BY JOSH HECK
Apartment developer Jason Van Sickle has started a design-build company called Dignitas.
It’s Van Sickle’s third business entity along with his development company, J Van Sickle & Co., and property management business, Multifamily Hospitality. All three companies operate from 151 N. Rock Island. Van Sickle has taken over an adjacent space to handle the increased capacity of the three business entities.
He says Dignitas will handle the construction and design of apartment projects developed under J Van Sickle. The new business employs six people, including Jeff Van Sickle, Jason’s dad and former CEO of GLMV Architecture.
“What I get from him is years of business leadership experience,” Jason Van Sickle says. “He has a great breadth of knowledge.”
The elder Van Sickle also is a business partner and mentor to his son.
Adding to the family business aspect, Jason Van Sickle’s daughter is involved with the property management operations.
“It has become a true family business at this point,” Jason Van Sickle says.
He says work on as many as six projects could start this year under the Dignitas name including another expansion of the Flats 324 at 324 N. Emporia, and apartment projects in east Wichita, Newton and Wellington.
“It’s just the continuation of a long process,” Van Sickle says.
He spent the past year and a half developing and growing the property management arm. That entity employs four people, though some are serving in dual role with the addition of Dignities. Projects designed and constructed under that name then will be managed under Multifamily Hospitality.
With Multifamily Hospitality up and running, Van Sickle then shifted his focus toward the launch of the design-build company.
All of this is part of an effort to bring various apartment-related services in house.
“I am really trying to build a national apartment brand,” Van Sickle says.