Keener Group Recognized Among 2025 Best Places to Work Multifamily®
HOUSTON, February 12, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Keener Group, a full-service, multifamily service company, was named as one of the Best Places to Work Multifamily® for 2025. The annual list of "Best Places to Work Multifamily®" is published by Multifamily Leadership and announced at their Multifamily Leadership Innovation Summit each year. Keener has now been recognized for six consecutive years for continuing to lead the multifamily industry in fostering a culture where employees can thrive.
The Multifamily® Best Places to Work program acknowledges companies that have consistently prioritized their employees, creating an exceptional workplace culture that contributes to the business's success. Through a meticulous assessment process, the program evaluates employee policies, procedures, and feedback from the company's workforce. This initiative is part of a broader, enduring effort to promote growth and excellence within the Multifamily Apartment Industry, aiming to attract fresh leadership talent to the field.
"We are honored to be recognized by Best Places to Work Multifamily® for our sixth consecutive year," said Jerry Smith, Keener's Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer. "Being recognized as one of the best places to work in the multifamily industry is a testament to our commitment to fostering a culture of respect, growth, and collaboration."
Full press release by Multifamily®
About Keener Management
Keener Management is a Houston-based multifamily property management firm specializing in high-quality management for garden-style and mid-rise communities. Known for its boutique approach, in-house accounting services, and advanced technology platforms, Keener Management delivers a superior tenant experience through exceptional service and dedicated support. With over 120 employees, the company has been recognized as one of the Best Places to Work Multifamily® for six consecutive years, demonstrating its commitment to teamwork and long-term relationships. For more information, please visit www.keenermanage.com.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250212959405/en/
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Evelyn Tijerinaetijerina@keenergroup.com 713-893-8465
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Yahoo
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Jesús Sánchez trade grades Houston Astros receive OF Jesús Sánchez; Miami Marlins receive RHP Ryan Gusto, INF Chase Jaworsky, OF Esmil Valencia Astros grade: B+ The AL West leaders needed outfield help and find it in the 27-year-old, already a veteran of six seasons. Sánchez presumably will step into the strong side of a left field platoon in Houston, which had been giving regular outfield starts to Taylor Trammell. Doesn't look like a huge move now, but can't you picture Sánchez lacing an RBI double at Daikin Park in October? Marlins grade: B Good move from a fiscal perspective with the outfielder making $4.5 million and scheduled for an annual raise through 2027. Phil Maton trade grades Texas Rangers receive RHP Phil Maton; St. Louis Cardinals receive LHP Mason Molina, RHP Skylar Hales, international slot money. Rangers grade: B+ Texas bolsters its bullpen with the veteran right-hander who has enjoyed a fine 2025 season as a high-leverage arm in St. Louis. 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David Bednar trade grades Yankees receive RHP David Bednar; Pittsburgh Pirates receive C/1B Rafael Flores, C/1B Edgleen Perez, OF Brian Sanchez. Yankees grade: A The Bombers bolster their bullpen for the stretch run and beyond, landing the two-time All-Star reliever who will be under team control through 2026. The 30-year-old's addition is huge considering Devin Williams and Luke Weaver are free agents at the end of the season. Pirates grade: C+ Holding one of the last relievers remaining on the market in the hours leading up to the deadline, you might have expected the Pirates to get more in this deal for a controllable All-Star. Flores ranks as the Yankees' No. 8 prospect according to but he's already 24 years old and has struggled since his promotion to Class AAA (.677 OPS in 10 games). Perez is 19 years old and has had a tough season in Class A (.209 average in 301 AB) but scouts hope his bat will catch up with his glove behind the plate. Harrison Bader trade grades Philadelphia Phillies receive OF Harrison Bader; Minnesota Twins receive OF Hendry Mendez, RHP Geremy Villoria. Phillies grade: A- Philadelphia gives up basically nothing to get one of the game's better defensive center fielders, who should provide some pop for an outfield that desperately needs some. Bader has an .809 OPS in 31 career postseason games. Twins grade: B+ Might as well get a couple of projects in exhange for a rental outfielder. The 21-year-old Mendez ranked as the Phillies' 12th-best prospect and has an .808 OPS in 85 Class AA games this season. Signed as an international free agent this past winter, Villoria is just 16 years and old and recently made his pro debut with 19 strikeouts through five starts. Kyle Finnegan trade grades Detroit Tigers receive Kyle Finnegan; Washington Nationals receive RHP Josh Randall, RHP R.J. 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Bieber, the 2020 Cy Young winner, still hasn't pitched in the majors since undergoing Tommy John surgery early in 2023 and hit some speedbumps in his rehab but the Blue Jays get a high-upside starter who is under team control through next year. Bieber has a $16 million team option (with a $4 million buyout) for 2026, which could end up looking like a steal. Guardians grade: B+ Bieber gets traded before making his Cleveland return, a huge bummer for fans 30-year-old right-hander who was drafted by the organization in 2016. A second-round pick last year, Stephen was considered one of the Blue Jays' top five prospects and is 9-1 with a 2.06 ERA in 91 ⅔ innings across three levels this season, currently in Class AA. Unfortunate that the Guardians had to let him go, but a nice return in the one-for-one swap. Paul Sewald trade grades Detroit Tigers receive RHP Paul Sewald; Cleveland Guardians receive player to be named later. Tigers grade: B+ Sewald is injured and expected to return in September, so this is a move the Tigers are making for October. The 35-year-old had a 4.70 ERA in 18 games this season, but his underlying numbers look better than that with a 4.07 FIP, 1.174 WHIP and 4.5 strikeouts per walk. Guardians grade: B PTBNL for an injured reliever? Why not. Eugenio Suárez trade grades Seattle Mariners receive 3B Eugenio Suarez; Arizona Diamondbacks receive 1B Tyler Locklear, RHP Juan Burgos and RHP Hunter Cranton. Mariners grade: B+ They got the top hitter available and it's telling that the Mariners liked Suárez enough to bring him back after less than two years apart – despite his struggles in Seattle. That puts a ton of pressure on the slugger who is a free agent after the season. Mariners third basemen have totaled just five home runs and 35 RBIs this season, bottom-five in the majors in both categories, so it's a move they had to make. Diamondbacks grade: B+ Pretty good return, plucking three of Seattle's top 20 prospects in Locklear (No. 9), Cranton (16) and Burgos (17). Locklear, 24, will likely find himself getting a run-out in Arizona's lineup sooner rather than later. The first baseman made his big-league debut last season and has nothing left to prove in the minors (.316/.401/.552, 19 HR, 82 RBis in Class AAA). Jhoan Duran trade grades Philadelphia Phillies receive RHP Jhoan Duran; Minnesota Twins receive C Eduardo Tait, RHP Mick Abel Phillies grade: A Dave Dombrowski seized on his opportunity to get 2½ years of one of the best relievers in baseball in exchange for just a pair of prospects. It's a huge addition for the Phillies, with Duran presumably assuming the ninth-inning role and taking a ton of pressure off the club's other high-leverage guys. Philadelphia has the 27-year-old flamethrower under team control through 2027. Twins grade: C- It's hard to believe that this is the best return the Twins could have gotten for the most desirable reliever on the market. That said, Tait is only 18 years old and rising fast on prospect boards, while Abel is a good candidate for a post-hype bounce back. Ke'Bryan Hayes trade grades Cincinnati Reds receive 3B Ke'Bryan Hayes; Pittsburgh Pirates receive LHP Taylor Rogers, SS Sammy Stafura Reds grade: C+ Surprising move for Cincinnati, which is buying fairly low on Hayes, who remains one of the best defensive third basemen in the game. Maybe Hayes will benefit from a move to Great American Ball Park, one of MLB's most hitter-friendly parks? It's certainly a lower-risk move for the Reds taking on the remainder of Hayes' salary – $30 million from 2026-2029 plus a $6 million buyout for 2030 – but third base isn't usually a position that you're willing to sacrifice offense at. 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The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: MLB trade deadline grades: Tracker and analysis for biggest moves


Chicago Tribune
2 hours ago
- Chicago Tribune
Construction begins on first residential lots at controversial Crown development in Sugar Grove
Construction has officially started at The Grove, a mixed-use development planned on 760 acres at Interstate 88 and Route 47 that was annexed into the village of Sugar Grove last year. Work is beginning on just one portion of the development area, set to be the community's first residential neighborhood, according to a news release Thursday from Sugar Grove LLC, an entity of Naperville-based Crown Community Development. That area, located along Merrill Road, will offer single-family homes on 214 lots, which Crown expects to deliver to home builders in 2026. Oswego-based J&S Construction was awarded the site contract for the project, according to Thursday's news release. The Grove has been a long time coming, said Crown's Managing Director Jennifer Cowan on Friday. She said that Crown has owned the property for many years, and that 'a lot of work has gone into positioning the property for development.' Last September, the Sugar Grove Village Board approved the development project and agreed to annex the property into the village and give its developer financial incentives via a tax increment financing district, according to past reporting. The project will sit on what is currently mostly farmland surrounding the Interstate 88 and Route 47 interchange. It's set to include neighborhoods, mixed-use commercial and residential areas, a walkable town center and a business park area. The project faced public opposition, however, both before and after the village gave it the green light. In April, a non-binding referendum question was passed by voters asking the village to reverse its decision on the project. In the same election, former village president Jennifer Konen and an incumbent village trustee — both of whom voted in favor of the Crown project — were voted out. Still underway is a lawsuit against Sugar Grove by Kaneland School District 302, which is challenging the tax increment financing district planned for the development project. A TIF district is a form of economic development incentive, in which the value of a property is essentially frozen, with the extra or 'increment' taxes created by developing the property then going into a special fund used to pay for costs related to improving the area. Kaneland was previously in negotiations with Sugar Grove to create an intergovernmental agreement about the TIF district, according to past reporting. But, not satisfied with those terms, the district floated the possibility of taking legal action against the village in February. The Kaneland lawsuit was filed on June 13 with the Kane County Circuit Court, according to case information on the county circuit clerk's website. The district is arguing that the TIF district will mean the school district will lose out on incremental property taxes levied against the area for a period of 23 years, and that there is controversy over whether the area should qualify for tax increment financing in the first place, according to past reporting. Per the lawsuit, the school district is asking the village to dissolve the TIF district. Sugar Grove Village President Sue Stillwell declined to comment on Friday about the lawsuit. Kaneland Superintendent Kurt Rohlwing said on Friday that the district right now is waiting on an initial hearing, which will likely not be until September. 'We want to make sure that we have a fair deal for the financial arrangements that impact all of our communities,' Rohlwing told The Beacon-News. But, despite the opposition and legal action surrounding the TIF district for the development, the Crown project has continued to move forward in recent months. In late April, the village OK'd a final plat of subdivision, essentially a map dividing up a piece of land into smaller lots, for one portion of the development — the part that just began construction, Cowan said. The latest approval Crown secured was a mass grading permit, which is required by its annexation agreement with Sugar Grove, according to Stillwell. Mass grading is essentially preparing the land at a site for construction. The developer is going to be grading nearly 80 acres of the project area, Cowan said, which could take six to eight weeks. From there, the developer will install sanitary sewers, water mains and storm sewers underground, and pave and finish streets by the end of this year or the spring of 2026. Getting the mass grading permit allows Crown to start construction while its engineering plans are still being reviewed, Cowan explained. She noted that significant rain during the fall could impede the process, so the goal is to have the grading done before then. Crown will have to go through the engineering review process and plat approval process for each portion of the project it brings forward to the village, Cowan said. This first development area is expected to offer single-family homes with two- or three-car garages, according to Thursday's news release. Crown is a land developer, meaning it won't be building the homes that will sit on this development area. But Cowan said she anticipates there could be homes built in this area before the end of 2026. The Crown project as a whole is set to have as many as 1,500 residences, according to The Grove's website, and at least 200 acres of open space, including parks and trails. As for the other components, Cowan said that the industrial portion of the land is already under contract for a data center, which could be built in the next three to four years. For Crown's part, she estimated that its build-out of all the parcels in the project's development area could be finished in about 10 years, not necessarily including the construction of the homes or other buildings that will then be built on top of them. But, for now, Cowan expressed optimism about the project as a whole and the progress being made on this first residential piece of the project. 'I'm really excited to be able to deliver some additional housing supply to this market,' Cowan said. 'It is a supply-constrained market. … Housing supply is definitely a need here in Chicago, in the Chicago metro area.'