Authentix Cartersville Clubhouse

McShane Completes Authentix Cartersville Apartments

Photo courtesy of Continental Properties

McShane Completes Authentix Cartersville Apartments

McShane Construction Company completed construction at Authentix Cartersville for repeat client Continental Properties. Located in Cartersville, Georgia, the new garden-style community offers 240 units. This is the 22nd project McShane has completed for Continental.

“Our extensive partnership with Continental Properties is something we greatly value,” commented Scott Hoppa, Senior Vice President & Regional Manager at McShane. “We’re excited to see Continental expand their brand with Authentix communities and are proud to bring Authentix Cartersville to fruition for them.”

Designed by Excel Engineering, Authentix Cartersville offers modern, stylish, and practical homes. Each unit features premium finishes, hardwood-style flooring, modern kitchen appliances, in-unit washers and dryers, ample living and bedroom space, and abundant natural light. Residents can choose from studio, one-, two-, and three-bedroom floorplans with private, ground-floor entrances.

Convenient on-site amenities include a clubhouse with a coffee bar, a 24-hour fitness center, a resort-style swimming pool, a barbeque area, and a sun deck. The pet-friendly community also offers a leash-free dog park and a pet spa.

The community is positioned on a 25-acre site and features 10 two-story wood-framed buildings with an attractive cement board exterior.

Located at 5000 Canton Highway, Authentix Cartersville offers easy access to shopping, entertainment, museums, and local colleges. Additionally, it is 45 miles from downtown Atlanta via I-75 and a short drive to Lake Allatoona, the Etowah River and the mountains, waterfalls, and forests of north Georgia.

2023 Project Manager of the Year

Jane Haag was named Project Manager of the Year at the 2023 Illinois Real Estate Journal Awards. As Senior Project Manager, Jane led project management efforts for two multi-family projects in 2022. In the Illinois Medical District of Chicago, she completed pre-construction and launched the construction of The Foglia Residences at The Chicago Lighthouse. The community will incorporate 76 units for residents who are blind, visually impaired, disabled, and veterans. The development is the first Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) building in the nation for the blind community.

Jane is also leading the construction of The Quin Apartments, a 373-unit multi-family development in Schaumburg, Illinois. At 708,000 square feet, the development is McShane’s largest multi-family community to date. Throughout construction, she has worked to maintain open communication with the owner, design team, and subcontractors, with the shared goal of completing the project within budget and on schedule.

Jane is passionate about increasing the representation of women in the construction industry. She founded McShane’s first women’s leadership group to provide women at all stages of their careers with access to learning opportunities, professional development, and resources, as well as a way for women to cultivate relationships within the company. She serves as a mentor for young women at the company as they navigate the challenges of working in a male-dominated industry and work to grow their careers.

Thrive Sweet Auburn Affordable Housing Completed in Atlanta

Construction is completed at Thrive Sweet Auburn, a unique mixed-use development in Atlanta’s Sweet Auburn district that provides affordable housing and support services for low-income individuals and those experiencing homelessness.

McShane Construction Company built the development for repeat client Mercy Housing Southeast and their partner, Project Community Connections Incorporated (PCCI), a non-profit organization that works to end homelessness in Atlanta. The building combines 117 affordable apartment units with 11,400 square feet of ground-floor office space.

“We are very proud of this project and the impact it will have on its residents as well as surrounding community members,” shared Brian Wood, Vice President at McShane. “Affordable housing is an important factor in financial security for low-income families, and by receiving job training and support services at Thrive Sweet Auburn, they will be provided a great opportunity in maintaining that security.”

Affordable at 30 to 80 percent of Area Median Income (AMI), Thrive Sweet Auburn offers studio, one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments that provide a welcoming and stable environment for low-income households. Twenty-three units are reserved as permanent supportive housing for households transitioning out of homelessness and additional units are reserved for U.S. military veterans.

In addition to providing affordable housing, Thrive Sweet Auburn offers an array of supportive services for residents and community members. The first floor serves as PCCI’s headquarters and holds offices for First Step Staffing, an organization that provides job coaching and employment opportunities to those experiencing homelessness or chronic poverty, previously incarcerated individuals, and military veterans. Other services at the development include a medical clinic, nutrition education, case management services, and a coffee shop.

Residents have access to additional amenities such as community rooms, wellness rooms, an outdoor pavilion, and a community garden.

Designed by Good Van Slyke Architecture, the four-story building features podium construction with office, amenity, and parking space on the first floor and apartments on floors two through four. The exterior is comprised of an attractive mix of brick, metal panels, and fiber cement siding. The building was designed to wrap around the iconic Atlanta Coca-Cola billboard that shares the site.

The National Green Building Standard (NGBS) Bronze development integrates sustainable elements including wall, floor, and ceiling coverings/systems that do not require any finishing application, proper HVAC system sizing, high-efficiency lighting fixtures/bulbs, and insulation materials that are in accordance with CDPH/EHLB Standard Method v1.1. Additionally, the site offers easy access to public transportation and incorporates vegetation that promotes biodiversity.

Construction Completed at Domain CityGate

McShane Construction Company completed construction at Domain CityGate in Naperville, Illinois, for clients Lincoln Property Company and Calamos Real Estate. Located in Naperville’s CityGate Centre, Domain CityGate offers 285 luxury apartment units, a precast parking garage, and the shell for a future event center.

“CityGate Centre is a unique mixed-use community that integrates restaurants, retail, a hotel, wellness services, offices and, with the addition of Domain CityGate, housing,” commented Susan Uhlarik, Director of Multi-Family at McShane. “This makes Domain CityGate ideal for those looking for housing, employment, and entertainment within a single development.”

The development integrates four stories of wood-frame construction wrapped around a precast parking garage with 430 spaces. Atop the parking garage is a 38,000-square-foot rooftop event center shell. The building’s exterior features an attractive mix of brick, Hardie and Nichiha panel siding, metal panels, and glass.

The amenity-rich community offers a resident lounge with a kitchen, remote workspaces, a fitness center with a yoga room, and a bike lounge. Outside, residents can enjoy a pool with poolside cabanas, a pergola, grills, fire pits, a private pickleball court, and a dog run.

Units are offered in studio, one-, and two-bedroom floorplans and boast stainless steel appliances, quartz countertops, luxury vinyl-tile flooring, walk-in closets, and in-unit washers and dryers. Most units also offer a private balcony or patio.

Callison RTKL served as the architect for Domain CityGate.

How We Promote Safety on Our Job Sites

At McShane, we abide by the mentality of “Safety First, Last, and Always” on our job sites. This is ingrained in the minds of all our employees and is an expectation made clear to anyone who steps onto our job sites.

As we participate in Construction Safety Week, this is a good time to reflect on safe practices in the construction industry. While having a dedicated safety team is important, this alone is not enough to ensure a safe work site. It is imperative that everyone on site has the training needed to identify and address safety risks.

At McShane, we ensure all employees receive OSHA 30-hour training so they can recognize safety concerns and act on them. Additionally, the safety team engages employees on a regular basis by giving monthly awards to the project teams who perform the most safety audits through our mobile auditing system in each of our regions and by sending monthly safety quizzes to all employees. We also have national and regional safety committees that work to identify concerns on our sites and find solutions.

Our subcontractors and trade workers are the backbone of our projects, and building relationships with them is another crucial factor in keeping our job sites safe. We approach these relationships as a partnership and emphasize open communication so subcontractors know they can trust us and we, in turn, can trust that they will bring concerns to us.

We are proud of our accomplishments as a company as we look back on the past year. We experienced a dramatic increase in man-hours performed on our projects in 2022, which grew from 2.8 million to 4.2 million. Despite this, our overall incident rate remained solid at 0.7 for all our projects and subcontractors around the country, which is far below the national average.

Construction safety practices have come a long way, but there is still always room for improvement. By raising awareness of construction safety and taking steps to educate ourselves and others, we can create a safer industry.

23rd Place at Southbridge Completed

McShane Construction Company and their joint venture partner, Powers & Sons Construction, have completed the construction of 23rd Place at Southbridge for The Community Builders and McCaffery Interests. Located on the site of the former Harold Ickes Homes on Chicago’s Near South Side, the community offers 206 mixed-income apartments and 15,000 square feet of ground-floor retail space across two buildings.

“23rd Place at Southbridge is a beautiful community at the crossroads of South Loop, Chinatown, Bronzeville, and the Motor Row District,” stated Mat Dougherty, President at McShane. “The mixed-income unit structure makes the development accessible for residents at a broad range of income levels, encouraging economic diversity and inclusion within the community.”

Approximately 50 percent of units are affordable to households earning 80 percent of Area Median Income (AMI) or less through the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program. Units boast spacious floor plans, nine-foot ceilings, quartz countertops, and plank flooring. All units have full-size appliances and in-unit washers and dryers, and select units offer balconies.

First-floor retail units bring convenience and commerce to the surrounding community. Additionally, the Community Life Center resides on the ground floor of 2344 S. State Street.

The development includes extensive amenity space on the first and sixth floors, including lounges, a fitness center, and terraces. A new public right-of-way, 23rd Place, connects the two buildings and can be closed off to create public gathering space for community activities. Both buildings feature covered passageways to provide retail customers with convenient access to stores.

23rd Place at Southbridge is a Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) located adjacent to the Cermak-McCormick Place Green Line ‘L’ stop and near the Chinatown Red Line stop. This makes the property accessible for residents without cars as well as for community members visiting the development’s retail stores. By reducing the need to drive, Transit-Oriented Developments lower the area’s carbon footprint and negative impact on the environment.

Nia Architects and Antunovich Associates provided architectural services for 23rd Place at Southbridge. Learn more about the development here.

Kirwan Apartments Supportive Housing Completed in Illinois

Construction is completed at Kirwan Apartments in Waukegan, Illinois. McShane Construction Company provided design-assist construction services for the development on behalf of their client, Over the Rainbow (OTR). The 24-unit affordable housing residence allows adults with physical disabilities to live independently. The development is named after Leo Kirwan, an OTR resident, board member, and advocate for accessible housing.

“We are very pleased to have completed construction at Kirwan Apartments,” shared Susan Uhlarik, Director of Multi-Family at McShane. “Twenty-four adults with physical disabilities are now able to live in a home that they can call their own while receiving support that helps them thrive.”

Positioned on a one-acre site adjacent to OTR’s Gustafson Apartments, the three-story wood frame building features a Hardie panel exterior. The building was designed to be compact to maximize landscape and minimize cost. Its clean and simple lines lend to a modernist design, while the exterior colors compliment the surrounding environment.

All units feature one bedroom and one bathroom and are barrier free. Tenant amenities in the building include a community room and laundry facilities.

The building was designed with sustainability in mind to achieve National Green Building Standard Bronze Certification and to meet requirements for ComEd’s Energy Efficiency Grant for affordable housing.

Weese Langley Weese Architects provided architectural services for Kirwan Apartments.

2023 Largest Multi-Family Builders

The McShane Companies was ranked as #10 on the National Multifamily Housing Council’s list of largest multi-family builders in the nation. McShane has served the multi-family market since 1998 and began construction on 5,298 units in 2022.

100 Affordable Senior Apartments Coming to Atlanta

McShane Construction Company was selected by repeat client The Integral Group to build Veranda at Assembly. Located in Atlanta, Georgia, the affordable senior living community will offer 100 units.

“We’re pleased to begin our fifth job in Georgia with The Integral Group,” commented Brian Wood, Vice President at McShane. “Veranda at Assembly will provide an affordable option for seniors looking to maintain their independence, making it a great addition to Atlanta.”

Positioned on a 2.9-acre site on the northwest side of Atlanta, the development will include a four-story wood frame building with a masonry and siding exterior. The property will offer nearly 3,000 square feet of amenity space including a bistro/café, fitness room, yoga room, and a fourth-floor outdoor terrace.

Units will be offered in one- and two-bedroom floorplans and will feature granite countertops and luxury vinyl-tile flooring.

The Integral Group selected SK Collaborative as a consultant to finalize plans and review associated materials and installation to ensure Energy Star and EarthCraft certifications are obtained.

Dynamik Design is providing architectural services for Veranda at Assembly. Completion is scheduled for June 2024.

McShane-Ashlaur to Build Westhaven Park IID in Chicago

McShane Construction Company and their joint venture partner, Ashlaur Construction, were selected by repeat clients Brinshore Development and The Michaels Organization to build Phase IID of Westhaven Park. Located on Chicago’s Near West Side, the 12-story development will integrate 96 mixed-income apartment units with ground-floor retail space. McShane built a 113-unit condominium building during the first phase of Westhaven Park in 2006.

“We’re proud to begin work on the next phase of Westhaven Park,” commented David Rintz, Regional Vice President – Multi-Family at McShane. “Not only will it provide much-needed affordable housing in the city of Chicago, but it will also provide jobs and bring commerce to the community.”

The precast concrete building will incorporate a total of 121,800 square feet. Three retail spaces will occupy the ground floor with residential units on floors two through 12.

Units will feature quartz kitchen countertops, luxury vinyl plank flooring, stainless steel appliances, and in-unit washers and dryers. Floorplans will be offered in one- and two-bedroom layouts. Sixty-six percent of units will be affordable, and 34 percent will be market rate.

Amenities will include a fitness center, community room, and rooftop terrace. Additionally, the site is positioned adjacent to the new CTA Green Line station under construction at Lake Street and Damen Avenue, which will make it easily accessible via public transportation.

LBBA is providing architectural services for Westhaven Park IID. Completion of the residence is expected for September 2024.

This is McShane’s second project partnering with Ashlaur Construction, one of Chicago’s premier Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) construction firms. Currently, the joint venture team is also building The Foglia Residences, an affordable, supportive housing development for the blind community in Chicago on behalf of Brinshore.

McShane to Build Apartments in Acworth for Penler

McShane Construction Company was selected by Penler to provide design-assist construction services for Penler Cherokee. Located in Acworth, Georgia, the multi-family community will offer 192 units. In 2021, McShane completed The Parker, a 240-unit community in Dawsonville, Georgia, for Penler.

“We look forward to partnering with Penler on another multi-family development,” commented Scott Hoppa, Senior Vice President & Regional Manager at McShane. “We’re proud of how our first project together turned out and anticipate another successful venture.”

Positioned on an 18.3-acre site, the development will incorporate eight two-story garden-style buildings. The wood frame buildings will integrate an exterior of painted brick veneer, stone veneer, and fiber cement siding.

The units will feature high-end finishes and features including quartz countertops and tile backsplashes in the kitchen, tile bath surrounds in the bathrooms, and balconies.

The property will provide 5,300 square feet of amenity space that will include a clubhouse with a clubroom, fitness center, and outdoor swimming pool. Additionally, the site will offer private garages.

As a design-assist project, McShane collaborated with the client and architect throughout the design and pre-construction phases. Benefits of this delivery method include a reduction in cost and schedule overruns, improved constructability, and added value to the project.

Completion of construction is slated for August 2024. Dynamik Design is the architect.

Multi-Family Construction Strong in the Southeast

The Southeast was one of the most active geographic markets for the construction industry this year. According to a report from StorageCafe, Atlanta takes the top spot for most active city for apartment construction followed by Charlotte, North Carolina, and Nashville, Tennessee, in the fourth and sixth spots. Our company has been no exception to this trend with 12 multi-family projects completed or underway in Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, and Tennessee this year.

In Atlanta, we’re nearing completion on an affordable housing community called Thrive Sweet Auburn. Located on the site of Atlanta’s iconic Coca-Cola billboard, this unique project combines 117 affordable apartment units with 11,000 square feet of ground-floor office space. Construction will wrap up this winter, and we are pleased to provide more affordable housing near downtown Atlanta.

In Charlotte, we’re underway with Mallard Creek, which will incorporate 397 apartment units across five apartment buildings and 10 townhome-style buildings. The property will offer generous amenities including a fitness center, yoga studio, co-work lounge, hobby room, market, and outdoor swimming pool. Completion is expected for March 2024.

In Nashville, where our newest regional office is located, we’re building Novel Harpeth Heights, an NGBS Bronze development that will incorporate 322 apartment units. Named the top U.S. market to watch for overall real estate prospects by ULI, Nashville is a market that we’re very excited about.

In Huntsville, Alabama, we recently completed Laurel at Dry Creek, a 343-unit community with 16 apartment and townhome buildings and more than 7,000 square feet of amenity space including a swimming pool with cabanas, pickleball courts, and a hammock garden.

With 50 multi-family projects totaling more than 11,000 units built across the Southeast since 2005, our firm is well positioned to help meet the housing demand of these growing cities. As we begin the new year, we look forward to maintaining our strong presence in Georgia, as well as continuing to grow our presence in the Carolinas, Alabama, and Tennessee.