industry risk, strengthen the organizational environment, and enrich their position as an employer of choice in Colorado. During her tenure, the companies have celebrated significant increases in both revenue and headcount.
Beyond her impact on company performance, Jane has also been instrumental in developing a robust community impact program. She led efforts to launch a paid Volunteer Time Off initiative for all employees, helped lead the vision for Brinkman to become a Certified B Corporation and is the executive sponsor of BrinkmanGives, the joint community impact program of Brinkman and Brinkman Construction.
Jane holds a bachelor’s degree in Business with an emphasis in Accounting from the University of Colorado. She is a Certified Public Accountant, a graduate of the Women’s Vision Leadership Institute, and is a strategic operating plan facilitator from the Paterson Center. She has served as an officer on the OtterCares Board of Directors since 2013 and has served on the Bridges to Prosperity Finance Committee since 2018.
Jane was named a 2017 Women to Watch Leader by the Colorado Society and the American Institute of Certified Public Accounts. This award highlights women in the accounting profession who have advanced to the highest levels and have shown significant effort in mentoring others.
Brinkman Construction Completes New Timnath Community Center
Photos by Bruen Media Group.
According to a recent BizWest article, the Town of Timnath is the fastest-growing community in Northern Colorado. It has grown 538.72% since the 2010 census. Town officials are making tangible progress toward their adopted strategic growth plan with the second phase of the Town’s civic complex opening to the public. Community members gathered last month to celebrate the grand opening of the Timnath Town Center.
The new Town Center Building is located in the Riverbend Subdivision, directly north of Poudre Fire Authority Station 8, the first phase in the Town’s civic complex. Additional phases include plans for a new police station.
The 16,000 SF Town Center Building was built to accommodate the growing needs of the community and Town staff. The previous facility had only one conference room that served multiple purposes: Town council chambers, municipal court room, conference room and training facility. With the goal of providing a shared space for the community to utilize, the new building includes a community room and ample public parking to accommodate families, nonprofits and other groups needing space to convene. The community meeting room opens to a patio space and includes a small kitchen for food service helping to meet a vital need for residents seeking space for education, training and public and private events.
“This is more than a building. It’s a true community center,” said Town of Timnath Mayor Jill Grossman-Belisle. “We’re proud of this investment in improving our community for our residents and know this new town center will serve us for generations.”
The new Town Center Building also includes a lobby with direct access to reception and council chambers, offices for administrative personnel, community development and planning offices and conference rooms. Residents who work from home and need meeting space can reserve a conference room to meet with customers or clients. Plans for the space also include a partnership with the library district to add the Town Center Building as a book drop-off location.
“It’s due to the Town of Timnath’s vision that this community has become desirable for so many,” said Brinkman Construction President and CEO, Jim Ciesla. “This is our community and we’re excited to see it grow and thrive.”
Jensen LaPlante served as the owner’s representative for the Town Center Building, Brinkman Construction was the general contractor and alm2s designed the project. This is the fifth project Brinkman Construction has built in Timnath; previous projects include healthcare facility Pediatric Urgent Care, multi-family community Timnath Trails at Riverbend and Timnath’s first brewery, Timnath Beerwerks.
By relocating Town staff out of the building they previously shared with the Timnath Police Department, the Town is able to expand police services for public safety.
Using Employee Ownership to Attract and Retain Top Talent
From the President & CEO of Brinkman Construction, Jim Ciesla
Brinkman Construction rebranded last year and a large part of that process was identifying our company DNA. What makes us us. We interviewed our clients to see how we’re perceived externally, and the feedback was interesting, but not all that surprising. We heard over and over what we already knew - that our people are what differentiate us from our competitors in the construction industry.
We’re not unique in knowing that people are our greatest asset, but the qualities that make them our most valued resource are telling. Our clients said that we bring a higher level of ownership to projects. That we are proactive and accountable, and we are customer-centric communicators. They said this ownership mentality leads to “tenacious problem-solving” and ultimately, earning their trust. Owners see that we take extreme pride in our work and connect the dots between a quality building and the success of their business.
So, how do we recruit and retain these high-caliber team members that set us apart? One factor I believe is responsible for our success is our employee ownership model. This innovative ownership structure, technically called an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP), provides employees with a retirement plan that is invested in Brinkman Construction stock. Currently, there are 7,000 ESOPs nationwide and Brinkman Construction is one of only 115 in Colorado.
We adopted this structure in 2016 and beyond simply becoming 100% employee owned, we made tangible shifts toward creating an ownership culture in which all employees see the importance of their individual roles and the service they deliver to clients. Every employee owner believes in personal accountability and has a long-term vision for projects. They unfailingly do what’s right for our clients because they know successful projects translate to repeat business and positive referrals. When you’re an employee owner, there’s even more of an incentive to go above and beyond and stay at your company for the long-term. This allows us to employ highly experienced staff who consistently provide an exceptional quality of work. We as a company, and we as employee owners, all benefit under this model.
With our new brand came a new tagline: “Driven to Build.” To us, this sums up why the employee ownership model was the right choice for Brinkman Construction. It describes the characteristics that differentiate our employees in the construction industry – grit, tenacity, and most importantly, ownership.
AGC of Colorado Honors Members’ Commitments to Workplace Safety
The Associated General Contractors of Colorado (AGC/C) honored its members’ commitments to workplace safety and environmental excellence at the 32nd annual Safety & Environmental Awards last month at The Westin Westminster. In correlation with the national construction Safety Week that takes place each May, this event attracted more than 330 construction industry professionals and guests to recognize winners in three different categories of awards that were presented to local general contractors and specialty contractors.
“Our members understand the importance of a strong commitment to safety culture and environmental awareness in construction, where job-sites are constantly evolving, and new hazards emerge almost daily,” commented Michael Gifford, president and CEO of AGC/C. “Although we formally recognize their efforts only once a year, we honor their daily dedication to send each employee home safe every day.”
Brad Gassman, AGC/C’s Safety and Environmental director, presented the awards and introduced representatives from the various programs to provide the latest safety and environmental updates to attendees. The first award category recognized firms in the Colorado Stormwater Excellence Program (CSEP), which is the first regulatory agency-recognized, self-policing stormwater compliance management program in the nation. Companies are ranked as either Participating or Qualified, based on performance data. AGC/C’s latest Participating companies moved to Qualified status in February 2019. Adolfson & Peterson Construction, The Beck Group, Brinkman Construction, Fiore and Sons, Inc., Fransen Pittman General Contractors, GH Phipps Construction Companies, Golden Triangle Construction, Inc., Haselden Construction, LLC, Hyder Construction, Inc, Milender White Construction Co.., PCL Construction, Swinerton Builders, and Waner Construction Co, Inc. were all honored as Qualified Companies. Maura McGovern, Unit Manager of the Clean Water Compliance Unit of the Water Quality Control Division, was present to provide CSEP updates.
You can read the rest of the article here.
McWHINNEY Announces First Multifamily Project in Longmont
Colorado‐based developer McWHINNEY has broken ground on Clovis Point, a highly-amenitized and strategically located multifamily project in Longmont.
The new Clovis Point lifestyle community will provide 208 modern apartment homes ranging in size from 560-square-foot studios to 1,252-square-foot three-bedroom residences. The 220,000-square-foot, three-story apartment development will also include a selection of 1,400-square-foot townhomes.
The first units are anticipated to be available Summer 2020. Clovis Point will bring the total number of apartments delivered by McWHINNEY in Colorado to more than 3,800 homes, with plans to bring an additional 2,000 units to the market in the near future.
The Clovis Point project site sits on just over eight acres, one acre of which will be devoted to open green space with planned outdoor amenities to include grills, fire pits, entertainment space, a pool and spa, central green/park space, an alpine pond, a family play area and a dog park. The community’s indoor amenities will be concentrated in an alpine-inspired, 2-story clubhouse building to include mail pickup with parcel lockers, a community kitchen, multiple lounge spaces that include a 360-degree vapor fireplace, a library, coworking spaces, Fitness on DemandTM and yoga.
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State-of-the-Art Sleep Disorder Center Opens in Longmont
The Colorado Sleep Institute recently opened its flagship center in Longmont. The 22,000-square-foot, two-story medical facility within the busy Longmont Business Center at 1630 Dry Creek Drive, was built by Brinkman Construction. It includes six exam rooms, four sleep rooms, three testing rooms, a staff lounge, a large conference room and several administration offices.
The center is designed to treat individuals with sleep disorders utilizing an integrated team approach. In addition to evaluation, testing and treatments, the Colorado Sleep Institute also conducts academic and clinical research to increase knowledge about patients with sleep problems and guide healthcare decisions, as well as provide patients access to new therapeutic approaches.
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Boulevard One at Lowry Breaks Ground
The Boulevard at Lowry, a 140,000-square-foot commercial mixed-use redevelopment project in the heart of Denver’s revitalized Lowry neighborhood, officially broke ground today. The infill development will serve as the centerpiece and the only commercial development at Boulevard One, the 70-acre parcel that represents the last new neighborhood to be developed at Lowry. The groundbreaking of the milestone project coincides with the 25th anniversary of the beginning of Lowry’s transformation from the former Air Force base.
Confluent Development, a Denver-based real estate investment/development firm, and Kelmore Development, a Centennial-based commercial real estate development, management and investment firm, serve as the project co-owners and co-developers. Brinkman Construction is the general contractor and Open Studio Architecture designed the project.
The 1.5-block infill project situated on more than five acres at the northwest corner of E. Lowry Boulevard and Pontiac Street, will feature restaurant, retail and office space, including a restaurant sitting on the community park across Lowry Boulevard.
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Blue Federal Credit Union Breaks Ground on HQ at Cole Shopping Center
Blue Federal Credit Union staff broke ground on the organization’s new Cole Shopping Center headquarters Saturday, celebrating with live music and fireworks.
Dozens of regional business leaders, Blue members and neighborhood residents said the campus-style facility, now officially under construction, will dramatically improve the vacant space at Pershing Boulevard and Converse Avenue.
“This is a gigantic blight right in the center of our city,” said Cheyenne City Councilman Rocky Case. “The positive economic impact we are going to have from this project is not only short term from construction, but long term from the jobs that are going to come here. This is a huge win."
Representatives announced plans to redevelop the Cole Shopping Center in November, demolishing existing infrastructure to build the group’s first and only corporate headquarters. The main building will house approximately 170 employees, with a 400-person capacity as the company grows. Existing office employees now dispersed among local branches will move to the new location.
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Brinkman Construction Recognized As Fastest Growing Company At 2019 Northern Colorado Mercury 100
BizWest celebrated Northern Colorado’s fastest growing companies Wednesday evening at the 2019 Mercury 100 awards.
Companies on the Mercury 100 list are ranked by percentage revenue growth over a two-year period. Construction and real estate companies by category make up 40 percent of the companies recognized.
The list includes five “flights” with the highest revenue earners in flight one. Brinkman Construction was named a fasted growing company in Flight 1 with a 50% revenue growth.
See the rest of the 2019 Mercury 100 list here.