HardHatChat

NOVEMBER 11, 2013

We are coming into the final stretch of 2013, a year that has been rather good for the commercial construction industry. 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.

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Commercial Industrial Chicago Retail 283

HardHatChat

SEPTEMBER 28, 2011

As a shopping center landlord or retail developer, you might find yourself with a big empty retail space you need fill – especially if you had Borders or Circuit City as a tenant. became a multi-tenant commercial construction job…. The answer is none. If your GC doesn’t know that rule, don’t work with them.

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Retail Commercial Budgeting Budget 218

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

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

JANUARY 15, 2018

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: As the nature of shopping centers evolve, commercial construction firms will continue to be busy reworking existing mall retail space for new purposes. #3:

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Commercial Remodeling Construction Renovating 326

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 14, 2014

The rise of on-line shopping has been a boon to retailers, but if we are honest, it has been detrimental to commercial general construction, with the closing of many brick and mortar retail stores. That’s why savvy shopping center developers are developing new strategies to compete and win against online retail.

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Retail Chicago Commercial Environment 263

HardHatChat

JUNE 3, 2019

Last month, our Englewood Construction business development team had a great trip to Las Vegas for RECon, the global retail real estate convention hosted annually by the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC). It was refreshing to hear RECon attendees be so open to new ideas and more inclusive when it comes to ICSC offerings.

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ICSC Retail Las Vegas Conference 59

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 said, state regulations do add some additional layers to the nuts and bolts of these projects.

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Retail Green Construction Regulation 296

HardHatChat

SEPTEMBER 26, 2018

For the most part, a commercial construction firm’s job is pretty straightforward. Here are three examples of when you should reach out to your commercial construction general contractor. Here are three examples of when you should reach out to your commercial construction general contractor. Before You Select A Site.

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Commercial Contractors Construction Budget 410

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

JUNE 20, 2017

Coming out of the International Council of Shopping Centers’ RECon convention in Las Vegas last month, there’s been a lot of conversation in the media around the future of retail development. 2) Vehicles to “Drive” Mall Traffic. 2) Vehicles to “Drive” Mall Traffic.

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Retail IDEA Las Vegas Spirit 288

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 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

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

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 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

APRIL 11, 2014

Like most businesses, the commercial construction industry is a relationship business. The best work is typically done when a project is viewed as a partnership between a client and commercial general contractor. 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

JULY 15, 2014

to create better foot-traffic flow and help struggling retailers. Many shopping centers owners have difficulty leasing or keeping consistent retail tenants in certain portions of their shopping mall. More importantly, this demographic concentration would appeal to retailers such as toy stores or a children’s clothing store.

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Leases Commercial Retail Contractors 264

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

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. A properly-sized commercial general contractor is going to maintain a certain amount of overhead.

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Commercial Bidding Negotiation Construction 281

HardHatChat

JULY 23, 2012

While most of us will accept delayed Olympic news due to the time zone difference, the same isn’t true when working with international brands and new retail construction. The other year we were building a handful of stateside stores for Michael Hill, a New Zealand-based jewelry retailer, which is 16 hours ahead of Chicago. So at 7 p.m.

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Retail Michigan Chicago Zoning 207

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

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

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

SEPTEMBER 20, 2023

With a number of traditional retailers closing locations or going out of business, they are leaving millions of square feet behind for redevelopment. Our first experience with this was turning an old Kmart into a mixed-use retail development. This adaptive reuse trend is now extending to abandoned big-box buildings.

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Retail Commercial Construction Illinois 156

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. We weren’t sure how many of you would find Hard Hat Chat, or keep reading after our first blog post, Retail Development and Construction: Getting Started.

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Commercial San Antonio Retail Construction 221

HardHatChat

JUNE 26, 2018

At Englewood Construction, we’re proud to say we’ve already been “on tour” with American Girl for the last 10 years, working with the popular retail brand to build, remodel and maintain American Girl Place stores across the country. Grand Entrances (And Tight Squeezes).

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New York City New York Retail Construction 270

HardHatChat

MAY 16, 2017

Hopefully, we’ll see some of those fresh young graduates heading toward a career in commercial construction. I’ll be watching to see how you find your path and leave your own mark on the commercial construction industry. Part of the reason I say this is the current hiring situation in the construction industry. Tel: 847-233-9200 x712.

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Commercial Construction Contractors Management 344

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

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 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

APRIL 30, 2012

When working on a commercial construction retrofit , you never know what items you may come across. to be more centrally located to our staff and Chicago commercial construction projects. The best commercial general contractors can find the right HVAC team to do that job. More specifically it was from the room where O.J.

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Commercial Chicago Construction Office 273

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

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

FEBRUARY 14, 2024

As anyone in the commercial construction industry knows, reliable, responsive, and skilled subcontractors are the lifeblood of our business. If you would like to learn more about Englewood’s successful approach to commercial construction projects or discuss your next initiative, reach out to us here.

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Commercial Construction Schedule US 295

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