The Pinnacle of the Project
March has brought with it beautiful sights at one of our construction projects. On March 1, crews at Lighthouse Lofts began working on assembling the “lantern room.” Once complete, the tower will exude light to be seen from great distances. This will be the clubroom for Residents.
For more information on Lighthouse Lofts, visit www.LighthouseLoftsMN.com.
Team Building Brings Big Thrills
Every year, Gaughan Companies hosts an annual team building event for all of its employees. This year, we took a day during the week to go to Big Thrill Factory in Oakdale with the whole company.
After an address from the company president, Patrick Gaughan, the attendees ate lunch and gathered into smaller groups in order to connect one-on-one with their coworkers. Our staff is growing, and with many of them at locations throughout the Twin Cities, it is important for us to take the time for these team building activities.
We participated in activities like go karts, laser tag, a ropes course, indoor zip line, and other events, like the Gaughan Jeopardy game. The atmosphere was filled with good spirits and friendly competition!
We appreciate our employees and all that they do for our company and our community. We are blessed to have a wonderful group to work with!
Winter Water Leaks
Do you have a water leak in your home? Is water dripping from your light fixtures or smoke detectors? If it is, one reason for this can be condensation.
As warm, moist air from inside the home rises up and comes in contact with a cold surface (like the underside of the roof deck), the air cools and moisture condenses out because cold air can’t hold as much moisture as warm air. That condensation forms a layer of frost on the cold surface.
When this frost builds up for weeks at a time and is followed by a warm day or two, it can melt all at once. Then, water will start running down the walls, out the bathroom and kitchen fans, through recessed light, out of door frames, etc.
People often jump to the conclusion that it’s a leak, even though it’s not raining and there isn’t too much snow to melt. But, what they are seeing is water that was already inside their home in the form of water vapor.
The best thing one can do to help this issue is control indoor winter humidity levels. If it’s 0°F outside, it’s best to maintain a humidity level of 20-25%.
WCCO recently released a story on this topic, too. Read more: http://cbsloc.al/2D6KxKi
MN Snow and Ice is Hard to Avoid!
Even with contracted snow removal service, we still experience freeze/thaw cycles that can wreak havoc on our sidewalks and driveways. But there are steps you can take to avoid a fall.
1) Walk slowly and carefully.
2) Ever heard of the Minnesota shuffle? Take small steps.
3) Keep both hands free to allow for better balance or use of handrails.
4) Step out of vehicles, don’t jump.
5) Walk as flat-footed as possible.
6) Wear appropriate footwear for conditions.
If you do fall, you may be able to reduce any injury by;
1) Rolling with the fall. Relax as much as possible.
2) Don’t protect what you’re carrying! Protect yourself and toss anything if you need to break your fall.
Gaughan Chosen for Historic Prior Lake Listing
Gaughan Companies was recently selected to list 495 acres of land in Prior Lake, Minnesota. This historic property has been owned by the same family since before the Civil War. Zoned for residential, commercial, mixed use, and located only 20 minutes from Minneapolis, this land is in the optimal location for development. We are honored to be entrusted with this monumental listing and look forward to bringing phenomenal new development to Prior Lake!
For more information visit http://bit.ly/2AcKgUF
Gaughan Associate Elected to Chamber Board
Dave Galleberg, Commercial Brokerage Associate at Gaughan Companies, was elected as a board member of the MetroNorth Chamber of Commerce on December 7, 2017 at the Merry & Bright Winter Gala. Dave and the Gaughan Companies are grateful to serve on the board and help the local business community on the north side of the Twin Cities metro area.
Residential Team Attends Local Conferences
This week, our residential team had the opportunity to gather more industry knowledge through the MN Multi Housing Association’s 2017 Fall Convention & Products Show and the HUD TODAY 2017 class taught by Mary Ross.
Everyone is excited to apply all they learned to create an excellent customer experience. We always welcome opportunities like these, which help us exceed customer expectations.
Compass Early Learning Celebrates Grand Opening
We would like to extend our congratulations and a warm welcome to Compass Early Learning, our newest tenant! Their grand opening was held on Tuesday, October 3, and was a great success!
Located in Coon Rapids, this is the first location for the early childhood education center. They are currently enrolling children from infants to preK. Each room at the center has a focus on a different subject, including Music and Movement, S.T.E.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math), Art and Dramatic Play. The children will rotate to different rooms for experience with each subject and will have a homeroom to come back to. By doing this, they will have a sense of routine and will be able to develop social skills and friendships with the others in their homeroom.
The owners, Amy Steiner and Ginger Olson, both have backgrounds in early childhood learning and are passionate about providing a stable and well-rounded learning environment for children. Both owners grew up in Coon Rapids, so this location is dear to their hearts. Amy said, “It felt like coming home.”
To learn more about Compass Early Learning, visit their website at www.compassearlylearningmn.com.
Night to Unite 2017: Neighbors Joining Together
Night to Unite (formerly National Night Out) is held each year on the first Tuesday in August. Neighborhoods are asked to turn on their outside lights and spend the evening getting acquainted with each other. Whether you are an organized Neighborhood Crime Watch (NCW) group, or just thinking about organizing, it is important to talk with your neighbors to find out what is going on. This is an evening when neighbors throughout the city, state and country gather to get to know one another and promote Community Safety.
If neighbors organize their efforts to be vigilant of each other’s property, it will likely result in the reduction of criminal incidents. You can send a message to criminals letting them know that neighborhoods are organized and looking out for one another. We, at Gaughan Association Management, support this effort and hope many of our communities choose to come together on this night in some way. It doesn’t have to be an elaborate party or gathering, but here are some ideas of what other communities are doing:
- Ice Cream Social
- Bike Parade- Have the kids on your street decorate their bikes and parade them through the neighborhood at a specified time.
- Pot Luck Supper
- Ask people to contribute $5.00 per person and order pizza.
- Bubbles and Sidewalk Chalk
- Inflatables and a DJ
Whatever is appropriate for your demographic and budget- it doesn’t need to be elaborate. The point is to come together and get to know each other.
Check with your city to see if they participate in Night to Unite, as many cities do, and they will even have the Fire Department, Police Department, and other city representatives attend your party! You may need to register your party with the city, but what a great way to strengthen neighborhood spirit and police-community partnerships. Also check with your local businesses as many sponsor or will donate money or items towards Night to Unite parties.
Hope to see you all out getting to know each other on Tuesday, August 1st!
Snelling Ave. at I-94 Will See New Development in 2018
St. Paul, MN – July 21, 2017 – Gaughan Companies, Commercial Real Estate Developer and General Contractor, closed on the purchase of 304-308 Snelling Avenue in St. Paul on July 12, 2017. The final decision for the purpose of the new development is still being considered. Gaughan Companies is eager to develop in the city of St. Paul again.
Just off of I-94, the property is within walking distance of the Minnesota United FC Stadium and the Snelling Avenue Metro Transit Green Line. In addition to a new Whole Foods, this ideal neighborhood is also conveniently located near several major universities, including Concordia University, Hamline University, Macalester College, University of St. Thomas and St. Catherine University. Over 42,000 vehicles pass by this corner every day.
The current building was constructed in 1913, and the property has been owned by the same person for nearly 40 years. Gaughan Companies is looking forward to the opportunity to redevelop this site and build a new facility for the community.
For more information, visit www.gaughancompanies.com.
