Rubble With A Cause

You enrich people with creative resources, and over time, these Lego bricks that end up in their heads eventually build this enormous, incredible castle.

- MARIA POPOVA

A few months ago, Kevin McKee bought a new set of Lego. The interlocking plastic bricks still satisfy his need to assemble, create and reconfigure. This lifelong fascination with the intricacy of building and construction led him to establish Pangman Development Corporation. With a thirty year career in real estate, McKee brings an expertise and unique approach to development and an unwavering loyalty to our city.

WORDS BY HEIDI JOHANNSON PHOTOGRAPHY BY JELENA KOVACEVIC

“People in this city are caring, thoughtful, hardworking, humble…all of those things that you want in a friend. They’re consistent and honest. You list those things that you want in the people around you and that’s Edmonton!” - McKee

Versed in his strengths and shortcomings, McKee intuitively surrounded himself with an incredibly talented team. Visionaries, morphing a property from what it can be to what it should be. One such resurrection being the Augustana. Longtime real estate partner and ‘deal junky’ John Day, came to McKee professing, “I just bought a church!” That ‘church’ being the Augustana Lutheran Church in the government district. Two and a half years later a 30 storey, 240 unit, purpose built rental is checking numerous boxes. Appealing to a wide range of residents, it is situated just steps from what makes everything great about our city including the Legislative Grounds, river valley trails and our vibrant arts and cultural district.

As Edmonton continues to find its way, it’s becoming more comfortable being a small city that can live big and that is the same for metro buyers. McKee states that there is a fundamental shift from the past in the buyer market. They recognize value, are more sophisticated and are prepared to pay more for high quality. And as a developer, it’s enjoyable for McKee to participate and anticipate developing high quality projects in order to have a successful and healthy downtown. “The core of our city needs to thrive 24/7 not just 8-10 hours a day, Monday through Friday. You need to have critical mass downtown in order to support services. Build upon itself. We need to be reminded of how much progress has been made downtown. Over 2 billion in construction projects not including the private sector. There’s a tremendous amount of activity. We need to remind people that it’s here.”

Reflecting on what makes our city so unique, McKee emphasizes that Edmonton is in a really good place. Specifically that the ‘quality of life is amazing and the opportunity for any of us to make a meaningful difference in the community exists.’ Any one of us has the opportunity to leave this place a little bit better. “As Edmonton continues to grow I’m hoping that our children will aspire to get educated here and make a life here. That is one of my desires for every child, that they come here and stay.”

With each new prospective project, Pangman Development starts with ‘unpacking the location’ which inevitably becomes a journey to discovery and a commitment to, ‘building a future to remember for our city.’ Watch for a more altered skyline as Pangman starts on a three phase, almost 1000 unit project. A collaboration with Maclab Development Group, it will be on the corner of Jasper Avenue and 108 Street on the western edge of the new downtown city park.

www.pangmandev.com www.liveaugustana.ca