Interview: Brent Kluver, partner and vice president of project development, Ironmark Building Co.

As a business and a builder, Ironmark Building Co. has strong ties to Minneapolis’ Uptown neighborhood. The company, which specializes in urban infill work and other project types, is based at 1710 W. Lake St. in the heart of an Uptown neighborhood that has seen its share of turmoil in recent months. Violent crime and civil unrest have prompted some Uptown businesses to pull up their stakes in the neighborhood. Likewise, citing concerns about public safety and regulatory requirements in Minneapolis, some contractors are looking elsewhere for work. For its part, however, Ironmark has no plans to relocate. “Lake Street still has a lot of work to do to get back to where it was,” says Brent Kluver, Ironmark partner and vice president of project development. “And we’re looking at some options to help with that effort, too. So this is our home and we don’t plan on really going anywhere for quite some time.” In the following interview, Kluver talks with Reporter Brian Johnson about running a construction business in Uptown amid the unrest. He also takes a deep dive into the pandemic’s impact on his business, the outlook for the Twin Cities construction market and more.