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 19, 2018

So before we officially ring in 2019, here is our rundown of Englewood Construction’s commercial construction trends “highs” and “lows” from 2018: High: A Sizable Senior Living Pipeline. We’re several years into the construction labor shortage, and it continues to impact nearly every aspect of the commercial construction industry.

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Commercial Retail Industrial Construction 328

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. Overall, confidence is high.

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ICSC Commercial Las Vegas Retail 233

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 Commercial 222

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: We’re looking forward to a busy 2018, with exciting opportunities ahead for clients new and old.

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Commercial Remodeling Construction Renovating 326

HardHatChat

MAY 13, 2014

We never like it when scandal rocks the commercial construction industry. Commercial general contractors generally don’t find their way into the mainstream news unless it is for something negative, often involving criminal activity. Commercial construction companies need fees to cover their overhead.

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Commercial Bidding Negotiation Construction 281

HardHatChat

JULY 11, 2013

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. If there is one aspect of a commercial construction job worth extra investment, it is the planning and drawing stage.

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Commercial Construction Bidding Chicago 276

HardHatChat

OCTOBER 17, 2022

Between 2018 and 2022, Englewood’s national construction work in the cannabis retail industry grew by 100% and we expect that trajectory to continue as more states legalize recreational marijuana use and cannabis firms expand into new markets. That has been true.

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Retail Green Construction Regulation 296

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. Developers Think Outside the Big Box to Fill Retail Vacancies.

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Commercial Industrial Retail Construction 319

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. Parking is important with almost any retail construction project, but with grocery, it is even more important. Parking is a premium. Tel: 847-233-9200 x710.

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Retail Chicago Construction Commercial 254

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. While bidding on the commercial construction remodel of a 500+ sq.

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Commercial Bidding Negotiation Construction 263

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

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

JULY 23, 2012

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. Again, the best commercial contractors know how to anticipate for these challenges and work them into the construction schedule.

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Retail Michigan Chicago Zoning 207

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. Michigan Ave.,

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Retail Chicago Commercial Michigan 209

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

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 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.

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Commercial Retail Construction Chicago 196

HardHatChat

JUNE 7, 2010

Commercial construction preventive maintenance. Granted the explosion and resulting oil spill is a worst case scenario, but it begs the question: Do you have the appropriate commercial construction preventive maintenance checklist in place? For a more detailed preventive maintenance construction punch list you can email me.

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Commercial Retail Construction Negotiation 243

HardHatChat

MARCH 15, 2011

Englewood Construction has worked on a number of Chicago retail construction projects in high-traffic urban areas, such as American Girl Place on Michigan Avenue. Is this a new retail construction trend ? Probably so. Probably so. But, in a residential building like Presidential Towers, you can’t do that.

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Retail Chicago Commercial Michigan 205

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 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

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. Vanilla box.

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Commercial Retail Construction Bidding 184

HardHatChat

DECEMBER 3, 2019

With the countdown on to 2020 – and the start of a brand-new decade right around the corner – it’s time for our annual look back at the commercial construction industry “highs” and “lows” from 2019. Even as the labor situation improves, it’s being outpaced by a high commercial construction activity level across the country.

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Commercial Industrial Las Vegas Retail 227

HardHatChat

AUGUST 7, 2019

Given that our firm already has experience working with clients on medicinal and recreational marijuana dispensary construction projects in other states, we know firsthand that this legislation will quickly lead to new activity in the local commercial real estate and construction landscape. Good News for the Local Retail Landscape.

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Legal Commercial Retail Illinois 260

HardHatChat

AUGUST 31, 2011

I don’t know if the cupcakes were made from scratch or out of a box, but they were the best damn cupcakes for one simple reason – they reminded us how important our jobs are and that commercial construction projects touch the lives of everyone big and small. What about satisfied commercial construction client testimonials?

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Commercial Chicago Construction Retail 213

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 New York 280

HardHatChat

DECEMBER 16, 2013

For savvy commercial real estate investors and venture funds, terrific opportunities exist today to purchase and reposition underperforming shopping malls. Consumers kept money in their pockets, retailers stopped expanding and owners ceased new retail construction for their facilities. 4) Solid retail connections.

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Retail Management Commercial Construction 204

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

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. in Pullman, circa 1950s.

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Chicago Retail Commercial Construction 205

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. We came away from RECon 2018 energized and excited.

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Las Vegas ICSC Retail Construction 215

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

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. High – Niche or value-driven retail construction. High – Green building. If you look at the Top 10 U.S.

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Commercial Retail Chicago Construction 196

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. Here are four commercial construction and commercial real estate trends we expect to shape our business and our industry: 1.

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Retail Commercial Housing Construction 31

HardHatChat

DECEMBER 20, 2017

As we close in on the final days of 2017, it’s time once again for our annual commercial construction blog post reflecting back on the positives – and the negatives – that have impacted our business and the industry as a whole over the last 12 months. Low – The Incredible Shrinking Construction Timeline. Bill Di Santo. Tel: 847-233-9200 x710.

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Commercial Construction Retail New York 240

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 9, 2011

Anyone who knows me knows I love to talk about commercial construction trends and share the latest commercial construction news. I now have a rolodex full of new contacts from Chicago that I can easily meet in person for lunch, or have them tour our office as we discuss new projects or the latest Chicago construction news.

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Commercial San Antonio Chicago San Francisco 201