HardHatChat

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

HardHatChat

AUGUST 13, 2013

In commercial general construction, trends come and go…and, sometimes, come right back again. For instance, in Chicago, the Fashion Outlets of Chicago debuted on August 1 , marking the area’s first new Chicago shopping center development in 20 years. Case-in-point–the Fashion Outlets of Chicago. Be prepared.

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Retail Commercial Chicago Management 250

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

HardHatChat

APRIL 11, 2014

Englewood Construction is currently negotiating a contract with Mrs. Green’s to convert former Fox and Obel in Chicago. Like most businesses, the commercial construction industry is a relationship business. Here are the top three reasons to work with general commercial construction contractors in a negotiated bidding process.

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Commercial Negotiation Bidding Construction 292

HardHatChat

MARCH 27, 2018

Something we’re hearing a lot about in our industry right now is the growing trend and popularity of prefab and modular commercial construction solutions. Scheduling: Anything that can be pre-built and brought to the job site is always going to help the overall commercial construction schedule.

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Commercial Union Construction Site 328

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?”. Knowing the Local Terrain.

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Commercial Contractors Management New York City 120

HardHatChat

DECEMBER 9, 2014

As we close out another year, we wanted to take a look back at the commercial construction trends that defined 2014 and highlight some of the highs and lows. Overall, this was a great year for the commercial construction industry as commercial construction activity and revenue were up considerably.

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Commercial Retail Construction Chicago 192

HardHatChat

APRIL 16, 2013

As noted early this year, 2012 was a great year for Englewood Construction as we saw our commercial general contracting activity increase immensely. Going into 2013, we thought momentum in the commercial construction industry would carry through. Olive Garden is building its first location in Chicago. We weren’t wrong.

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Commercial Chicago Construction News 214

HardHatChat

DECEMBER 6, 2018

Here are our predictions of the four commercial construction industry trends we expect will shape our work in different sectors – and the construction landscape overall – in the year ahead: Senior Housing Communities Woo Workers with Facility Updates.

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Commercial Industrial Retail Construction 319

HardHatChat

MAY 15, 2013

Englewood completed renovations to guests rooms and the main restaurant as well as created a fitness and wellness center above the main ball room of the famed Drake Hotel in Chicago. Hospitality construction has been a bright spot for commercial construction general contractors in 2013 across all spectrums of the market.

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Contractors Chicago Commercial Travel 222

HardHatChat

JULY 25, 2016

One of our current commercial projects at Englewood Construction is a new Farm & Fleet store we’re building in Romeoville, Ill. But from a construction standpoint, there are some key areas where choosing an experienced commercial construction firm can make all the difference in helping a “first” project go as smoothly as possible.

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Commercial Chicago Retail Contractors 120

HardHatChat

MARCH 28, 2011

Now that spring is officially here, I wanted to reflect on the Chicago retail construction trends and news we’ve seen so far in 2011. From the new commercial construction projects we know are in the pipeline, to what I heard at the recent Bisnow Chicago Retail Summit , I am cautiously optimistic. Good News/Bad News. Stay tuned.

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Retail Chicago News Bidding 220

HardHatChat

MAY 12, 2015

It’s rare for the words “cool” and “general contractor” to be used in the same sentence. Every blog I’ve written for the award-winning HardHatChat popped up, interviews with media about the state of Chicago construction jobs – it was all there. In person, he embodies the definition of an old-school general contractor.

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Commercial Contractors Retail Chicago 120

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.

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Chicago Commercial Construction Remodeling 278

HardHatChat

APRIL 30, 2012

Recently, our director of operations Chuck Taylor was featured in a Chicago Tribune article based on the reporter’s curiosity about a hotel peephole he kept in his office. What made this peephole so interesting was that it was salvaged from the hotel construction renovation we did of a HoJo in Chicago.

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Commercial Chicago Construction Office 273

Autodesk Construction Cloud

APRIL 25, 2022

Chicago is the third-largest city in the U.S., In fact, building construction employment in the Chicago metro region reached 28,400 in December 2021. Chicago is also rated the 2nd highest city in the U.S. Here, we’ll discover the top five construction projects that are currently taking place in the Chicago metropolitan area.

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Chicago Construction Residential Plans 52

HardHatChat

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. HIGH – Everyone was submitting drawings in 2011.

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Commercial Union Retail Construction 207

HardHatChat

AUGUST 21, 2012

For those who don’t know, Englewood Construction is a national commercial construction firm , so our business has been built on servicing our clients where they need us. Wouldn’t it be easier to hire a local commercial contractor? In this case, we were needed in Williston, ND and Glendive, MT.

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Commercial Contractors Retail Construction 214

HardHatChat

JUNE 21, 2011

The pending downtown Chicago casino will involve a different set of construction challenges than the Rivers Casino in Des Plaines (shown here). In Chicago commercial construction news , everyone knows the big buzz right now is on the pending Chicago casino. More challenges = higher commercial construction costs.

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Chicago Deals Housing Commercial 149

HardHatChat

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

HardHatChat

NOVEMBER 24, 2015

As we close in on the finish line for 2015, we’re happy to report it’s been a terrific year at Englewood Construction and for many others in the commercial construction industry. We are presently working with several real estate developers to create this type of environment in Chicago and its suburbs, as well as New York and Los Angeles.

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Commercial Construction Los Angeles Schedule 180

Construction Marketing Ideas

MARCH 9, 2018

Englewood Construction’s HardHatChat blog demonstrates how a commercial contractor can combine useful information based on real-life experience with the all-important brand/reputation building objectives.

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Commercial Contractors Chicago Site 54

HardHatChat

MARCH 13, 2013

Being a national commercial construction general contractor can be an immensely rewarding profession. There is always a sense of pride and accomplishment after completing a retail construction, restaurant construction and commercial construction project for a client. Commercial property preventative maintenance.

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Commercial Insurance Retail Chicago 207

HardHatChat

NOVEMBER 30, 2011

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. Currently Savers has three Chicago-area locations, but we wouldn’t be surprised to see that number increase in 2012.

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Commercial Retail Chicago Construction 179

HardHatChat

APRIL 12, 2019

Our firm takes pride in being a true partner to our clients, and we believe a great way to elevate that client relationship is to work on a negotiated basis – a process where the client hires a general contractor early-on in the project after agreeing on general conditions and a contractor fee. There are several benefits to doing so.

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Negotiation Bidding Commercial Construction 177

HardHatChat

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. That approach is bearing fruit now.

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Commercial News Retail Construction 259

HardHatChat

JULY 16, 2019

Englewood Construction is in the midst of two adaptive reuse projects right now – one a former meatpacking facility in Chicago that we’re updating for office, retail or restaurant use, and the other a former convent we’ll be converting into a senior living community. An adaptive reuse project is a creative blend of old and new.

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Commercial Retail Construction Office 194

HardHatChat

FEBRUARY 27, 2012

If your retail construction contractor can build retail stores like this on Michigan Avenue…. For as long as I’ve been in the commercial construction business , which is 30 years, there have been two conflicting trains of thought about clients hiring a general contractor who also works for a competitor. Bill Di Santo.

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Commercial Retail Contractors Renovating 179

HardHatChat

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.

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Commercial Retail Construction Chicago 156

HardHatChat

JULY 13, 2010

The recent Chicago City Council approval of a second Wal-Mart in the city limits is excellent news for Chicago’s commercial construction industry. History shows commercial developers do well opening new big box retail stores like Bed Bath and Beyond, Home Depot or Best Buy near Wal-Marts. Bill Di Santo on Champlain Ave.

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Chicago Retail Commercial Construction 205

HardHatChat

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. There are still far too many distressed commercial properties on the market. Low – Green building.

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Commercial Retail Construction Chicago 196

HardHatChat

JANUARY 19, 2015

While it was a good year for commercial general construction, it was by no means a record setting year. These are the three most important commercial construction trends I will take from the commercial construction industry in 2014. Retailer reinvention is good for commercial general contractors. Self-reinvention.

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Commercial Retail Construction News 120

HardHatChat

OCTOBER 21, 2011

Most of the commercial construction news we discuss in this blog involves new Chicago retail and restaurant construction projects or analyzing commercial construction trends. But every once in a while we have something special to share. I’ll admit, when we heard we won we were pleasantly surprised.

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Commercial San Antonio Retail Construction 221

HardHatChat

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. Schedule a commercial construction preventive maintenance visit. Qualify general contractors that build in your wheelhouse. Don’t always take the lowest bid.

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Commercial Bidding Negotiation Construction 263

HardHatChat

MAY 18, 2011

as mall owners and retail tenants figure out who will be responsible for commercial construction services in a “build to suit” shopping center construction space. This space has virtually been untouched by a landlord’s commercial construction general contractor. Vanilla box.

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Commercial Retail Construction Bidding 184

HardHatChat

OCTOBER 10, 2013

It’s taken some time, but shopping mall commercial construction activity is back in a big way, as owners and operators have initiated only what can be described as a renovation renaissance. Almost everywhere we look, it seems an older, out-dated shopping mall is undergoing a substantial commercial construction renovation.

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Retail Renovating Chicago Construction 222

HardHatChat

NOVEMBER 30, 2010

Fast-casual restaurants like Noodles & Company should be a bright spot for commercial construction in 2011. It’s that time of year again, when I dust off the crystal ball to predict commercial construction trends for the following year. Around Labor Day 2008, the faucet shut off for commercial construction projects.

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Commercial Retail Construction Renovating 261