JT Magen completes Wayfair’s first physical store, near Chicago
Construction Dive
MAY 30, 2024
The online retailer’s 150,000-square-foot showroom in Wilmette, Illinois, was a gut renovation of a former department store.
Retail Construction Trends: Shopping Center Construction Enters Renaissance with Renovation Work
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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Flagship Store Retail Construction: 3 Reasons Brands Still Build in a Flagship Location
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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Best Interior/Tenant Improvement: Starbucks Reserve Roastery Chicago
ENR Construction
MARCH 10, 2021
Where coffee meets Willy Wonka is what Starbucks fans will find at its Chicago Reserve Roastery on Michigan Avenue, in a renovation that turned the 43,000-sq-ft space into a retail experience as much as a coffee outlet and cafe.
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What a Chicago 2016 Summer Olympics Means for Chicago’s Retail and Restaurant Construction Industry
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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Retail Construction Trends 2010 Update: Outside the Big Box
HardHatChat
AUGUST 11, 2010
Chicago Place shopping mall retrofit. But that doesn’t mean we aren’t seeing interesting retail construction projects or innovative commercial construction retrofits, like the 23 up-and-coming new-store concepts as noted by Retail Traffic. There also is definitely something in the water with baby/children-focused retailers.
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Commercial Construction Predictions and Trends for 2013
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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289 2015 Commercial Construction Industry Trends and Predictions
HardHatChat
NOVEMBER 11, 2014
The increased commercial construction activity paved the way for some large new retail construction projects and restaurant construction, as national retailers and restaurant owners became more confident in the improving economy. When more retailers are packed together, some can get lost in the shuffle.
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299 What are Today's Best New Retail Developments? | Hard Hat Chat
HardHatChat
JUNE 21, 2012
What are Today’s Best New Retail Developments? With the way the commercial real estate market has been the last several years, people are looking to commercial construction experts for the best construction tips on how to proceed with a successful new retail development. Restaurant. Shopping Center. Hospitality. Office/Industrial.
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2014 Commercial Construction Industry Trends and Predictions
HardHatChat
NOVEMBER 11, 2013
Englewood Construction recently completed a Season’s 52 on Chicago’s Magnificent Mile. Activity was up for retail and restaurant construction and once-stalled commercial construction projects are finding themselves back on 2014 bid sheets for the best commercial general contractors. Big is back. In Glenview, Ill.,
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Commercial Construction Checklist on Beating the Next Chicago Blizzard
HardHatChat
FEBRUARY 15, 2011
The Chicago blizzard of 2011 is a story we’ll be talking about for generations. 3, 2011, that didn’t mean the best Chicago contractors weren’t working. After all, shopping center landlords, restaurants and retailers couldn’t afford to be closed two days in a row. Any commercial project started after Dec.
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196 3 Tips to a Successful High-End Restaurant Construction Project
HardHatChat
AUGUST 12, 2014
Recently, Englewood completed the 23,000-square-foot Harry Carays 7th Inning Stretch and Chicago Sports Museum at Chicagos famed Water Tower Place. At Englewood Construction, we have had the good fortune of being attached to several high-profile, upscale downtown Chicago restaurant construction projects.
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Commercial General Construction 2014 Highs and Lows
HardHatChat
DECEMBER 9, 2014
According to a recent article from Crain’s Chicago Business , signed contracts for construction projects in the Chicago area were at $4.3 Mall renovation work was a highlight of 2014. The past few years have been dominated by commercial construction renovation work, but this year saw a strong return of ground-up construction.
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2010 Commercial Construction Trends Update: Work for Niche Retail Stores
HardHatChat
MAY 4, 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. As for new retail construction, it seems the big winners are niche retail brands that dominate a market category, such as American Girl and lululemon.
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Adaptive reuse: 5 benefits of office-to-residential conversions
BD+C
JUNE 19, 2023
Adaptive reuse: 5 benefits of office-to-residential conversions FitzGerald completed renovations on Millennium on LaSalle, a 14-story building in the heart of Chicago’s Loop. OFFICE-TO-RESIDENTIAL – A NATIONAL TREND This trend goes far beyond Chicago. Model kitchen at Millenniium on LaSalle.
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New Retail Construction Goes for the Gold in Shopping Center Development
HardHatChat
FEBRUARY 23, 2010
The same can be said for all those savvy national retailers who are currently taking advantage of the availability of prime space at regional shopping centers and decreased construction costs in order to enter high-profile markets. Retail Power Center. will say those retailers and shopping center developers are crazy like a fox.
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Retail Development and Construction: Getting Started
HardHatChat
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. In my experience, the most successful retailers choose these qualities over a low bid every time.
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Retail Construction: 3 Construction Cost-Savings Tips for De-malling a Shopping Mall
HardHatChat
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).
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4 Commercial Construction Industry Trends and Predictions for 2019
HardHatChat
DECEMBER 6, 2018
I recently attended a senior housing conference in Chicago where a panelist discussed the challenge senior housing operators face in hiring and retaining caregivers and other staff given the high hourly wages offered by employers like Amazon. Developers Think Outside the Big Box to Fill Retail Vacancies.
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319 Five Predictions for Commercial Construction Trends in 2011
HardHatChat
NOVEMBER 30, 2010
There are some great opportunities, especially in retail construction , as highly motivated landlords are offering prime locations with attractive rents. You can bet smart retailers will continue to mimic the magic shopping experience Apple has created with their retail stores. Apple Magic. International Invasion. Fast-Casual.
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Five Predictions for Commercial Construction Trends in 2012
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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CRE Construction Project Site Selection: 3 Tips for Finding the Perfect Match
HardHatChat
DECEMBER 5, 2017
Case in point, a developer once asked us to price out a retail-to-restaurant conversion on the first floor of a Chicago high rise. Recently we worked with a national appliance manufacturer to scout existing retail locations for a prototype of a new branded laundromat concept. Will any “unbranding” be necessary?
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How to Decrease Commercial Construction Costs by Reusing the Right Items
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 Construction Highs and Lows of 2011
HardHatChat
DECEMBER 22, 2011
We saw drawings for new Chicago restaurant projects, retail construction work, office renovations, school construction and learning center additions – you name it, we saw it. Developers and retailers that would normally go 2 deep in bidding went 4 deep. HIGH – Everyone was submitting drawings in 2011. I was wrong.
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207 Looking Back at Commercial Construction 2014 – The Year that Was
HardHatChat
JANUARY 19, 2015
Retailer reinvention is good for commercial general contractors. Consumers came back to the market in 2014 and retailers and restaurateurs felt the benefits. Retailers were not content to simply put up new locations with old blueprints and designs. As retailers and restaurateurs set to reinvent themselves, so do we.
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3 Secrets to Successful Landmark-Status Building Construction Projects
HardHatChat
SEPTEMBER 25, 2017
For example, in Englewood’s home market of Chicago, the Commission on Chicago Landmarks must do a comprehensive review of drawings to make sure they meet its qualifications, rules and regulations, before the project goes before the Chicago Department of Buildings for permitting.
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267 Is the Baby Being Thrown Out with the Bathwater in Big Box Retail Construction Projects?
HardHatChat
NOVEMBER 24, 2009
With the shuttering of stores like Circuit City and Linens N’ Things, big box retailers looking to gain market share certainly have their choice of vacant store locations in prime markets and shopping centers. As to why the client chose not to use existing elements in its construction renovation, there are a couple plausible reasons.
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176 Predictions and National Trends in Commercial Construction
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.
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Should You Hire A Commercial General Contractor Who Works For a Competing Brand?
HardHatChat
FEBRUARY 27, 2012
If your retail construction contractor can build retail stores like this on Michigan Avenue…. If you did retail construction for Hollywood Videos then you couldn’t build Blockbusters. If you did retail construction for Hollywood Videos then you couldn’t build Blockbusters. It’s the same “who’s on first?” Bill Di Santo.
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Best and Worst of 2010: Commercial Construction Trends
HardHatChat
DECEMBER 17, 2010
It was a busy year for shopping center renovations, like the new food court construction at Westfield's Old Orchard shopping center in Skokie, Ill. With so much desirable retail space available, many brands were taking advantage of desirable shopping center rents and tenant allowances to add a new store location and increase market share.
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Commercial Construction 2020 Trends: Cannabis Retail, Senior Housing and Restaurant Construction Lead the Way
HardHatChat
JANUARY 6, 2020
Englewood’s business development team attended ICSC’s CenterBuild conference in December, where conversations revolved around retail activity and opportunities in 2020. Retail Developers Will Play All Sides: . As we’ve discussed previously on this blog, there are unique challenges and opportunities associated with work in this arena.
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How to Avoid a Commercial Construction Scandal
HardHatChat
MAY 31, 2012
While there are three sides to every story, recent commercial construction news stories like this one from the Chicago Tribune , “Construction firm caught in contract probe” , really burn me up. The best Chicago construction firms play by the rules and do business above board. I don’t mean to come off as preachy, I’m just mad.
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3 Critical Questions to Ask Before Starting an Adaptive Reuse Commercial Construction Project
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.
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Leopardo’s 2017 Construction Economics Report shows year-over-year construction spending increase of 4.2%
BD+C
FEBRUARY 28, 2017
Leopardo Companies, a construction firm serving Chicago and the Midwest, has released its 2017 Construction Economics Report and Outlook, an in-depth analysis of factors that impact development, renovation and build-out costs in commercial facilities, including the office, industrial/manufacturing, retail, multifamily, healthcare and lodging sectors. (..)
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Englewood Commercial Construction News: Two of the Best Words in Business…We’re Hiring
HardHatChat
FEBRUARY 14, 2013
The activity level that we saw in the fourth quarter of 2012 in new retail, restaurant and hospitality construction projects is double what we saw a year earlier. We’ve also promoted several hard-working members of our team who have helped make Englewood one of Chicago’s best general contracting firms.
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The programmatic evolution of the lobby
BD+C
AUGUST 14, 2023
Savvy property owners acknowledge the role a base building plays in attracting and maintaining occupancy, but the traditional playbook that counts on leveraging a lobby renovation, public area refresh, or amenity addition to lure workers back to the office is proving less and less relevant and effective. 200 West Madison Street, Chicago, Ill.
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98 7 most endangered buildings in Chicago
BD+C
MARCH 15, 2013
The Chicago Preservation Society (CPS) released its annual list of the buildings at high risk for demolition.
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81 California-Based E-Retailer Picks Indy For New Distribution Center
Buisness Facilities Contributed Content
DECEMBER 4, 2013
an electronics-focused e-retailer, has announced plans to locate a new warehouse facility in Indianapolis, IN, creating up to 150 new jobs by 2015. The City of Industry, CA-headquartered company will invest $20 million to lease, renovate and equip an order fulfillment facility in Indianapolis. Newegg’s California headquarters.
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5 Signs Your Shopping Center Construction Contractor is Costing You Business
HardHatChat
MARCH 9, 2010
When it comes to current retail and commercial construction trends , we all know there aren’t a lot of new shopping centers under construction right now, or new office buildings under construction for that matter. we came in on time and under budget without one complaint from any of the retailers. Q uiet over there! No complaints?
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2015 Commercial Construction Industry Highs and Lows
HardHatChat
DECEMBER 22, 2015
Thanks to clients who put their trust in us, we’ve built on our roots in tenant interior finish jobs and retail in-store build-outs and found our niche in ground-up projects, flagship stores and high-end restaurant construction and hospitality work. Low – Retail’s Continued Slump.
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Happy Anniversary Hard Hat Chat: Celebrating 10 Years of Commercial Construction Trends, News, Insights, and Conversation
HardHatChat
SEPTEMBER 11, 2019
Here’s what stood out to me: Englewood’s retail portfolio includes experiential concepts such as American Girl Place in Chicago. The Retail Evolution: Shopping Mall, Flagship Store & Big Box Construction The past decade brought more ups and downs for the retail sector than the escalators we installed in malls.
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Smart building technology: Talking results at the BUILDINGChicago/ Greening the Heartland show
BD+C
SEPTEMBER 4, 2013
Embedding resilience into building solutions is the theme at the BUILDING Chicago /Greening the Heartland expo and conference , September 9-11 at the Holiday Inn Chicago Mart Plaza. Body Image: read more.
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3 affordable housing projects that serve as social catalysts
BD+C
SEPTEMBER 25, 2023
Without stable shelter, it all falls apart,” Pulitzer Prize-winning sociologist Matthew Desmond told the Chicago Tribune on publication of his book Evicted. The design activates the perimeter and the interior of the block with retail, community spaces, and a plaza that has proven to be an inviting community draw.
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111 Increase Your Home Value with 7 Home Remodeling Ideas
Construction Marketing
JUNE 30, 2015
Bricklaying and renovations done by Walter’s Masonry of Illinois has worked on many homes and buildings in the Chicago and Northern suburbs that ensure reduced life-cycle costs and protection from the chilly Chicago climate. One way to ensure your house is well insulated is with the right masonry. Basic Updates.
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