Lakeville Logistics

Project Goal

When Likewise Partners set out to develop an industrial campus, they needed a partner who could grasp their vision, hold their budget, and keep the project moving no matter what came up

Completed in the summer of 2025, Lakeville 35 Logistics is open and leasing fast. Pickle-in-the-Middle has already signed on as the east-end anchor, and a second building is now being developed and built by our team. What started as a concept is fast becoming a campus and a community destination.

Delivering on budget

Every project has a moment where the numbers and the vision have to meet

For Lakeville Logistics, that moment came early, and it set the tone for everything that followed. Before a single shovel hit the ground, the team worked through an intensive value engineering process alongside Likewise Partners and the design team. The goal wasn't to cut corners. It was to find every dollar of efficiency without losing an inch of design intent. Once that line was drawn, Gardner held it. The budget established in those early conversations was the budget delivered at completion.

When Dakota County required significant access improvements to County Road 70, the team absorbed it without missing a beat. Both efforts ran simultaneously, and the road improvements were delivered on time and on budget. For Likewise Partners, that meant no surprises. Just results.

Beating the clock

The summer of 2025 brought nearly twice the normal rainfall, but what could have been a schedule-killer became a challenge the team was eager to solve

Rather than waiting for conditions to improve, the team got ahead of the water. A detailed hydrogeological analysis guided the placement of well points to intercept groundwater before it could slow the work. Where excavations went deeper, high-capacity sump pumps kept trenches stable and workers safe. Earthwork and utilities stayed on track, and Likewise Partners had a building ready ahead of schedule, exactly when they needed it.

Managing the unexpected

Surprises are part of construction, and how they are handled is what separates a good partner from one that adds exponential value

During construction, the team uncovered several hundred cubic yards of buried debris nobody knew was there. They removed it entirely, remediating the site and eliminating a long-term liability for the owner. The native soils presented their own challenge. The team excavated the problematic material and replaced it with engineered fill, giving the building a foundation that will perform for decades. For Likewise Partners, these weren't just construction problems. They were risks quietly removed from their investment before they had a chance to grow.

Raising the bar for safety

The team installed a scaffold tower, giving every trade a safe, stable way to move people and materials to the roof throughout construction

While it costs Gardner a little more, it's the right thing to do. For the tradespeople working at Lakeville 35, it meant going home at the end of the day. That's a standard Gardner intends to keep, and we hope it becomes industry standard.

Falls are the leading cause of death in construction, and ladder falls alone make up nearly a third of those deaths every year. The industry standard for roof access on a 40-foot building is an extension ladder. Gardner didn't accept that.

Built for the community

A great building does earns its place in the neighborhood

Likewise Partners had that in mind from the start. The first two tenants aren't warehouses or logistics firms. They're places where Lakeville residents will spend their weekends: Pickle-in-the-Middle, and Lakeville Soccer Club bringing youth and community programming to the campus. Together, they make it a place people want to be.