Cascade Vacation Rentals senior staff Rental Manager Tala Marxen, Operations Manager Katterine Payer and Accountant/Office Manager Sarena Nelson took part in the recent ground breaking ceremony for a new company campus being built to offer employee housing and more office space.
Lutsen based Cascade Vacation Rentals is growing again, and with that growth co-owners Mike Larson and Steve Surbaugh have announced plans to construct a new building that will accommodate workforce housing, central supply and laundry for the clients they serve including other building uses. Groundbreaking took place on Monday, September 14.
The new new campus will be built on Norbakken Road just behind the current office, which is located in the former Moondance Coffee House and former Lutsen Lodging Company building on Highway 61 in “Downtown Lutsen.”
“We remodeled the former Moondance Coffee House and consolidated all of our operations under one roof,” said Larson. “The new remodel has eight private offices, conference room, a guest reception and lobby area including staff lunch room and convenient parking lot for all clients served.”
Established in 2004 by Steve and Kate Surbaugh, Cascade Vacation Rentals, LLC is in the vacation home rental business. Steve and Kate purchased the business from its predecessor, Superior Properties, Inc.
In 2014, Cascade Vacation Rentals merged with Lutsen Lodging Company. Today the business has grown from managing approximately 35 homes and cabins to over 140 properties in 2015. In addition, the company has expanded its reach outside of Cook County to Lake and St. Louis counties including properties in Duluth, Two Harbors and north to near the Canadian Border and up the Gunflint Trail.
The partners said by having their operation centralized, it will ensure greater quality control and efficiencies to all clients served.
One problem for many people is finding affordable day-care, and Larson and Surbaugh are exploring the possibility of establishing a 501c3 daycare facility in the new building to help alleviate that need.
Financing partners in this venture include the National Bank of Commerce, Duluth, the Northland Foundation, and private equity contributions from the owners. Surbaugh said the Cook County Housing Task Force, Pat Campanaro and Scott Harrison of Cook County/Grand Marais EDA and Randy Lasky of the Northspan Group also aided them by providing helpful data related to housing.
Surbaugh and Larson have long been in business together, first merging Cascade Property Sales with Lutsen Real Estate Group in 2007. Today, Larson and Surbaugh serve as co-brokers of Lutsen Real Estate Group and have six licensed agents working with both the vacation rental business and real estate.
The addition of a new building will complement office and overall operations within a convenient Lutsen location, Surbaugh said.
The project is scheduled to be completed in late 2015 or early 2016. Larson said that many local contractors would be used to help with the building of the campus.
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