Leveraging expertise in innovative design, adaptive solutioning, and budget discipline for a ground-up auto dealership construction and an owner with limited time, demanding responsibilities, and a fast-moving approach. 

The Redmond Company’s project for Dondelinger Auto Group showcases how expert planning, innovative design, and attentive project management create a dealership that meets current needs and future aspirations. And when your reputation precedes you to the point where an in-person meeting prior to signing a contract is deemed unnecessary, you know there’s a level of trust and respect to be honored.

Redmond’s real estate experts carefully evaluated sites in different cities before selecting a seven-acre location in an industrial park in Cohasset, Minnesota. This picturesque town near Grand Rapids, surrounded by forests and lakes, provides the perfect setting for the new dealership.

Understanding the client’s busy schedule and time constraints, Redmond developed 3D renderings early in the design process. This visual approach facilitates quicker decision-making and streamlines explanations, breaking down complex choices into manageable, time-sensitive categories.

Budget discipline was a priority throughout the project. The team produced multiple design revisions and evaluated various building systems to provide the customer with cost and schedule feedback on building system options. To optimize costs, Redmond executed a split-bid package: the first one included sitework and structural frameworks while the second included remaining building aspects, mechanical, and electrical components.

As a single source design-build delivery model, close collaboration was the key to the project’s success in overcoming obstacles and completing the project ahead of schedule.  When issues arose, Redmond’s design, architectural, project, and construction teams collaborated swiftly to find solutions and keep the project on track. The teams’ proactive approach to construction management led to significant time and cost savings, such as sourcing electrical switch gear from a provider with shorter lead times and promptly addressing tile discrepancies when needed.

The dealership facility boasts unique space-saving features that delight the client. Parts inventory is efficiently stored on the second floor, while transformers are mounted high on walls, freeing up valuable floor space in the service area while remaining accessible.

The Dondelinger project exemplifies Redmond’s commitment to understanding and meeting client needs as well as their in-depth knowledge of manufacturer brand standards. Dondelinger Auto Group’s new state-of-the-art facility will delight its customers and position it for long-term success and growth in an ever-evolving automotive market.

Photography: ISpace