Some large retail developments can take in $1 million or more in monthly revenues. With these types of revenues at risk, completing a development in the shortest amount of time is critical. Even if your development is smaller, getting customers through your doors, pulling in profits, and paying back your banker as soon as possible can have a big impact on your bottom line.

Anyone who has faced the pressure to develop knows how important it is to accelerate construction. The objectives are straightforward: your doors open sooner and fewer days are outstanding on loans. You might even be able to get the leg up on other developers who have competing projects in the area.

Here are some ideas to reduce your design, permit­ting, and construction time frame by as much as 30 percent.

Showstoppers. Issues that frequently delay a project include wetlands, traffic impacts, archaeologically sensitive areas, the need for zoning variances, delays in obtaining building and tax incentives, noise concerns, and opposition from the local municipality and residents. Perform a comprehensive review of these issues during your project’s concept phase, when they can be identified and addressed before you purchase land or commit to a lease time frame that you may not be able to meet. You may decide to avoid showstoppers entirely by selecting a new site where these factors are non-issues.

The Public. Opposition to a project can delay your approvals by months. Head these issues off at the pass. Hold an informal meeting to present your concept plan to the neighbors. Listen to their concerns and use their input to modify your design. Have a second meeting if necessary. With a small upfront investment, you may be able to breeze through your public meetings with little or no opposition.

Design-Build. This construction technique is ideal for fast-tracking a project. Design and construction are overlapped. There is no bidding period. Materials can be ordered, and construction begun, before the design documents are finalized. Best of all, a realistic construction budget can be worked up by the contractor so you can double-check the project’s financial feasibility before you break ground.

Factory Construction. This construction method allows you to simultaneously conduct site and building framework operations. While the site is being prepared, building components are assembled off-site, usually in an enclosed building. This method of construction utilizes the same building materials and labor found on any project site. When finished, the building components are transported to the project in sections where they are erected to form the finished facility.

Constructability Reviews. Make sure your project is buildable and biddable by having an independent contractor review your design drawings. This helps ensure that your project can be constructed with standard construction methods and materials and that your plans are clear and concise.

Dimensional Checks. For large, multi-story building projects, have a field engineer or surveyor check and close-out the building dimensions. Dimensions, particularly in a fast-track project, often do not match from one floor to another and from one discipline to another (architectural plans vs. structural vs. mechanical/electrical). This review avoids delays caused by anchor bolt misalignments and structural steel that is the wrong length.

Inspections and Commissioning. Before you accept the contractor’s work, make sure that you have documentation confirming that building systems function as designed. Verify that your heating, ventilation, pump station, intelligent building, telecommunication, fire alarm, and other critical systems work as intended. Otherwise, your tenants may not be able to occupy the building as scheduled and you may get hit with the bill.

Final Approvals. Once you have your final approvals in hand, move ahead quickly. The longer you wait to break ground, the greater the odds are that new regulations will set you back. In the last three years, new building codes, wetland regulations, storm water quality rules, and site plan and zoning ordinances have been enacted. Anyone who shelved their projects during this time frame may have to redesign and resubmit their plans for a new round of approvals. Lost time usually equals lost profits.

Other Time-savers. Use self-consolidating concrete, advance procurement of long-lead time materials, and standardization of your design details. Explore options to speed the delivery of materials to the site, even if it means working an alternate shift to avoid rush hour traffic. Expedite change orders and shop drawing approvals. Even look at night and double-shift work. The possibilities are endless if you think out-of-the-box.

“There are two items I find extremely helpful when time is of the essence. The first is getting the municipality to support the project. Having the support of the staff in charge of zoning, site plan approvals, and buildings is a tremendous asset. These are the people that make things happen, or not happen, during the approval phase. The second item is knowing the players, or who’s who in relation to the project. We look at who can help us and who can hurt us, whether it’s an elected official, a government agency (DOT, DEC, etc.), our financial partner, or a neighbor. We try to look at all of the angles first, predict who might be involved, and develop strategies to address their concerns.”

– Don Lasher, Vice President of Operations for Buckingham Properties

“To avoid delays, get municipality buy-in of the project. Also, investigate any governmental incentives that may be available and give yourself time to process them. With Design-Build projects, the advantage is that the budget can be established early to check the financial feasibility of the project.”

– Richard Le Frois, President of Le Frois Development