TRI-Construction, INC

Community

Building community through construction.

TRI-Construction, INC

Construction

Quality from the inside out.

TRI-Construction, INC

Development

Developing properties, partnerships and people.

TRI-Construction, INC

Community

Building community through construction

TRI-Construction, INC

Construction

Quality from the inside out

TRI-Construction, INC

Development

Developing properties, partnerships and people

Tri-Construction, Inc. & The Jay & Rose Family Foundation of Minnesota NEW HEADQUARTERS

Grand Opening - October 2022

New Building

W. Broadway in north Minneapolis has another neighborhood-changing renovation

On a glorious late October day, dozens gathered atop a rooftop patio on W. Broadway, to celebrate the $7.2 million resurrection and expansion of a long-abandoned building complex along the North Side artery.

The project's developer-contractor, Black-owned Tri-Construction, the Phillips Family Foundation and Urban Homeworks will be among the enterprises located in the spacious retail-office complex at 927 W. Broadway.

"This building has been renewed," Rabbi Marcia Zimmerman of Temple Israel said during the ceremony. "What is
new is the opportunity and the organizations working tirelessly on enterprise and justice."

Bishop Richard Howell of nearby Shiloh Temple International Ministries also offered an invocation.

This project serves business, city and neighborhood aspirations of facilitating more ownership for people of color
along corridors damaged in the 2020 riots following the police killing of George Floyd.

"The 927 Building is more than a redevelopment project," said Calvin Littlejohn, chief executive and co-founder of
Tri, who started as a laborer at Mortenson Construction. "It's a model of the kind of transformative investment that
empowers local business and local communities."

Littlejohn pointed to several nearby developments, including a remodeled Cub store in a bustling shopping center, a
housing development by Tim Baylor and partners, the expanding Juxtaposition Arts and Capri Theater. There is
$150 million in construction completed, underway or planned in the Broadway corridor.

It's evolving from a "drive-thru to a destination neighborhood," Littlejohn said.

"North Side is no different than Uptown or any other neighborhood. Communities are only as strong as the business
sector," he said. "We're not getting pushed out by gentrification. We are part of the North Side leadership. I live
here. I worship here. And I'm growing a business here."

The 927 project was more than a decade in the making.

The city, to settle a lawsuit with a former absentee owner of the 130-year-old structure, paid $400,000 to acquire it
in 2010. Several renovation plans fell through before partners Tri and the Jay & Rose Phillips Family Foundation
approached the city with a long-term solution.

Because construction costs are no less in lower-income neighborhoods that also command lower market values and
rents, traditional lenders and investors are wary. Yet local entrepreneurs often lack the equity to drive deals.

The Phillips Foundation ended up making a $3.5 million equity investment. Tri is making a $500,000-plus
investment, including its developer fee for the project. There are several loans, including $2 million from Sunrise
Banks and $800,000 from the Minneapolis Community Property Development Fund, established for such tough
projects. U.S. Bank, the Minneapolis Foundation, a business-led corridor-rebuild fund and the Metropolitan Council
added more than $1 million in loans and grants, according to a financial statement.

Tri-Construction, which was founded in 2001 and employs 54 people, is now minority shareholder of the complex.
Tri's owners plan to acquire the Phillips Foundation's equity within 10 years from rents and the company's
construction profits.

Littlejohn said it was challenging to integrate a dilapidated building with a new addition to create a 19,000-squarefoot
functional beauty.

"It would have been cheaper just to tear down the old building," Littlejohn said. "The roof leaked, the floors were
bad. It was uninhabitable — but beautiful. The structure was good. We decided to enhance what we had. We
repaired the interior, including floor joists and floors.''

The foundation sparked the redevelopment plan when it decided to relocate its offices to north Minneapolis. Since
2016, the Phillips Foundation has focused on assisting North Side Minneapolis Public Schools students and
investing in "a thriving local economic ecosystem that creates wealth for Black, Indigenous and communities of
color in north Minneapolis," according to the foundation.

"We are excited to be part of the revitalization of one of the most vibrant communities in Minnesota,'' said Joel
Luedtke, program director at Phillips Foundation.

Luedtke noted the increased level of W. Broadway investment and overcoming the perception and reality of years of
disinvestment and crime.

"We're going to lean more into community safety with our neighbors," Luedtke said. "We're aware of the challenges.

"There are many good neighbors and change agents, and we want to make it a more-appealing neighborhood for
North Siders and visitors. It's also important that North Siders own as much of the commercial-residential assets as
possible."

The Phillips Foundation, which donates about $3 million annually, has an endowment of $55 million. It contracts
with the larger Minneapolis Foundation for administrative services.

The foundation's board is chaired by U.S. Rep. Dean Phillips, grandson of Jay and Rose Phillips, whose parents were
Russian-Jewish immigrants and North Side entrepreneurs.

Mpls Star & Tribune

Neal St. Anthony

11.15.22

Focused on Developing Properties and Partnerships

Tri-Construction, Inc. is a minority-owned, union company that has been offering general contracting services since 2001.

Located in the heart of North Minneapolis Tri-Construction has a deeply rooted sense of community and is very passionate about the people who live and work in the area.

Learn the history behind TRI-Construction through the lens of the owners.

Our Contracting Services

TRI-Construction provides a wide variety of construction services throughout Minneapolis, St. Paul and the surrounding communities. Our services include:

Our Story and Our Mission

Tri-Construction was formed in 2001 when Calvin Littlejohn and Lester Royal packed their tools and equipment, threw it in the back of their silver pickup truck, and started their own company.

As a minority-owned and operated firm, our mission is to promote a sense of community and development through our construction projects. We strive to achieve this goal as we recognize the importance and value of small businesses, people of color, women, and targeted community members in the industry.

TRI-Construction, INC

Our Mission

We build community and create opportunity through construction.

Our Vision

A leading full-serveice construction company, enhancing the face and culture of the construction-industry.

Our Values

Our team members at Tri-Construction, Inc. are committed to the community and the people in Minneapolis. In line with our core values that promote Collaboration, Integrity, Proactivity, Community and Quality, Tri will continue to develop long-term relationships to cultivate community development, provide employment, and offer resources to the people around us.

Schedule a Consultation Now

If you are interested in our general contracting or construction management services, reach out to us today. Our dedicated staff will be more than happy to serve you.