Heather Lennon sitting on a table made of the Phoenix Suns court from the 1990s)
As an entrepreneur, niche general contractor and real estate developer, I have spent my 27-year career applying adaptive reuse not just as a design philosophy, but as an economic and cultural catalyst. Simply owning an old or historic building does not preserve it — its survival depends on meaningful reintegration into the community in ways that resonate with the community’s needs while honoring its past.
Adaptive reuse transforms underutilized, neglected or historic structures into dynamic, revenue-generating assets that create jobs, economic growth and neighborhood revitalization. These projects do more than restore buildings; they reignite activity, eliminate blight and encourage further investment, setting the stage for broader urban renewal. More than a construction and development strategy, adaptive reuse is a commitment to preservation through progress—ensuring that yesterday’s structures serve today’s purposes while safeguarding their architectural and cultural significance.
A historic building holds stories within its walls and will speak to you if you know how to listen, offering insights into the past that shape our understanding of the present and inform our vision for the future. The process of restoring these structures is never straightforward. Every project is an exercise in discovery — a mix of hidden challenges and unexpected finds. Our scope evolves as we contend with murals behind walls, sinkholes, engineering challenges, unforeseen structural hurdles, failed infrastructure, zoning requirements, historical building constraints and so on.
I’ve worked on spaces that once housed produce warehouses, textile mills, funeral homes, churches, schools and manufacturing plants, to name just a few — each with a distinct narrative shaped by the work done and the people who labored there. Rather than stripping these places of their identity, we strive to reclaim materials and preserve original details, weaving the past into the future through thoughtful design. By repurposing architectural elements — be it aged wood, steel beams or industrial fixtures — we create authentic spaces connected to their history.
Every adaptive reuse project expresses itself in meaningful ways and offers a glimpse of the history of Phoenix and its people, as the examples on this page attest.
My passion and success in revitalizing Phoenix’s historic buildings demonstrates that historical preservation and economic viability are not mutually exclusive but inexorably linked. As a resident of Phoenix, a neighbor, a parent, a minority business owner, I want our community to be a locally focused, culturally vibrant community. Through adaptive reuse, I will continue to create jobs whilst saving the history of Phoenix one old building at a time.
Heather Lennon is a real estate developer with multiple businesses under her management, including Imagine General Contracting & Development, a full-service design/build firm and minority-owned business. With more than 25 years of design, construction and contracting experience, along with a niche in retail spaces and a passion for historic building restoration and adaptive reuse, Lennon is the qualifying party of Imagine General Contracting and Development.
Lennon also serves as co-managing member of Arizona Warehouse Holdings, a real estate development firm in partnership with Gold Hat Realty LLC (formerly Atkins and Breskin LLC), a New York City-based real estate development company, and managing member of Imagine Develops, LLC, a Phoenix-based real estate development firm that has purchased multiple properties in the Phoenix Warehouse District. Lennon’s personal passion for cigar smoking also led to her development Raconteuse Cigars LLC, a boutique cigar retailer that specializes in elevated cigar experiences.
[Editor’s note: BOH Building in Downtown Phoenix and the Merryman Funeral Home in the Roosevelt Row Arts District are two of Heather Lennon’s adaptive reuse projects.]
