HardHatChat

MAY 31, 2012

Don't forget to vet your general contractor's background and experience when reviewing bids. This quartet from Englewood Construction has almost 100 years of combined commercial construction experience among them -- (l to r) Chuck Taylor, Bill Di Santo, Kim Redmond and Rod Frank. Playing fair starts at the top.

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Commercial Union Chicago Bidding 245

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JULY 11, 2013

Englewood recently began work on Season’s 52 in Chicago. Construction season is upon us, and you know what that means…rising commercial construction costs. The summer always brings more commercial construction activity, more bids, and, as a result, higher pricing. Don’t skimp on architects. Design Build Firms.

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Commercial Construction Bidding Chicago 276

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DECEMBER 22, 2011

As 2011 comes to a close, it’s time for us to look back on the commercial construction building trends , news and projects of this past year and share our thoughts on the highs and lows in the industry. In fact, our commercial construction budget work was back to 2008 levels. And some firms had 11 GCs bid on jobs. I was wrong.

Commercial 207

Commercial Union Retail Construction 207

HardHatChat

MARCH 28, 2017

Flagship retail stores in busy urban shopping districts, such as this Zara location Englewood built out on Chicago’s Michigan Avenue, present their own unique set of construction considerations. Some great examples of this are the variety of restaurant and retail build-outs we’ve completed up and down Chicago’s Michigan Avenue.

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Retail Construction Chicago Commercial 156

HardHatChat

JUNE 21, 2012

Observations and Conversations about Commercial Construction, Development and Management. What are Today’s Best New Retail Developments? I get asked a lot about commercial construction trends. Recently someone asked me: “What is the best retail center to build today?”. Restaurant. Shopping Center. Hospitality.

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Retail Commercial Chicago Leases 216

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DECEMBER 20, 2016

With December here, it’s time for our annual post reviewing some of the positives – as well as a few of the challenges – that shaped the commercial construction business in the past year. Here’s a look at our top 2016 commercial construction “highs” and “lows”: Low: Mall Retail Tenants Choose Local over National.

Commercial 156

Commercial Retail Construction Chicago 156

HardHatChat

SEPTEMBER 30, 2009

There’s no doubt that local businesses will have much to celebrate if on October 2, 2009, Chicago wins the 2016 Summer Olympics bid. But just how would Chicago hosting the Olympics affect the city’s restaurant and retail construction activity ? Retail and restaurant construction would most likely start in 2015.

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Chicago Retail Bidding Permits 120

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AUGUST 11, 2010

It’s time to revisit another prediction I made last year in my blog post Commercial Constructions Trends to Watch in 2010 — Outside the Big Box. As for grading myself on that commercial construction trend, I would like to borrow a page from President Obama and say “incomplete.”. Chicago Place shopping mall retrofit.

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Retail Chicago Commercial Michigan 209

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MAY 4, 2010

At the end of 2009, I wrote a blog post called “Commercial Construction Trends to Watch in 2010.” With four months under our belt, I think the time is right to revisit one of the trends I mentioned called “Back on Track” and its relevance to the retail construction industry. Think I’ll give myself a “B” on that one.

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Retail Commercial Construction Remodeling 159

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MAY 18, 2011

While I think everyone in the retail industry likes to hear news that 2011 retail sales are up – as it usually means new retail construction projects are in the pipeline – it’s still tough for shopping center landlords to make deals work with retail tenants. This is most popular with big retail leases in 2011.

Commercial 184

Commercial Retail Construction Bidding 184

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NOVEMBER 30, 2011

Value-based retailers like hhgregg, Ross Dress for Less and Savers should experience construction growth in 2012. It’s that time of year when our team predicts the 2012 commercial construction trends – from what’s on tap for Chicago retail construction to national restaurant construction and hospitality construction.

Commercial 179

Commercial Retail Chicago Construction 179

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FEBRUARY 14, 2013

As commercial construction news reports say business continues to pick up, we are happy to see some new faces around the office at Englewood Construction. That’s right; we are adding staff to our national commercial general contracting firm in what has been a very robust period of activity.

Commercial 259

Commercial News Retail Construction 259

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JANUARY 18, 2011

January is a great time to create a commercial construction checklist of resolutions to help improve your commercial real estate business in the coming year. Don’t always take the lowest bid. Schedule a commercial construction preventive maintenance visit. While bidding on the commercial construction remodel of a 500+ sq.

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Commercial Bidding Negotiation Construction 263

HardHatChat

AUGUST 12, 2014

Recently, Englewood completed the 23,000-square-foot Harry Carays 7th Inning Stretch and Chicago Sports Museum at Chicagos famed Water Tower Place. Commercial general contractors are finding plenty of opportunities in the office, apartment and hotel construction markets right now. Design savings. Scheduling. Time is money.

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Chicago Commercial Construction Remodeling 278

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DECEMBER 17, 2010

I’ll say it again, 2010 was a rebuilding year for the commercial construction industry. So I’ve created a commercial construction checklist for what we considered the highs and lows of 2010 commercial construction trends. It wasn’t as bad as 2009, but not as good as 2008. Low – Green building. High – Institutional Construction.

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Commercial Retail Construction Chicago 196

HardHatChat

DECEMBER 15, 2009

At the beginning of 2009, I don’t think anyone, including a national commercial general contractor like Englewood Construction, was prepared for the twists and turns that would face the commercial construction industry. Low – Chicago losing the 2016 Olympic bid. Jobs that used to have 2-3 bids, now have 10.

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Commercial Retail Construction Chicago 196

HardHatChat

NOVEMBER 30, 2011

Value-based retailers like hhgregg, Ross Dress for Less and Savers should experience construction growth in 2012. It’s that time of year when our team predicts the commercial construction trends for the upcoming year– from what’s on tap for Chicago retail construction to national restaurant construction and hospitality construction.

Commercial 120

Commercial Retail Construction Chicago 120

HardHatChat

JULY 19, 2011

It’s a mixed bag of commercial construction news for shopping center developement. On one hand, retail sales continue to show improvement from last year, yet the suburban shopping mall – or at least the traditional enclosed shopping mall – seems to be on the way out. Most retailers today want less space.

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Commercial Retail Change Orders Construction 201

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DECEMBER 22, 2015

Writing our annual “Highs and Lows” commercial construction blog post was a bit more difficult this year because, on the whole, 2015 was pretty great for Englewood Construction and many others in the construction industry. Yet despite all its positives, 2015 wasn’t without its commercial construction challenges.

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Commercial Industrial Retail Construction 120

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FEBRUARY 10, 2015

Bill Di Santo, president of Englewood Construction (second from right), and the Englewood accounting team receiving recognition from the Chicago Chapter of the Construction Financial Management Association (CFMA) for participating in their 2014 Accounting Intern Program. Unfortunately, that time has not come yet. million jobs.

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Commercial Construction Chicago CFMA 120

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FEBRUARY 25, 2011

We were pulling a feeder cable through a Chicago retail construction project when we heard the explosion. At one point or another, even the best Chicago commercial construction contractors are susceptible to a construction site demon. Find the original general commercial contractor of your project site. See below).

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CSI Commercial Site Retail 136

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NOVEMBER 17, 2009

in Chicago. For those familiar with Chicago, you may also know this store offers a prime corner location on the city’s famed Magnificent Mile. But what I want to do is tell you what you may not know about the retail space construction of this Zara store and how to apply this information to your next retail construction project.

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Retail Michigan Chicago Construction 176

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SEPTEMBER 10, 2009

What Every Developer Should Ask General Contractors During the Retail Construction Bid Process. For my first blog post, a lot of people at Englewood Construction suggested I write about how to choose a retail construction company. Does your proposal include the complete scope of work specified in the bid documents?

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Retail Bidding Construction Contractors 136

HardHatChat

AUGUST 21, 2012

The difference is we weren’t on vacation; we were bidding new restaurant and hotel construction jobs to keep up with the thousands of new residents moving to the area due to the oil boom. Wouldn’t it be easier to hire a local commercial contractor? a flagship store in a vertical mall like Water Tower Place in Chicago….

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Commercial Contractors Retail Construction 214

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OCTOBER 7, 2010

Commercial construction contractors can save clients thousands of dollars by knowing the right time to buy certain materials. I heard a Home Depot ad on the radio recently targeted to commercial general contractors that made me pause. On the surface, the ad is true – buying building materials in bulk is cheaper.

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Commercial Materials Construction Contractors 235

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APRIL 20, 2010

For those familiar with Chicago retail construction , think back a couple of years to when the dated Orland Park Place interior mall underwent construction and turned itself inside out to became one of the area’s most successful outdoor shopping centers. Sportmart at Orland Park Place (now a Sport Authority). Bill Di Santo.

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Retail Construction Commercial Chicago 191

HardHatChat

NOVEMBER 10, 2009

I’ve got to ask, are you still competitively bidding the bulk of your commercial construction projects? And here’s why: 1. Negotiating with a commercial contractor allows you to split unforeseen cost savings. Reviewing bids can take weeks while negotiating takes days. Really, you are? Interesting…. Ahem, right guys?

Commercial 168

Commercial Negotiation Bidding Contractors 168

HardHatChat

APRIL 12, 2016

The other day I was talking with a Chicago-area client who didn’t realize Englewood is a national general contractor that manages national commercial construction projects across the country. He asked me, “You only have offices in Chicago, right? So how does that work?”. It can be a time saver, as well as a money saver.

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Commercial Contractors Management New York City 120

HardHatChat

JANUARY 19, 2010

The same can be said of the relationship between commercial general contractor and subcontractor. We GCs may think we’re the star, but we all know the most successful commercial construction project s require great subcontractors. Without the best bid, we can’t win the project. Most importantly, pay your subs on time.

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Commercial Bidding Construction Retail 192

HardHatChat

OCTOBER 15, 2009

Whether you’re a bank with distressed commercial real estate assets on your balance sheet, or you’re a real estate investor/developer who purchased a foreclosed commercial property, creating a viable workout plan can be an uphill battle. I’m not going to sugar coat it.

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Commercial Bankruptcy Retail Contractors 149

HardHatChat

MARCH 17, 2015

All signs have been pointing to a robust commercial construction pipeline, with activity consistently on the rise. In fact, last year, the value of all commercial construction contracts signed in the Chicago area was close to $10.6 Based on our backlog and client activity, we predict record growth in 2015.

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Design Commercial Budgeting Budget 120

HardHatChat

MARCH 23, 2010

After all, that’s what happens when you work as a shopping center general contractor as well as a national retail contractor. You hear the good, bad and ugly from shopping center landlords, mall and retail developers, architects and subcontractors. Allow design and construction teams to interact early with jurisdictional authorities.

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Retail Construction Bidding Contractors 174

HardHatChat

SEPTEMBER 22, 2009

How did you file the documents for your last commercial construction project? And without anything to print, then there’s nothing to mail – no more fees for overnight bid-request mailings. How Developers Can Decrease Operating Costs by Thousands of Dollars. How would you like to “find” thousands of dollars in your operating budget?

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Commercial Documentation Construction Project Management 120

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SEPTEMBER 24, 2009

Key Steps Commercial Developers Can Take to Ensure Their Contractors are Financially Stable. Whether you’re hiring a general contractor , architect, engineer or some other consultant, their ability to pay their subs directly and on time affects the success of your commercial construction project. So how do you avoid all of this?

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Commercial Banking Lien Construction 120

Buisness Facilities Contributed Content

JUNE 6, 2014

President Obama has awarded Chicago a $70 million grant from the Department of Defense to build a $320-million Digital Manufacturing and Design Innovation Institute. Mark Kirk, representatives from UI Labs and World Business Chicago, and various industry partners who supported the winning bid were at the White House for the announcement. “We

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Chicago Innovation Design Illinois 45

HardHatChat

SEPTEMBER 28, 2011

As a shopping center landlord or retail developer, you might find yourself with a big empty retail space you need fill – especially if you had Borders or Circuit City as a tenant. became a multi-tenant commercial construction job…. The answer is none. If your GC doesn’t know that rule, don’t work with them.

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Retail Commercial Budgeting Budget 218

Business Facilities

JULY 6, 2016

Chicago is the nation’s rail hub that connects six of the seven class one railroads. per square foot, lower than the Chicago Market average of $4.84. rail freight passes through Chicago’s rail yards. On a daily basis, 500 freight trains and 37,500 carloads of rail freight leave the Chicago metro region (i.e.,

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Roads Airports Indiana Transportation 41