HardHatChat

JUNE 12, 2014

If you are a player in the retail world, odds are you spent a few days in Las Vegas last month at ICSC’s “ Global Retail Real Estate Convention ” (RECON). It’s always an exciting event for the retail real estate industry. Here are my three takeaways for retail construction trends from RECON 2014: Money is out there.

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ICSC Commercial Retail Chicago 273

HardHatChat

MARCH 28, 2011

Many shopping center landlords are no longer assuming responsibility for store construction costs, but instead offering higher tenant concessions. 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. Good News/Bad News.

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Retail Chicago News Bidding 220

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JANUARY 14, 2014

With 2013 behind us, we wanted to look back at the year that was in the commercial construction industry. Some of the 2013 commercial construction trends we predicted came to pass, some were more significant than we originally thought they would be and others emerged that caught our attention. Not your parents’ mall.

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Commercial Retail Construction News 284

HardHatChat

JANUARY 15, 2018

Happy New Year to all of our Hard Hat Chat readers! As we flip the calendar over to 2018 this month, it’s a great time to share some of the commercial construction trends we predict will shape our work in the year ahead. #1: 1: Grocery Sector Ripe for Change. 2: Remixing the Mall. 3: Taking the Temperature of MOBs.

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Commercial Remodeling Construction Renovating 326

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.

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Commercial News Retail Construction 259

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NOVEMBER 11, 2013

Englewood Construction recently completed a Season’s 52 on Chicago’s Magnificent Mile. We are coming into the final stretch of 2013, a year that has been rather good for the commercial construction industry. In our own backyard, numerous Chicago mixed-use construction projects will be going up next year.

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Commercial Industrial Chicago Retail 283

HardHatChat

AUGUST 7, 2019

A version of this post was published in Illinois Real Estate Journal as a byline article from Englewood Construction. Earlier this summer, Englewood Construction’s home state of Illinois passed a bill making it the 11 th state in the U.S. to legalize the use of recreational marijuana. Timing Is Everything.

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Legal Commercial Retail Illinois 260

HardHatChat

OCTOBER 10, 2013

Englewood Construction recently began renovation work on the Brazos Mall in Lake Jackson, Texas. 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. However, this is not just a Chicago trend.

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Retail Renovating Chicago Construction 222

HardHatChat

MAY 31, 2018

Earlier this month, the Englewood team headed to Las Vegas for RECon , the global retail real estate convention hosted annually by the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC). Big Discussion Around Repositioning Vacant Retail Space. The Online Effect.

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Las Vegas ICSC Retail Construction 215

HardHatChat

NOVEMBER 19, 2012

Michigan Avenue in Chicago is seeing a mix of high-end retailers and value retailers, a trend that will continue in 2013 in markets across the country. This mix benefits retailers such as American Girl, which Englewood built out in 2009 at Water Tower Place, as more foot traffic passes through the area.

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Commercial Retail Chicago Construction 289

HardHatChat

OCTOBER 28, 2019

With our firm’s long track record in retail construction, we’ve witnessed firsthand the ebb and flow of activity across this sector over the years. It’s true the retail mix among flagship stores in prime locations is changing. Today, many of those traditional mall retailers have closed their flagships.

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Retail Michigan Chicago Construction 280

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

JUNE 11, 2013

The tone of the attendees at ICSC’s “Global Retail Real Estate Convention” (RECon) in Las Vegas last month was as positive and energizing as it was in the commercial construction boom years before 2008. Retailers are starting to feel more confident and expansions are on the horizon. Business is good.

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ICSC Commercial Las Vegas Retail 233

HardHatChat

MARCH 4, 2019

One of the biggest challenges for commercial construction firms today is the tighter project timelines that have become the norm at every phase of a project – from shorter deadlines for submitting initial bids and budgets, to quicker resolution on addendums and change orders, to compressed schedules for construction and delivery.

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Project Management Commercial Management Construction 349

HardHatChat

MAY 13, 2014

Workers remove wall panels from a high rise to accommodate new windows for one of the many projects Englewood Construction negotiates with its clients. We never like it when scandal rocks the commercial construction industry. Commercial construction companies need fees to cover their overhead.

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Commercial Bidding Negotiation Construction 281

HardHatChat

FEBRUARY 13, 2014

In the depths of a historically cold Midwestern winter, one market has remained particularly hot for Chicago commercial general contractors—grocery store construction. The Chicago grocery construction market has long been dominated by two titans of the industry-Jewel-Osco and Dominick’s. Parking is a premium.

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Retail Chicago Construction Commercial 254

HardHatChat

JULY 11, 2013

The summer construction season often brings rising costs. 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.

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Commercial Construction Bidding Chicago 276

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

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 23, 2012

Building Michigan Avenue flagship stores for international brands like Zara is a sweet spot for Englewood Construction. With the 2012 Summer Olympics right around the corner, it got me thinking that with London six hours ahead of Chicago, much of what we’ll be watching will be old news taped from earlier in the day. So at 7 p.m.

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Retail Michigan Chicago Zoning 207

HardHatChat

JANUARY 19, 2015

With new hotel construction on the rise, Englewood is reconnecting with clients such as Value Place for projects in 2015. While it was a good year for commercial general construction, it was by no means a record setting year. Retailer reinvention is good for commercial general contractors. Self-reinvention.

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Commercial Retail Construction News 120

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. I was wrong.

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Commercial Union Retail Construction 207

HardHatChat

APRIL 16, 2013

The Restaurant Division at Englewood Construction has experienced a big spike in activity this year, with opportunities up 55-60 percent. As noted early this year, 2012 was a great year for Englewood Construction as we saw our commercial general contracting activity increase immensely. We weren’t wrong. Changing demographics.

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Commercial Chicago Construction News 214

HardHatChat

DECEMBER 14, 2012

International retailers are eyeing the U.S. Englewood Construction has done work for numerous international retailers in the last few years, including Marcello’s Delicatessen, a Canadian-based fast-casual dining option. I’ve been a national commercial contractor for more than 20 years, and believe me, I’ve seen it all.

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Retail Contractors Commercial US 233

HardHatChat

JULY 16, 2015

Online retailers opening their first physical stores need to be as well-versed in a shopping center’s holy trinity as proven and successful bricks-and-mortar retailers already are. Now, retailers are realizing there’s space for both online and bricks-and-mortar players in today’s omni-channel marketplace.

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Retail Commercial Construction Remodeling 120

HardHatChat

DECEMBER 16, 2013

Englewood Construction can help real estate investors take advantage of terrific opportunities to reposition underperforming shopping malls into a strong asset. For savvy commercial real estate investors and venture funds, terrific opportunities exist today to purchase and reposition underperforming shopping malls.

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Retail Management Commercial Construction 204

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.

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Retail Commercial Chicago Leases 216

HardHatChat

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

HardHatChat

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

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.

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Commercial San Antonio Retail Construction 221

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. High – Institutional Construction. Low – Green building.

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Commercial Retail Construction Chicago 196

HardHatChat

MAY 18, 2011

Do you know what construction responsibilities fall to a tenant and landlord in a build-to-suit space? 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. Vanilla box.

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Commercial Retail Construction Bidding 184

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 2012 commercial construction trends – from what’s on tap for Chicago retail construction to national restaurant construction and hospitality construction.

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Commercial Retail Chicago Construction 179

HardHatChat

MAY 31, 2012

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. If the story proves true it not only is a blemish on the commercial construction industry, but it shows a violation of trust with a client.

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Commercial Union Chicago Bidding 245

HardHatChat

AUGUST 31, 2011

Nothing says you completed a successful education construction job more than thank-you cards from these Bright Horizons kids…. Cupcake restaurants are hot right now in restaurant construction trends. However, the best Chicago cupcakes Englewood Construction ever had were the ones from our latest Chicago education construction job.

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Commercial Chicago Construction Retail 213

HardHatChat

JANUARY 18, 2011

Bill Di Santo (right) overseeing a design-build project for Englewood Construction. 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.

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Commercial Bidding Negotiation Construction 263

HardHatChat

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