One-bedroom condos begin at $169,800, while three-bedroom City Homes start at $269,800 and four-bedroom Row Homes are priced from $439,800. “The Row Homes might command a price of $1 million or more on the North Side,” Davis said.

The autonomous quadrotors each have a gripper mounted on their underside that can lift and place either horizontal or vertical components.

The components snap together with the aid of magnets, and the quadrotors can jiggle the beams to ensure they are correctly in position.

This depends on many different factors, but it’s still a question you should always ask yourself before looking for a contractor to do the work. Ask Yourself These Questions:

What is your skill set? If you do it, will it look good? Don’t sacrifice saving some money for poor quality. If you aren’t confident that you can complete the project and be satisfied with it, don’t do it.
How much of your free time will it take to complete the job? Lately, I have begun to realize that my time is worth quite a bit of money. If it’s going to take me two or three weekends to complete a project and it would take a contractor one day to complete the project, then I am going to pay the contractor to do it. This is why I paid for a landscaper to come out and rip out all of the old and dead plants in my back yard, rip out dead grass, and re-plant sod and new plants. He did it in a matter of hours with a crew, and it would have taken me several full weekends to complete all of the tasks he performed. The money was well spent.
Do you like working on home projects? If home projects aren’t your thing, it will probably show in the quality of your work. Even if you don’t have a great skill set but you are willing and eager to learn a new trade, you will probably create a better finished product than someone who hates doing home projects.

The answer depends on whether you want to work with GCs to develop Design/Build projects. If you do, you must first understand the differences between the two main delivery systems used: plan/spec and Design/Build. Each method has its advantages and disadvantages, and, depending on which one a general contractor uses, can have a serious impact on your project experience and bottom line.

Plan/Spec

According to some statistics available from the Design/Build Institute of America (DBIA) and McGraw Hill 2000, the market penetration of traditional plan/spec (today it’s evolved into Design/Bid/Build) has been steadily declining since 1985. In fact in the Year 2000, this delivery method accounted for 54% of the market (in 1985 it accounted for 82%) and it is projected that by 2015 it will represent only 35%.

By definition the plan/specification construction delivery system begins with the owner hiring an architectural/engineering (A/E) firm which prepares all the plans and specifications for a project. When those plans are approved, the A/E sends out a request for bids and typically takes the low dollar bid from a general contractor. The owner lets separate contracts for design and construction.

The advantages of this process: it provides a low-risk methodology and is the established way to do things. Furthermore, plan/spec is suitable for competitive bidding where the A/E works directly with the owner. Because of the extensive litigation that has occurred using this delivery method, there are well-established legal precedents, plus there are no legal barriers in procurement and licensing. And last, but certainly not least, insurance and bonding are well defined.

The disadvantages include: the owner must manage two separate contracts and handle all disagreements between parties. Plus, the owner bears the risk for the design adequacy. Inherent in this process is the issue of each party having its own agenda and/or objective ¯ which may or may not coincide with the owner’s needs.

Design/Build

The Design/Build delivery method has been on a steady increase, with regard to its penetration into the marketplace. Once again, we turn to statistics provided by the Design/Build Institute of America and McGraw 2000: In 1985, Design/Build held just a five percent marketshare. In 2000 it was at 35%, and is projected to hold a 55% position in 2015.

What is Design/Build? Simply stated, it’s a project delivery method where the owner executes a single agreement (contract) with one entity (the Design/Builder) to provide design and construction services. True Design/Builders place themselves “at risk” for the financial and system performance of the building and its mechanical systems.

* The advantages of this methodology are many. Key among them:
* Design submission and pricing can be done at the proposal stage
* Contractors can provide owners more accurate pricing
* Design/Build is the fastest project delivery system.

In addition, Design/Build provides owners with one point of responsibility, removing them from the role of arbitrator and reducing the litigious aspect of construction project delivery. The A/E, the GC, and the constructor sit on the same team providing unified recommendations to the owner. In fact, because of this, the Design/Build method encourages design innovations and options from which an owner can select, making it a very cost effective delivery system.

Like anything else, there are a number of disadvantages to this delivery method, including things like barriers in some states with regard to procurement and licensing. Because it’s so different from plan/spec, there really are no apples to apples comparisons that can be made and there is resistance from people not familiar with the approach.

General Contractors and Design/Build

Now that you see the basic differences between Design/Build and plan/spec, how does doing business with a GC benefit a Design/Build contractor? To answer this question, we need to understand how a GC thinks and works.

General contractors usually have a few “traits” that can affect your relationship with them. Many general contractors (GCs) are accustomed to being in control of their projects. And many have what is known as mixed houses — they do both plan/spec and Design/Build work, and often have their own unique perception of what Design/Build means. The fact is, many GCs are prone to mix the two delivery methods into what has become known as Design/Bid.

There are other factors as well. GCs typically are responsible for design integration, but the mechanical contractors pay for any mistakes. In the typical scenario, the GCs control the design team and establish the approval process. It’s during this process when the scope of design deficiencies is discovered.

The Design/Build process typically involves less review/approval time. The mechanical contractor has total liability for deficiencies.

GCs typically let the contracts to their subs. They drive the terms, are responsible for coordination of the sub-
contractors, and are in charge of all drawings and specifications. The
Design/Builder, on the other hand, provides the contract, handles the down payments, design fees, and the project timetable.

Keys to Working with GCs

OK, there are plenty of differences between the typical GC and a Design/Build mechanical contractor. So, why market to them?

There are four major reasons:

* Working with GCs shortens the sales cycle
* GCs often get repeat business
* There certainly is a common vocabulary between GCs and Design/Build mechanicals
* Working with GCs provides the
opportunity to access larger and more complex projects.

For GCs, there certainly are major drivers for them to consider Design/Build and work with us:

* Fast track construction provides for earlier project completion and earlier occupancy.
* Single-source responsibility makes project coordination easier and
reduces any disputes between design and installation.
* Design/build provides the owner with guarantees on price and system performance, neither of which is provided via the plan/spec process.

The best part for GCs is that there is less conflict, lower costs, increased quality, and an expanded ability for design innovation.

To work with a GC, mechanical contractors must educate themselves and understand the GC business process. They must understand the differences in how GCs and mechanicals approach the marketplace and find a middle ground from which to work together. It’s important that any GC you work with has a solid reputation. You can learn more about them by actually participating in their organizations. You need to learn to trust them and they you.

When it comes to working together on a Design/Build project, you must have a good foundation of the goals and mission of the project and should position Design/Build as the way to go before the project begins. In your defense, you should understand and abide by a set of “walk away” principles — if certain criteria aren’t met, then you walk away from doing the job.

In the end, is the general contractor a friend or foe? It depends on your niche, your relationship with the GC, and your marketing proficiency. If you can find a GC who will allow you to sell value and let you get involved in projects early enough, then they are a friend and both of you will benefit.

It is truly a shame, as the building was attractive and stood to be the bookend to the south loop. The finished product was absolutely beautiful, with stunning views of the lake and city. In the end the buyers were unable to close on their dream homes, and were offered a reduced earnest money refund.

I’m not sure why it has taken so long for them to decide what direction to take Lexington Park, but can only assume the delay is due to the incredible breaks they received in the transaction. Purchasing it for a fraction of the cost, with a no interest loan and a huge cash infusion, probably offers them little reason to move quickly. Only time will tell what will happen at Lexington Park, but I sure hope they move soon, as the vacant building with no lights, is an eyesore to the south loop.

In November, the Chicago Plan Commission approved a new “Halsted Triangle Plan” that “presents a dozen objectives to guide growth within the 16-block, triangle-shaped area bounded by Halsted Street, North Avenue and the Chicago River’s North Branch Canal,” home to approximately 1 million square feet of industrial space, 1.3 million square feet of commercial space, and 1,040 homes, says a city news release that finally hit news feeds this morning.

Among those objectives is the construction of a continuous walkway along the canal from North Avenue to Division Street.

From the release:

The plan’s objectives will reinforce their combined role as a buffer between the predominately residential uses to the east and north and the largely industrial uses to the west and south. To promote compatibility and quality-of-life enhancements within the study area, the plan targets several pedestrian-oriented improvements along local streets and the North Branch Canal. It also identifies key transit upgrades and presents design guidelines to ensure new buildings conform to the size and scale of existing structures.

Along with the riverwalk extension, the plan’s priorities include the development of new public transportation connections at Division and Orleans streets (a Brown Line station at last?), widened sidewalks along North, Halsted, and Clybourn, the development of public plazas on oddly shaped and hard-to-develop parcels, improved parking along Kingsbury and other streets, improved pedestrian access to the North / Clybourn Red Line stop, and new traffic signals at the North / Fremont and Halsted / Eastman intersections.