AN EMPLOYEE-OWNED FIRM

26-Story Hotel/Casino

Ramaker & Associates performed a PCA at a 2.6 million square foot, Class-A hotel casino in Reno, Nevada. The PCA allowed the buyer to secure financing and acquire the property for a proposed redevelopment. The hotel casino was situated on a 140-acre parcel, and also included an RV-Park, aqua-range, and outdoor theatre. The 2,000-room, 26-story building was constructed in the late 1970s, and included a shopping center, fitness center and spa, conference/ballrooms, a laundry facility, 12 commercial kitchens, food warehouses, a casino, several restaurants, bars, a theatre, and a bowling facility.

Ramaker & Associates’ team of engineers and specialists assessed the mechanical, electrical, plumbing, structural and façade, fire protection, life safety, elevator and escalator systems. The review included vertical transportation systems consisting of six escalators, 30 elevators and three stage lifts. The review of HVAC systems included a central steam heating plant, a central chiller plant, and a lake as a free-cooling system.

Ramaker & Associates produced a 5-year capital reserve table to maintain the property as a Class-A hotel, along with a comprehensive report that outlined the condition of property systems and structures. In addition Ramaker & Associates conducted an environmental due diligence review for the buyer.

NEPA & Phase I ESAs

Ramaker & Associates has contracts with several telecommunications companies to conduct environmental site assessments (Phase I ESAs and Phase II ESAs). In addition, our qualified staff conducts National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) reviews throughout the country for these clients. Within the past 5 years, Ramaker & Associates has completed thousands of these assessments and reports, as well as many additional environmental services, including limited liability negotiations.

Multi-Family Properties

Over the past several years, Ramaker & Associates has assisted a variety of lenders in preparing their due diligence by providing PCAs for multi-family properties in the Midwest. During our comprehensive reviews of the properties, Ramaker & Associates performs visual assessments of standard elements as well as general construction and in some cases, elevator systems. The final reports detail investigative findings and provide recommendations/cost estimates for repairs over a 10 to 18 year period.

Standard property elements evaluated include:

• Site Topography, Landscaping, and Drainage
• Property Access, Parking, and Paving
• Structural Frame, Foundation, and Building Envelope
• Building Systems (Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing, HVAC)
• Vertical Transportation Systems
• Life Safety/Fire Protection
• Interior Elements (Common Areas, Tenant Spaces)
• Additional Elements As Requested By Client

For complete real estate transaction packages, Ramaker & Associates has also provided Phase I Environmental Site Assessments, Transaction Screen Environmental Site Assessments, and ALTA Surveys.

RainTree Resort

In 1996, Ramaker & Associates provided Todd Nelson with aquatic design and development services for one of the first indoor waterpark hotels in the country at the Raintree Resort in Wisconsin Dells. As this property has evolved over the years, our clients have returned to us to provide property surveys, perform environmental assessments, complete building inspections, develop property condition reports, and develop expansion master plans. The multi-disciplined staff of Ramaker & Associates has allowed for the timely and efficient completion of these services.

Most recently, Ramaker & Associates was tasked to complete a property condition assessment for this hotel/waterpark resort. The purpose of the assessment was to provide the seller with a comprehensive summary of the building and system conditions, as well as a streamlined report of recent system repairs and inspections. The summary included the age and condition of the resort’s building systems (mechanical, electrical, plumbing, HVAC), documentation of the waterpark system repairs and replacements, documentation of fire safety inspections and repairs, site photographs, and interviews with local officials.

Three Bears Lodge & Conference Center

For the new Three Bears Lodge at Jellystone Park, Ramaker & Associates performed a geotechnical investigation of the proposed hotel site and associated support buildings. Our geologists and geotechnical engineers evaluated subsurface conditions at the boring locations, and determined the engineering characteristics of the insitu soils. Ramaker & Associates made recommendations for site preparation, foundation designs, and fill soils.

Pinnacles of Highland Waters

The Pinnacles of Highland Waters is a 24.4-acre mixed use development. Conservation of trees and other natural features is a top priority in this development. Ramaker & Associates completed a soil suitability/geotechnical engineering investigation, erosion control plan, and grading and storm drainage plan for the project. The geotechnical investigation provided engineering parameters, soil characteristics, foundation design recommendations, and site development recommendations with respect to the proposed building foundation design, stormwater ponds, and associated parking areas.

Goodwill Industries

As Goodwill Industries of South Central Wisconsin prepared to apply for financial assistance through WHEDA and HUD, Ramaker & Associates was tasked to complete Capital Needs Assessments (CNAs) for a portfolio of multifamily residential properties in Madison. Ramaker & Associates evaluated the properties’ current conditions, reviewed the client’s list of proposed improvements, and prepared written reports for each site. The reports included a summary of needed capital improvements and replacements over an 18 year period, immediate repair needs, and spreadsheets with estimated expenditures.

Following completion of the CNA reports, Goodwill retained Ramaker & Associates’ Building Design Team to re-design a community living home to meet all accessibility and ADA requirements. Ramaker & Associates provided Structural Engineering for modifications to entryways and plumbing design for modifications to kitchen and laundry areas.

Frey Construction

Frey Construction contacted Ramaker & Associates regarding a potentially contaminated site that they desired to purchase. They were concerned that purchasing a contaminated site could inflate construction costs and create liability issues that they were not prepared to absorb. Ramaker & Associates’ prepared a Phase I ESA and reviewed pertinent Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources documents for the property, which was a closed leaking underground storage tank site. The reports and guidance from Ramaker & Associates’ environmental professionals gave Frey Construction the environmental background for the property and confidence they needed to move forward with the acquisition.

Upon completion of the real estate transaction, Frey Construction hired Ramaker & Associates to renovate the existing building into a new showroom/sales center for Frey Construction. Ramaker & Associates provided Building Design and Structural Engineering services, including electrical and plumbing design, design for a mezzanine addition, and design for a new exterior façade.