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Bohler Land Survey
BohlerContent PartnerFeaturesIndustrialMidwestMixed-UseMultifamilyNortheastRetailSoutheastTexasWestern

Improved Land Surveys, Due Diligence Can Ensure Development Project Success

by Sarah Daniels

Due diligence — particularly land surveying — can be a slow, cumbersome process if a project lacks strong guidelines based on the owner or developer’s particular needs. It can be easy to overprepare for the wrong site or underprepare for the succession of steps needed for the right site. REBusiness spoke to two land surveying experts, Billy Logsdon, divisional director of surveying, and Tom Teabo, associate and regional survey manager. Both work for Bohler, a land development consulting and site design firm, and both have strong insights on how to incorporate each step in the due diligence process elegantly within a well-planned approach. Due diligence such as American Land Title Association (ALTA) surveys and gathering topographic information can be time-consuming and expensive steps — making it beneficial to fit their timing into the larger project in a way that reflects the client’s needs — from the purchase of land to development completion. Logsdon and Teabo highlight the importance of streamlining the survey process and getting owners and developers better results based on their desired outcomes, often starting with the information already available about the site early in the process. REBusiness: What is slowing down survey due diligence, in your experience, and do …

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Parking Lot Aerial Bohler Shopping Center Retail
BohlerContent PartnerDevelopmentFeaturesMidwestNortheastRetailSoutheastTexasWestern

Converting Underutilized Parking Can Revitalize Shopping Centers

by Sarah Daniels

Shopping center owners and property managers throughout the United States are exploring opportunities to increase foot traffic by transforming excess parking into restaurants, entertainment venues, neighborhood amenities and even multifamily uses. “In our experience, nearly every shopping center that’s not grocery-anchored is going through a process to reassess the amount of parking they have, the amount of parking they need and alternative ways to develop those parking areas to add value,” says Cornelius Brown, a principal in the Pennsylvania offices of Bohler, a land development consulting and site design firm. With more than 30 offices across the Eastern and Central United States, Bohler has helped many of its clients with parking conversions ranging from single pad site creation to comprehensive, property-wide redevelopment. Municipalities Onboard Landlords have been carving out parcels for standalone retailers, restaurants and other uses for years, but the trend is accelerating as more and more municipalities ease minimum parking requirements. Parking-reduction advocates have argued that offering fewer spaces reduces environmental impacts associated with heat islands and stormwater runoff. Others contend it promotes the use of mass transit and ridesharing, which can reduce vehicle emissions and, in the case of bars and restaurants, may reduce incidents of impaired …

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Life Sciences Innovation Districts Danvers quote
BohlerContent PartnerDevelopmentFeaturesLife SciencesMidwestMultifamilyNortheastSoutheastTexasWestern

Part 2: How to Promote Collaboration, Efficiency in Life Sciences Innovation Districts Via Design

by Sarah Daniels

In the biotech and pharmaceutical sectors, life sciences innovation districts have become hubs not only for research and development but also for cooperation and inspiration between cohorts. These districts, often called innovation districts, collect together companies, research institutions, supporting entities, housing and more. Innovation districts necessitate meticulous planning and design strategies to promote scientific inquiry and efficiency. “Municipalities, schools, corporations and organizations that have close ties to their state are piloting life sciences innovation district development, allowing them to group otherwise separated uses — work, recreation, living areas and more — together. When you pair these institutions and include innovative site and building programming in a single location, you move beyond disconnected projects and amenities to a united innovation district that can magnify benefits across organizations,” explains Dan Danvers, a landscape architect project manager with Bohler, a land development consulting and site design company. This article is the design-focused component of our two-part series on life sciences innovation districts. If you would like to read about the planning component of these complex developments, please read our first article here. Moving Life Sciences Innovation Districts Forward Innovation districts must keep pace with evolving technologies and research. Life sciences industries are continually progressing, …

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Bohler Life Science Planning
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Part 1: Life Sciences Innovation Districts — Planning Optimizes Development, Fosters Collaboration

by Sarah Daniels

Life sciences-anchored innovation districts are becoming increasingly popular as hubs for research and development in the biotech and pharmaceutical industries. These districts, also known as “innovation districts,” are characterized by clusters of companies, research institutions, supporting organizations, living areas, amenities and offices all located in close proximity. This grouping requires detailed planning and design strategies to maximize their potential for scientific exploration and success on an enormous, ambitious scale. Master planning and engaging site civil engineering partners early on in the process can save time and money once a project reaches the design stage. This article is the first installment in a two-part series on life sciences innovation districts to discuss, first, the planning, and, then, the design elements required by these districts. Read about design in Part 2, here. Fostering innovation, collaboration and productivity is at the heart of planning for life sciences innovation districts. The successes of famous examples such as North Carolina’s Research Triangle Park, Kendall Square in Cambridge, Mass. and Mission Bay in San Francisco indicate how beneficial a melting-pot mix of residential, commercial and research spaces can be when they concentrate talent from research institutions, life sciences innovators, universities and the surrounding community. “Many life …

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Conventional Sites Gone Roberts quote
BohlerContent PartnerDevelopmentFeaturesMidwestMultifamilyNortheastRetailSoutheastTexasWestern

Savvy Developers Stay Active Even When the Easy Sites Are Gone

by Sarah Daniels

As vacant sites become rare and cost-prohibitive, commercial real estate developers need to be creative when it comes to bringing a new project out of the ground. Unconventional development sites offer cost savings and location advantages, and in-depth due diligence and creativity on the part of developers can make for sites that can allow an elegant union of lower costs and strategy. With limited room for delay, how can developers think critically about available sites and leverage existing conditions to their advantage? Katherine Roberts, senior project manager at Bohler’s Warrenton, VA office, and Gregory Roth, principal at Bohler’s Tampa office, offer their expert advice on threading this needle. Bohler specializes in land development, especially making development work when conventional sites aren’t an option. Prioritizing Development Needs When Assessing Red Flags Certain project factors can be red flags if time or cost are obstacles to a developer, including These points of concern are usually knots that can be untangled if a developer has the time, money and appetite to move forward in spite of these interruptions, but each factor does bear watching. “Developers should understand where their limits are and where they’re willing to negotiate. Ideally, anything you’re developing should be …

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Data Center Development
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Data Center Developers Consider Unconventional Sites, Streamlining Strategies to Meet Immense Demand

by Sarah Daniels

Data center development is simultaneously growing by leaps and bounds as well as suffering from its own success. The easy-to-develop sites have been snapped up and demand for additional data and cloud services continues to grow, forcing developers to look beyond the obvious locations for sites. This can entail running into less-than-obvious delays in the development process. Data centers reliably store and transmit the deluge of information that makes modern life possible. The factors driving the need for data centers — enterprise demand for cloud services, dependence on 5G cell networks, artificial intelligence technology, edge computing capabilities, social media use and streaming needs — will continue to grow exponentially in the coming years. According to a September 2022 report by advisory company Arizton, approximately 2,825 megawatts of power capacity will be added to the data center market in the next five years. The same report forecasts the U.S. data center construction market will reach $25 billion by 2027, up from $20 billion in 2021. Data centers are utility-intensive property types, and the sites that can support their formidable power, communication and water needs often require high-level considerations right from the start. How can the development process for such projects be streamlined …

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Retail Program Bohler Drive Thru_rev
BohlerContent PartnerDevelopmentFeaturesIndustrialMidwestMultifamilyNortheastOfficeRetailSoutheastTexasWestern

Retail Development Program Lessons Apply Across Property Types

by Sarah Daniels

Retail development programs have allowed retailers to streamline their goals by creating prototype models based on site particulars. This process saves developers and retailers money as they can be flexible in choosing models that work for each site without needing to alter layouts and features too much between builds. But what makes for successful prototypes and program standards? Can this approach work outside of the retail world? “The lessons of retail programs can apply across property types in this sense: land development consultants and site designers can learn how specific clients need their set of standards and guidelines implemented. It’s essential to thoroughly understand a program client’s procedures, and we’re expected to know these parameters inside and out,” says Steven T. Fortunato, a senior project manager at Bohler’s Rehoboth Beach office in Delaware. Bohler is a land development design and consulting firm that specializes in helping developers move their projects forward faster. “The retail program methodology translates well to other sectors. Starting off with either a new developer or a new client is an opportunity to learn their standards — or help the client create them. The end result must offer the same level of confidence whether the product is retail or …

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Crossroads-Commerce-Center-North-Brunswick-New-Jersey
BohlerDevelopmentIndustrialNew JerseyNortheast

Peak Construction Underway on 191,481 SF Industrial Project in North Brunswick, New Jersey

by Taylor Williams

NORTH BRUNSWICK, N.J. — General contractor Peak Construction is underway on Crossroads Commerce Center, a 191,481-square-foot industrial project located in North Brunswick, about 40 miles south of New York City. Building features will include a clear height of 40 feet, 130-foot truck court depths, 29 dock positions, two drive-in doors, 161 car parking spaces and 31 trailer parking spaces. Principal Asset Management is the developer of the project. Other project partners include construction manager D. Loeffler Consulting, Environetics Group Architects and Bohler Engineering. Completion is slated for May 2023.

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Construction Site
BohlerContent PartnerDevelopmentFeaturesMidwestNortheastSoutheastTexasWestern

Prep for Success: Site Civil Engineering Design Streamlines Construction, Avoids Snags

by Sarah Daniels

Can you dig it? Possibly, but site civil engineers can help determine if construction can rock on without running into rocky situations. Thorough site civil due diligence is the foundation for developing a project with minimal delays. Keeping land development projects moving forward — especially during construction — requires highly informed due diligence processes and expertise when it comes to approvals and plans. Site civil engineering design with constructability in mind can support general contractors while streamlining the overall bidding and construction process. But what are best practices when it comes to ensuring a successful project? REBusinessOnline spoke to two experts who specialize in high-quality construction documents: Benjamin Plumb, P.E. project manager, and Keith Simpson, director of engineering, work for Bohler, a land development consulting and technical design company. You Never Know What You’ll Find Before You Dig — However, These Tips Can Help Uncertainty is part of any development project, but Simpson outlines two scenarios that make up the majority of the challenges he sees: 1. Existing underground utilities that are not reflected in plans. 2. Soils that differ from what was expected from the geotechnical report. In some cases, slowdowns are unavoidable and will cause delays, but due diligence can …

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Bayer Headquarters at 67 Whippany Rd Whippany, NJ
BohlerContent PartnerDevelopmentFeaturesLife SciencesMidwestNortheastOfficeSoutheastTexasWestern

Life Sciences Developer Checklist: Processes to Accelerate Speed to Market

by Sarah Daniels

Combinations of offices with laboratories, research and development spaces and/or manufacturing areas make life sciences facilities highly customizable. These multipurpose, technical spaces are in high demand from companies seeking first-class facilities for research-based advancements. Low vacancies, high rents and the chance to convert unused office or retail spaces on a faster timeline have prompted some creative approaches to retrofit existing space to fulfill the needs of science and technology tenants. In other instances, facilities must be built from the ground up to conform to best practices. But what factors matter most to the life sciences field? And how can developers increase their speed to market? Read on for tips and checklists for developers hoping to speed up the process of building or retrofitting these facilities. Industry Drivers: Speed to Market and Flexibility Office conversions into life sciences facilities offer a variety of options. Life sciences facilities often do not need to accommodate large trucks (eliminating circulation and loading dock concerns), they use office components and (most importantly) office conversions offer faster speed to market than other types of conversions. “Speed to market is most important for these developers/tenants. There is a shortage of space, so a well-designed, spec building will …

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