Meet Heather Lennon of Imagine General Contracting & Development

Today we’d like to introduce you to Heather Lennon. They and their team shared their story with us below:
Carrying on her family’s legacy of entrepreneurship. Preserving the history of Phoenix one historic building at a time.

Owner: Imagine Develops LLC
[Real Estate Development]

Owner: Imagine General Contracting & Development
[Commercial/Residential General Contracting Specializing in Retail & Historic adaptive reuse]

Owner: Raconteuse Cigars
[Elevated Cigar Experiences]

Owner: Warehouse215
[Historic Building/Event Venue]

Owner and CEO Heather Lennon IS Imagine General Contracting and Development, a full-service design/build firm and minority-owned business. She lives and breathes each project with passion, enthusiasm, knowledge, and professionalism. Lennon has more than 25 years of design, construction, and contracting experience, a niche in retail spaces, and a passion for historic building restoration and adaptive reuse. Her oft-heard mantra is “saving the history of Phoenix, one historic building at a time.” Lennon is the qualifying party, holding licenses in Arizona’s commercial and residential fields and a master’s degree focused on retail store design and consumer behavior. She has built an unparalleled portfolio and a team of experts and subcontractors with whom she entrusts to ensure the success of each project.

Lennon’s passion and vast experience in historic restoration have led her to develop a keen eye for adaptive reuse. Whenever possible, Lennon and her team use materials and items that might otherwise be doomed for the scrapyard and some that have already spent years there are given new life, function, and purpose in the caring hands of IGCD. For example, in her building, Warehouse215, Lennon built the tables to be utilized by her Raconteuse Cigar business. She reimaged and fabricated from 30-vear-old America West Arena flooring, upon which the Phoenix Suns championship series was played in the 1990s. Just recently, Warehouse215 hosted the Suns’ 30th-anniversary celebration of the finals against the Bulls, during which the tables were used, bringing this restoration project full circle. This is just one of many significant examples showcasing Lennon’s innate instincts and imaginative use of materials to create something unique and truly memorable for all to enjoy in a new way.

In addition to being a steward of the industry and the community, 1GCD is an LGBTQ+ ally. Lennon also feels strongly about lifting the industry’s leaders of tomorrow. This passion has led her to partner with Mesa Community College to provide an internship program designed for construction management and entrepreneurship students.

You wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been fairly smooth?
Women often need to prove themselves as female entrepreneur in male-dominated industries, from the construction site to the cigar event. The logo of my development and construction business has a unicorn. It is so because it is rare to find women in the industries where I have businesses. That being said, being a Jewish woman has never hindered my success. That is how it is supposed to be and what I want to inspire in others.

As you know, we’re big fans of Imagine General Contracting & Development. What can you tell our readers who might need to be more familiar with the brand?
Lennon’s passion and vast experience in historic restoration have led her to develop a keen eye for adaptive reuse. Whenever possible, Lennon and her team use materials and items that might otherwise be doomed for the scrapyard – and some that have already spent years there are given new life, function, and purpose in the caring hands of IGCD. For example, in her building, Warehouse215, Lennon built the tables to be utilized by her Raconteuse Cigar business. She reimaged and fabricated from 30-year-old America West Arena flooring, upon which the Phoenix Suns championship series was played in the 1990s. Just recently, Warehouse215 hosted the Suns’ 30th-anniversary celebration of the finals against the Bulls, during which the tables were used, bringing this restoration project full circle. This is just one of many significant examples showcasing Lennon’s innate instincts and imaginative use of materials to create something unique and truly memorable for all to enjoy in a new way.

Over its 25 years in business, IGCD has proudly worked on countless projects with many large and small companies to complete redesign and development projects, both high-end residential and commercial. Lennon brings a proven record of competent and reliable subcontractors who take pride in their work to handle every element of project management from conception to keys. Beyond bringing together this team of professionals, she also understands the intricacies involved in job-site management. Lennon creates an efficient and stress-free job site environment for every project, steadily progressing toward completion. She is a good steward of both her clients’ investments and timelines.

Lennon purchased warehouse 215 and surrounding buildings and land in 2022. The historic former linen and laundry business buildings were saved from destruction in the 1990s by Michael Levine of Levine Machine. Lennon’s careful restoration and reimagination garnered the 28,000-square-foot 1918 downtown venue one of only 5 finalists nominated for the 2023 Best Redevelopment Project at the Real Estate Development (RED) Awards, representing the best of the state’s commercial real estate projects. Lennon was honored as one of 18 Women of Impact 2023 by Dress for Success. This organization empowers women to achieve economic independence by providing a network of support, professional attire, and the development tools to help women thrive in work and life.

We all have different ways of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
As an entrepreneur and business owner, I have principles that guide me, one of which is “use your powers for good.” Measurements of success can be seen in how positively impacted people are because of my work. Job creation, saving historic buildings, ensuring that environments are open and affirming, and using private spaces to benefit the public are all indicators of success.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://imaginedevelops.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/raconteusecigars/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heather-lennon-2691a4227/