Dan is the Superintendent for Aster Gardens, an Optima Living community built by Pagnotta Construction. Linda Portsmouth, Our Community Leasing Coordinator, sat down with him for a short interview, so our future residents could get to know who is getting their new home built!
Tell us about yourself!
I was born at the Misericordia here in Edmonton. I lived my childhood in Bonnie Doon and then moved to and grew up in Gibbons, Alberta. I went to Gibbons Elementary and then Sturgeon Composite High School. Sturgeon Composite has a lot of vocational opportunities, and I tried welding and automotive but I liked the Shop/Carpentry class and did all three years of it. After school, I did a few jobs until I got back into carpentry where I had some experience. I built mobile homes and camp trailers where I got to do all different types of trades work. Then I moved into framing and moved up to a foreman building houses for 3 or 4 years. After that, I got into commercial construction and spent some years learning and building the new Remand Centre, which was a huge project. It’s been some years since then and I am proud to have been at Pagnotta for 5 years now!
What is your role at the Aster Gardens site?
As a superintendent, I supervise all facets of the construction of the building. I build and maintain the schedules, coordinate with all the trades, and facilitate the work on site.
What do you feel is unique about this project?
This is a very unique project to me. We have an ownership group, so I’m very interested in making every detail in this building the best product for the end user and the staff who will work here. It is motivating to get to know the vision and the purpose of the group who set out to make this building a reality.
How long have you been involved with Aster Gardens?
I got involved in this project in the planning stage in January 2019. I have been lucky to get to start this job from the ground up. I call Day One March 7th. That was when we started digging the foundation out.
If you could choose one suite in our community, which one would it be and why?
If I got to live in a suite here I think I would pick 501. It is the highest floor with balconies. I could oversee what was going on on the rooftop patio from that balcony. It is so close to the stairs and elevator; it is one floor down to the pub and one floor up to the 6th floor lounge where a pool table and TVs for sports and such will be.
Have you worked on seniors’ living communities before?
This would be my third seniors home I’ve worked on. Around 2011, I worked on the Silver Birch seniors residence in Sherwood Park on Sherwood Drive. In 2018, I worked at Emerald Hills Seniors Residence for eight months: right before I started this one!
Optima Living would like to extend our gratitude to Dan and his entire team for the excellent work they are doing on Aster Gardens, particularly in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The safety ethic Pagnotta works with every day will align with the culture of Aster Gardens long after construction is completed.
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