The Abridged version:
- Steve Ayers, a Sacramento developer and philanthropist, died Oct. 21. He was 66.
- A second-generation steelworker, Ayers owned the downtown Elks Tower, was the CEO of Armour Steel and founder of Iron Mechanical, an HVAC and plumbing company.
- From restoring historic landmarks to reinforcing government buildings and proposing new housing, Ayers helped shape Sacramento’s architecture through thousands of projects.
Steve Ayers, a Sacramento developer whose work spanned thousands of projects across the region, died Oct. 21. He was 66.
Ayers built a career helping to shape Sacramento, leaving a mark on the city’s skyline and architecture. He worked on restoring Downtown’s historic Elks Tower and reinforcing state office buildings.
“Steve was passionate about everything he did,” said Gregg Josephson, Ayers’ business attorney for about 12 years. Whether working on the Elks Tower or Iron Mechanical, “he did everything 100%.”
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‘Who you saw was what you got’
Born in Chicago, Ayers moved to Las Vegas at age 2 before eventually building his career in Sacramento.
A second-generation steelworker, Ayers began working as an ironworker at 25. He later became CEO of Armour Steel, founded the mechanical contractor Iron Mechanical and emerged as a prominent figure in Sacramento’s construction and development industries.
In a February interview with Comstock’s magazine, Ayers said he had been involved in more than 2,000 projects throughout his career. At 65, he typically juggled about five projects at a time, which he said kept the work challenging and interesting.
In 2003, Ayers purchased the Elks Tower, a downtown landmark he spent two decades restoring. His company, Armour Steel, is behind the Library and Courts building on Capitol Mall, as well as Wells Fargo Pavilion and the structure for Midtown’s Music Circus.
“He was always an honest guy, who you saw was what you got,” Josephson said. “Steve had an impeccable reputation.”
A love of Sacramento
Peter Dannenfelser, an architect who has known Ayers for 35 years, said Ayers’ love of Sacramento often took precedence over the prospect of more profitable investments. When Ayers purchased the Elks Tower in 2003, Dannenfelser helped assess the challenges of restoring the property, where gold-leafed ceilings and other ornate features had been hidden by a previous owner. The renovation required bringing the historic building up to modern codes while preserving as much of its original character as possible.
Dannenfelser said that just months after buying the property, Ayers received an offer to sell it for twice what he had paid. He turned it down.
“There were probably more lucrative investments to make around town, easier projects to renovate,” Dannenfelser said. “I watched him turn down millions of dollars in profit shortly after he bought the building because he loved the building.”
Ayers encouraged Dannenfelser to open his own architecture office and helped him recognize opportunities he otherwise would’ve missed. From a dedicated client to a great poker player, Ayers was a good friend and ally that will be sorely missed, Dannenfelser said.
‘Never stopped believing in Sacramento’
Josephson described Ayers as one of the hardest-working and selfless people he had ever met. Ayers was driven to do things well and was wildly passionate about every project he worked on, Josephson said. Ayers helped organize the Elks Tower’s 100th anniversary celebration in June, donating items for a charity auction. Josephson said Ayers was extraordinarily charitable, and recalled that Ayers once spent more money repairing a Mini Cooper than the car was worth so it could be auctioned off to raise money.
Ayers’ ambitions extended beyond preserving the city’s past. One of his later visions was American River One, a proposed 825-unit apartment complex on a roughly 3-acre waterfront site near Richards Boulevard and the American River.
“Steve never stopped believing in Sacramento. He invested in downtown when others wouldn’t, and I’ve seen that firsthand every day as a tenant in the Elks Tower, a historic building he brought back to life,” former Sacramento City Councilmember Steve Hansen said. “He gave without seeking credit and pushed all of us to make this city shine.”
Outside of his projects, Ayers contributed to the campaigns of local politicians, spent six years leading the River District’s property-based improvement district and was a philanthropist who preferred to give anonymously. He was particularly committed to supporting Sacramento’s youth, according to a statement from his family.
Josephson said Ayers had recently returned from a cruise with his wife, Penny, and the couple had another trip planned after the new year.
“There were a lot of things to look forward to,” Josephson said. “It was really unexpected.”
Ayers’ faith was important to him, and he and his wife had recently established a foundation to support causes they care about, Josephson said.
Ayers is survived by his wife and daughters Katharine and Kristine. The family plans to hold a private ceremony at a later date and has asked for privacy as they grieve.
