We are nearing the homestretch on one of our more unique projects. The Sidewalk Film Center and Cinema is taking shape in a space that was once the basement of a department store in our CBD. The initial challenge was to build the cinemas below the first floor food hall with an additional six stories of apartments …
I was in Las Vegas this week for the International Council of Shopping Center’s RECon event, what some may say is “The Super Bowl of Retail.” While the attendance was down this year, I see every May as a chance to learn a few more tricks and trends, and more importantly, to visit with people …
There is absolutely no substitute for consistent aerial views of a construction site, especially when they are 20 to 30 acres, as is frequently the case for us. While drones are often used for the cool images of vertical construction and marketing, we have found they bring good value as we piece together site progress …
We are seeing cost increases across all platforms, although they seem to be tapering off compared to the 5 1/2% increases we saw last year. This contrasts the pressure of revenues, which aren’t keeping up. Sometimes it all works out. Other times it doesn’t. This week, I had a cost management conversation with a potential …
For those of us interested in historic preservation/restoration, this week was tragic. Notre Dame is an integral part of the Parisian backdrop and a picture of craftsmanship that withstood hundreds of years, not to mention its significance to the Catholic church. On Monday, I watched with my jaw dropped as the flames rose. Now, as …
Our hometown is one of those cities that came of age during an industrial boom. Because of this, there is plenty of historical space in the CBD that is full of architectural details and prime for adaptive reuse. We’ve been a part of several of these projects. So the question I asked myself is, “Why has this initiative become a …
We are about 35% complete building The Sidewalk Film Center and Cinemas, which will be the year round home for the organization as well as their nationally acclaimed film festival. The confined space of the project, coupled with the extensive rock excavation, requires both gas and electric powered equipment. This can create a potential hazard from fumes and emissions. This was solved by …
From time to time, I am asked how we manage to build projects in multiple states, often a long way from here, and how we have been consistent for 35 years. The answer is pretty simple: We have developed a group of traveling subcontractors and vendors who we trust. In return, they trust us. The key …
Several months ago, we set fuel tanks on one of our projects. While words can describe the process, this time lapse does it best: Like most building contractors, we’ve found that starting things right with an eye on quality always ends up with the best results. In this case, constant monitoring was also key in …
Just a few years ago, a 10,000 sf slab pour was a large one. We are now in the 50,000 sf range. We have recently made a series of large pours on a 15-acre project, using a laser CAD guided screed. It yields better, more accurate pours. Here is the run down on the means …
To me, the answer is two-fold. While I think many may subconsciously be more likely to hire folks they easily relate to or find common ground with, we have found diversity matters. Whatever we think separates us–gender, culture or any other “norm”–we have so much more success by finding common ground and sharing different views …
The construction industry is a very fragmented industry. This is among the reasons one does not see the large-scale technological advances like you might see in other sectors. Having said this, I was with a group of young project managers today, and I was telling them how “things used to be.” Before power screeds and …