About Us

Our Mission
To develop affordable housing solutions in partnership with communities across the country and contribute to opportunities for continued economic growth, development
Our Goal
To meet the next generation of multifamily housing needs, while developing and managing a sustainable portfolio that will generate attractive social, economic and financial returns for our stakeholders and investors.
Our Approach
“Graze with the sheep or hunt with the wolf.” Our approach is simple – avoid herd mentality and focus on inelasticity of demand. Inelasticity of demand in the multifamily market ensures long-term asset viability despite changing economic cycles. Through in-house analytics that include geographic information systems, proprietary financial models and statistical analysis, we can identify opportunities that others may miss. Finally, controlling the development process through vertical integration allows our team to identify and mitigate risk to ensure a successful project.




Our Team
Prairie Fire’s team members are from a variety of backgrounds, including economics, architecture, urban planning, higher education, accounting, construction and active duty military. This diverse expertise lends well to achieving our goal to be “best-in’class” when it come to real estate development, particularly in the affordable housing arena.

Kelley Hrabe
Owner
Kelley has over 25 years of experience in real estate development, construction and urban planning related projects, with roles including developer, consultant and equity partner. His knowledge of real estate financing, insight into economic development and focus on residential and commercial development, provides a strong foundation to the Prairie Fire team.
As a Master Level Urban Planner with a concentrated effort in housing and real estate, he has focused his career on the creation of affordable and market-rate housing.

Rudy Manes
Owner
Rudy has more than 25 years of experience in construction, including renovations, new construction and interior remodels. Most of his career has been spent providing specialized turn-key construction services for clients requiring a high-caliber, finished product.
His industry expertise makes him an expert in project financing and bonding. Rudy’s input in the design phase of our projects ensures that the quality of each property surpasses standards typically held for affordable housing.

Jared Nook
Owner's Representative
Jared has a unique background in both accounting and the architecture profession. After graduating with degrees in accounting, he began his career as an auditor for a global accounting firm and then as a corporate accountant at a large AEC firm.
Following his passion for design, he returned to school to get his Masters in Architecture and soon after worked for a national AIA award-winning firm.
Jared’s perspective from both fields aid in his understanding of the larger development picture.

McLane Buesking
Office Administrator/Accountant
McLane graduated in 2016 with a degree in accounting and quickly moved into the industry as a staff accountant for a regional accounting and auditing firm, before securing a role with a large regional restaurant corporation.
She joined Prairie Fire in December 2018 and manages the books, project budgets, subcontracts and purchase orders. She also works closely with our third-party technical accounting group to coordinate month-end close-outs, financial reports and tax returns.

Suzanne Reese
Director of Community Relations
Suzanne joined Prairie Fire in June 2019 after a combined 13 years in the nonprofit and higher education fields. Her background in program development, student success and community engagement make her a valuable member to the team.
She strives for Prairie Fire to not only provide high quality, affordable housing, but also to increasingly develop community partnerships and permanent supportive housing, where residents will feel supported, be able to build on their strengths, and ultimately thrive in their communities.

Robert Welch
Superintendent

Brian Dewald
Superintendent
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Michael Pursell
Superintendent
Michael has been in the construction industry for over 50 years, beginning as an apprentice and from there quickly moving through the ranks to superintendent. As a superintendent for the past 30 years, he is skilled at taking projects from the permitting stage to completion and turn key. Michael has supervised projects ranging from 1. 5 to over 30 million in budget, to include quick stores, restaurants, schools and multi-family dwellings.
Michael prides himself on staying on or ahead of schedule, project safety, and clear and consistent communication at all stages of the construction process.
NEWS
Prairie Fire begins construction on Vistas Workforce Housing in York, Nebraska!
Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University releases the 2018 State of the Nation's Housing Report
Prairie Fire profiled in Multifamily Housing News June 2018
CP Lofts wins KC Business Journal 2018 Capstone Award for Multifamily
CP Lofts Nominated for KC Cornerstone award, March 2017
Creativity in Affordable Housing, Spring 2016
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Prairie Fire recently selected by Iowa Finance Agency to build two workforce housing projects in Iowa - Harlan and Red Oak.
Prairie Fire to develop mixed-income workforce housing in Ottawa, Kansas using Housing Tax Credits, Housing Trust Fund and Moderate Income Housing Funds!
Rural Housing Improvement Districts in Kansas (RHID)
As the cost of construction and development continues to increase, the goal to provide quality, affordable housing becomes evermore challenging. Fortunately, the Rural Housing Improvement District program helps underwrite public improvements for affordable housing in...
read moreCONTACT
770 East 5th Street
Kansas City, MO 64106
816.686.2416
info@prairiefiredg.com