Beyond the Skyline

In this episode, Bush Foundation Fellow Abdiaziz Ibrahim, the founder of Immigrant Housing Solutions, talks to F&C reporter Brian Johnson. Ibrahim wants to expand affordable housing through outreach to landlords and property managers and provide a holistic combination of tenant education and financial literacy training.

In this episode, Scott Peterson, United Properties’ vice president of hospitality and office development, talks to F&C reporter J.D. Duggan. Peterson talks about what he sees as the future for office and hospitality and how the new RBC Gateway tower in downtown Minneapolis is bucking local occupancy trends.

In this episode, Keia Isaacson, the 2022 Finance & Commerce Top Women in Construction winner and owner and president of Lakeside Floor Coverings, talks to F&C reporter Brian Johnson. An advocate for women in construction, Isaacson is an active member and past president of the Association of Women Contractors. In this interview, she talks about her construction journey, her advocacy work and the impact of construction inflation and supply chain issues.

In this week’s episode Jared Anderson, safety manager at Adolfson & Peterson, talks to F&C reporter Brian Johnson about safety trends in the construction industry, the impact of COVID on jobsite safety, the latest safety equipment and more.

In this week’s episode, Lee Blons, executive director of Beacon Interfaith Housing Collaborative, talks to F&C reporter J.D. Duggan about the need for deeply affordable housing and the growing focus on the issue.

In this week’s episode, F&C reporter Brian Johnson talks to Ramona Wilson, the director of equity and inclusion at Knutson Construction. Wilson talks about her role with Knutson and gives her take on the state of diversity and inclusion in the broader construction industry.

This week F&C reporter J.D. Duggan talks to Christian Lawrence, founder and CEO of Rise Modular, which builds and co-develops modular multifamily housing and hospitality projects.

Rise is the first modular housing manufacturer in Minnesota. Lawrence started the company in 2018 and has seen demand continue to increase for modular housing.

This week, F&C reporter Brian Johnson talks to Al Gerhardt, who was recently named executive vice president of Kraus-Anderson Cos. In that role, he will collaborate with KA Realty and Development, among other duties. He remains president of Kraus-Anderson Construction.

During his career, Gerhardt has held leadership positions with the Construction Industry Round Table, the Associated General Contractors, the ACE Mentor Program, and the Construction Specifications Institute.

In this week’s episode, F&C reporter J.D. Duggan talks to Dean Dovolis, founder and owner of DJR Architecture. Dovolis started DJR in the mid-1980s and has since been involved in many community-oriented and affordable-housing developments.

In this interview, Dovolis talks about the rapid changes coming in real estate development related to affordable housing and community ownership.

In this week’s episode, F&C reporter Brian Johnson talks to longtime St. Paul Building Owners and Managers Association president Joe Spartz, who will soon retire from his leadership role at the organization to pursue new adventures.

During his nine-year run as president, Spartz oversaw a downtown security study, and helped building owners and managers navigate the choppy waters of the pandemic.