Thomas Announces New Minnesota Real Estate Hall of Fame Inductees

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Six members of the McGough Construction family, the co-founder of Brighton Development and a former Trammell Crow partner are the newest inductees into the Minnesota Real Estate Hall of Fame.

The university’s Real Estate Advisory Board selected the 2024 honorees — Peggy Lucas of Brighton, Kirtland “Kirt” Woodhouse of Trammell Crow, and Charles, Leo, Larry, Greg, Tom and Peter McGough — based on their “transformational contributions to the real estate industry , high ethical standards and commitment to community improvement,” according to a press release.

The honorees will be inducted on November 13 at The Club at Golden Valley, formerly known as Golden Valley Country Club. John Sweeney, improv expert and founder of Brave New Outpost, will deliver the keynote address.

Registration for the ceremony is open by clicking here.

The University of St. Thomas – Opus College of Business presented the following biographies of each new hall of famer. Biographies have been edited for space.

Peggy Lucas

Peggy Lucas’s career in real estate development can be defined by a passion for affordable housing, a strong desire to preserve a neighborhood’s character, and an uncanny vision of hidden potential. Co-founder of Brighton Development Group, Lucas was one of the first to see the potential of vacant lots and abandoned warehouses that could be redeveloped into modern, affordable housing that preserves historic ties like the Mill District and East Hennepin.

Brighton Development is credited with projects that have resulted in the completion of more than 3,000 residential units and 200 development projects, including Lourdes Square, Creamette Historic Lofts in the North Loop, projects in Elliott Park and Cedar Riverside.

Lucas started a trend – the loft warehouse wave – through notable developments like Stone Arch Lofts and Washburn Lofts. His work has been a catalyst for the renaissance of the urban landscape and livability of downtown neighborhoods on both sides of the Mississippi River.

Kirtland ‘Kirt’ Woodhouse

As a regional partner and board member of Trammell Crow, Kirtland “Kirt” Woodhouse has made a lasting impact on Minnesota’s commercial real estate scene, setting the standard for Class A office environments through the trend of large suburban office parks that offer office amenities. high quality. He has developed some of the most well-known and well-positioned properties in the Twin Cities, such as the Carlson Center in Minnetonka, the Colonnade in Golden Valley, the Eagan Woods Office Center and the Normandale Lake Office Park in Bloomington.

Woodhouse oversaw the development of Trammell Crow in Minnesota, Cleveland, Cincinnati and Louisville. In Minnesota, he is credited with driving the development of more than 4.5 million square feet of property through office warehouses, large industrial spaces and several retail shopping centers, including St. Paul’s Midway District. Its dedication to speculative development played a fundamental role in the economic growth of this region.

The McGoughs

In 1956, Peter McGough and his six sons – Larry, Tom Sr., Charles, Leo, Greg and Peter – began building McGough Construction based on three principles: collaboration, integrity and craftsmanship.

This strong foundation has helped McGough excel at complex projects, including facilities on university campuses, technology manufacturing spaces, agro-industrial plants, hospitals and medical centers. McGough’s people-centered approach has allowed the company to grow into a top 150 general contractor in the U.S. and a seven-time TOPS Contractor of the Year award winner.

One of McGough’s first projects was to build a church for the 110-year-old St. John’s Abbey in Collegeville, Minnesota. This iconic structure is emblematic of McGough’s excellence in managing complex projects. Now in its 68th year of business, McGough enjoys a 90% repeat customer ratio and serves numerous Fortune 500 companies such as 3M, Ecolab, RBC, Cargill, Andersen Windows, Thrivent and the Federal Reserve Bank.