After years of planning, the renovation and expansion of the world-famous soccer stadium, Camp Nou, home of FC Barcelona, is underway. Originally constructed in 1957, and enlarged in 1982, the capacity of the Future Camp Nou is being increased from approximately 98,000 to 105,000 spectators. The scope of the Espai Barca project goes well beyond additional seats however. It includes building a new Palau Blaugrana, a multipurpose venue with a capacity for 15K spectators for sporting events and 20K spectators for cultural events. This complex will include an annex arena with a capacity for 4K spectators and an ice rink… Read More
Adding to Boston’s growing life sciences market, the Allston LabWorks project will include roughly 530K sq. ft. of life sciences space, 20K sq. ft. of retail area, 35 residential units and 668 parking spaces. Located in the Allston neighborhood at 250, 280 and 305 Western Ave, sitework scope will also cover a 12K sq. ft. public plaza and a 5K sq. ft. landscaped open area. Building 250 will be 7 stories and contain laboratory and office spaces, as well as a restaurant and amenity areas. Building 280 will be a 6-level above ground parking structure adjacent to a residential building… Read More
One of several new Amazon office buildings in Bellevue, the 42-story tower at 555 108th Avenue will contain roughly 925K sq. ft. of Class A office space. The project includes ground floor retail and an adjacent 1-story retail pavilion; both structures will be built over a shared 5-level below grade parking garage. Terraces and balconies carve into the south façade of the tower at the east and west ends of level 18, providing usable outdoor amenity space with outstanding views. A roof top terrace space sits on level 42 along with the buildings illuminated spires. At the ground floor, site… Read More
Mr. Miller joined Merritt & Harris in 2019 bringing experience from his twenty-five year career working with developers, architects, and engineering firms. He has specialized in historic preservation and restoration projects. Mr. Miller shares his time at JLL between the Review Group and the Construction Monitoring division, where he is a Project Manager. His responsibilities include the pre-construction review of design documents and specifications, as well as the oversight and documentation of construction with the review of project compliance, analysis of budgets and requisitions, assessment of construction timeframe feasibility, anticipation of risk related to overall project conditions. Jack’s early career… Read More
Current Responsibilities: Based in New York City, Ms. Joseph performs plan and specification reviews, on-site monitoring of renovation and new construction projects, and property condition assessments. Experience: Paulie M. Joseph joined JLL as a Project Manager in 2019. Ms. Joseph served as an Assistant Project Manager for Lemle & Wolff Construction Corp., from 2017 to 2019. She evaluated current building conditions for scope development, managed project documents and communicated trade buyout issues for new construction projects. Education and Affiliations: Paulie M. Joseph earned a Bachelor of Civil Engineering degree from The City College of New York, NY in 2006.
Current Responsibilities: Based in New York City, Mr. Styles is a Project Manager with JLL’s PDS Group. His responsibilities include in-depth review of plans and specifications for renovations and new construction projects, and property condition assessments. Experience: Prior to JLL/Merritt & Harris Mr. Styles worked as a Senior Project Engineer at DeSimone Consulting Engineers from 2014 to 2019. His experience includes the analysis and design of mid-rise and high-rise buildings in fast-tracked residential, commercial, and mixed-use structural systems, preparation of structural plans and specifications, coordination of structural design with clients, project architects, and design team members from inception through construction…. Read More
Jörg Flachowsky, RA+LEED has been promoted to Senior Project Manager
Deb McKay has been promoted to Senior Project Manager
Jill Hodson has been promoted to Senior Project Manager
Joe Repole has been promoted to Senior Project Manager
We are privileged to work the restoration and conversion of historic landmark TWA Airline Terminal into a 512-room hotel and conference center. New construction will consist of two 7-story guest towers (North and South Towers) interconnected via tunnels, to a two-level below grade conference facility (“Conference Center”) and to the former TWA terminal that will contain the hotel lobby, multiple dining and cocktail lounges, retail, and ballroom/event space. Amenities will include valet parking, fitness center, and rooftop pool terrace. Although we did not monitor the work, in addition to the buildings, there is “Connie” a restored Connie L -1649 only… Read More
New Yorkers and others who remember the old Penn Station were aghast at its demolition in 1963 after being in service for only 50 years. The replacement has always been considered a failure, too small to accommodate the passenger load. The late Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan began lobbying for a replacement over 20 years ago, using the unused part Farley Post Office, a glorious Beaux-Arts building designed by McKim Mead and White and constructed in 1914. The new Train station hub, will connect and function with the platform level, with various public/commuter related services The new station’s concourse will be larger… Read More
JLL/Merritt & Harris has been and continues to be the leading provider of construction monitoring of Stadiums, Arenas and Ballparks nationwide and (with international capability) through our offices in New York City, Los Angeles and South Florida. Projects under construction or recently completed include: LA Rams/Chargers Las Vegas Raiders (Allegiant Stadium) Texas Rangers Belmont Arena Milwaukee Bucks DC United FC Cincinnati LAFC Stadium Braves Training Facility Seattle’s Key Arena Chase Center – Golden State Warriors Summerlin Ballpark in Nevada FC Barcelona Sports Campus Redevelopments – Nou Camp Stadium, Johan Cryuff Stadium and Nou Palau Sports Arena Over the last decade… Read More
JLL was privileged to work on many parts of the Hudson Yards Redevelopment in New York City. It is the largest private real estate development in the United States by area, generally spanning area between 11th and 12th Avenues in the Hell’s Kitchen and Chelsea neighborhoods and constructed over the Long Island Railroad’s storage yard of which we monitored the construction of the East Platform which forms the ground floor of the development. The other buildings we provided monitoring for are: Tower A (30 Hudson Yards), and Retail The tower consists of the core and shell construction of a 2,886,631… Read More
US Builders Review Merritt & Harris Construction Consultants (M&H) Representing lenders and investors in high-profile construction since 1937 Written by: Jeanee Dudley Produced by: Nick Randall http://www.usbuildersreview.com/case-studies/merritt-harris-construction-consultants-mh/
by Michael J. Dwyer, Principal and Head of Plan, Cost & Review Group Construction costs are starting to creep up in most major markets. Arena and stadium costs are also increasing. Many construction costs related to stadiums, arenas, and ballparks are higher than standard construction, due to many factors. A typical new stadium is often built adjacent to an existing stadium and the sequencing of demolition of the old, to make way for the new, often brings challenges. Some of the stadiums are built on a footprint that actually encompasses a portion of the old footprint, so sequencing of the… Read More
by Michael J. Dwyer, Principal and Head of Plan, Cost & Review Group A leading indicator of future non-residential construction spending hit a seven-month high in September 2013, which has many experts predicting a greater-than-expected 17% boost in commercial construction in 2014. The Architecture Billings Index (ABI) produced by the American Institute of Architects continued to accelerate in the fourth quarter of 2013. Improvements in the bank lending environment will help the anticipated growth. A number of investment alternatives are also providing the financing of commercial construction projects. Overseas investors, such as those that comprise EB5 funds, are contributing to… Read More
by Michael J. Dwyer, Principal and Head of Plan, Cost & Review Group In many careers, it is not always common to meet and work with a great person. In my short career at Merritt & Harris, Inc. I have actually had the opportunity to work with 2 great men; Buzz Harris and Tom Richard. Both of these men were true leaders, mentors, and great friends. Tom Richard is a true friend and was always a great leader. He took the reigns of Merritt & Harris at a time when the construction industry was in tough shape. Tom brought the… Read More
by William McCallion, AIA, LEED AP, Manager of Quality Control & Training Has the time of high-rise prefabrication finally arrived? Why has the construction industry been so late to the prefabrication party? The automotive, aerospace and even shipbuilding industries have been doing it for decades by utilizing sophisticated 3-D computer modeling to further perfect their design and assembly. Of course, the overriding advantage in these industries is the size of the companies and the number of units they produce. Unlike other industries, building construction tends to be more fragmented with few companies reaching the national or international market; most are… Read More
by Mike Dwyer, Principal, M&H Cost & Review Group At the height of the economic downturn, more than 700 construction projects were idled across New York City’s five boroughs, according to the city’s Department of Buildings. Three years later, new construction has returned, and many of the once idled projects are being redeveloped; some are being repurposed. Over $20 billion worth of new construction starts occurred in 2012, primarily due to the groundbreaking of the first office tower at Hudson Yards, for which we are proud to provide construction review and monitoring services. Since the beginning of 2013, another $8.5… Read More
We encourage you to check out this article on current trends in sustainability: http://www.constructiondive.com/news/new-leed-guide-targets-efficiency-in-historic-buildings/111651/
by Mike Dwyer, Principal, M&H Cost & Review Group Optimism prevails among architects and engineers as new construction planning appears to be increasing. The Architectural Billing Index (ABI), an indicator of construction work entering the pipeline due to active projects on the boards of architectural offices, is rising steadily and shows the strongest growth since 2007. Improved design coordination and competitive pricing by prospective contractors bode well for budgeting of construction projects. At Merritt & Harris, analyzing a construction budget goes much deeper than just analyzing the numbers. Each trade line item is reviewed based upon the plans, specifications, and… Read More
by Mike Dwyer, Principal, M&H Cost & Review Group Construction Outlook Improving? The design and construction industry seems to have mixed views on the outlook for the remainder of 2012 and 2013. An increase in demand for industrial facilities so far this year, along with sustained demand for hotels and retail projects, factors into what projects to be a modest (5%+/-) rise in spending this year for nonresidential construction projects. Construction costs through 2012 have increased. Material prices have steadily increased throughout the year, pushing contractor margins (fees) lower to be competitive. With increased technology, such as BIM, there is… Read More
On the first night of M&H Days, the principals of the firm hosted a 75th Anniversary cocktail party and dinner at The Ketch Restaurant in Manhattan. The gala celebration provided an opportunity for staff members of the three offices to mingle and get to know each other in a relaxed and upbeat atmosphere. President & CEO, Manny Kratsios, spoke briefly and thanked all of the employees for their efforts in contributing to Merritt & Harris’ 75 years of providing exceptional consulting services. Sylvia Cowie, who has been with the firm the longest (33 years), holds the anniversary cake in the… Read More
On September 28th, 2012, the billion-dollar Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., opened with a Jay-Z concert and lots of hoopla. The rapper is an enthusiastic promoter of the borough of Brooklyn and a minority owner of the Brooklyn Nets, the NBA team that was relocated from New Jersey. By all accounts the arena and the evening were a big success with many stars among the wild and excited audience. Jim Cockinos, AIA, M&H Sports’ Senior Associate, who served as our Project Manager during construction, was in attendance. Barclays Center is the 34th professional sports facility monitored by M&H Sports to… Read More
Continuing its year-long celebration of its 75th Anniversary, Merritt & Harris, Inc. sponsored a gathering of its alumni and current employees on May 24, 2012 at Ryan Maguire’s Ale House in Manhattan’s Financial District. Manny P. Kratsios, President & CEO, welcomed those who once worked at M&H, thanking them for their contributions to the long-term success of the firm. Many of the “old-timers” now contribute the experience learned at M&H as employees of other construction consulting firms or with lending institutions. Mr. Kratsios asked those in attendance to share in a moment of prayer in remembrance of the firm’s past… Read More
We encourage to check out this article on current trends in residential construction: http://www.citylab.com/housing/2012/05/top-us-cities-new-home-construction/1935/
M&H President & CEO Manny Kratsios has announced the promotion of James Mako, P.E. to Senior Associate and his appointment as the new Branch Manager of the firm’s Deerfield Beach, Florida office. Mr. Mako holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering from Florida Atlantic University and is a registered Professional Engineer in Florida. Jim joined M&H in 2007 as Project Manager after closing his own firm. He has performed as the construction consultant on several significant M&H projects including the Dallas Cowboys Stadium and the Scrub Island Resort in Tortola, BWI. Mr. Mako succeeds Michael J. Dwyer, Principal,… Read More
Each year during the holiday season, it is customary for Merritt & Harris, Inc. to honor employees for their length of service to the firm in increments of 5 years. At the firm’s Holiday Party in New York and at a special luncheon for the honorees, Manny P. Kratsios, President & CEO, recognized Mary Anne Brennan, Proofreader, and Tom Richard, AIA, Principal, Director of Marketing and former President & CEO, for 30 years of service. He, also, honored William J. Doody, Principal and CFO, for 25 years of service; William McCallion, AIA, LEED AP, Manager of Quality Control & Training… Read More
By William McCallion, AIA, LEED AP, Manager of Quality Control & Training The emerging technology of BIM (Building Information Modeling) holds the prospect for a paradigm shift in the way buildings are designed and built. Enabled by the increasing availability of greater and cheaper computing power, Designers and Contractors are more empowered to record their visualizations to greater and greater degrees. BIM is one of the outcomes. Simply put, BIM is a virtual 3-D model of the building; however, it doesn’t stop there. In addition, there is, also, 4-D and 5-D, which is basically attaching information such as scheduling and… Read More
by Tom Richard, AIA A few years ago, in anticipation of an upcoming executive retreat, the facilitator distributed questionnaires to the would-be participants. One of the questions was, “What would you like to be known for in your industry?” I remember my response was, “I’d like to be known as an expert in something – anything.” One day during my tenure as the President & CEO of Merritt & Harris, Inc., I received a phone call from a person purporting to be an employee of the BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) radio. The person informed me that the talk show he… Read More
by Michael J. Dwyer, Principal, Cost & Review Group Leader New construction has not seen the recovery that was hoped for this year, but there is a bright spot emerging. Rental apartment buildings are anticipated in a number of larger cities, and the demand for these apartments is growing. There are many indications that rental apartments will be in demand over the next three years as the housing crash has caused displaced homeowners to look for other living arrangements. The appeal of homeownership has, also, lost its luster, because of the “recession” and many would-be buyers are seeing rentals as… Read More
We encourage you to check out this article on current trends in Mexico’s hospitality industry: http://www.hvs.com/article/5328/mexicos-growing-need-for-business-oriented-branded-hotels/
by Mike Dwyer, Principal Office to Rental Residential Trade Unit Cost Unt % of Total Demolition $3.98 Total Bldg. SF 4.4% Exterior Enclosure $17.53 Exterior SF 10.7% Interior Finishes $32.76 Bldg. Equiv. SF 33.0% Elevators $7,500 Elevator stops 0.8% Plumbing $9.96 Bldg. Equiv. SF 10.0% HVAC $10.07 Bldg. Equiv. SF 10.1% Fire Protection $3.30 Bldg. Equiv. SF 3.7% Electrical $16.23 Bldg. Equiv. SF 16.3% General Cond. And Fees $0.11 % of Total 11.0% Construction costs are starting to increase primarily due to the cost of materials. Material costs from steel shapes to aluminum and copper are seeing year over year… Read More
by Tom Richard, AIA, Principal The United States will finally get its first purpose-built Formula 1 race track. Named “Circuit of the Americas,” the 3.4 mile circuit and its associated architectural and entertainment facilities are beginning to take shape on a 970 acre site in southeast Austin, Texas. After an absence of five years, an official United States Grand Prix will be held at the track in 2012. Formula 1 United States, the race track’s developer, has, in fact, secured the rights to conduct the US Grand Prix until 2021 from the FIA, the sport’s international sanctioning body. The developer has… Read More
We encourage you to check out this article on current trends in real estate: http://nreionline.com/content/design-without-borders
The “W” word is one that lenders would rather not utter. But the reality of the recent economic morass and its effect on uncompleted construction projects, and, therefore, their underlying loans, is that workouts are inevitable as more projects become troubled. Construction lending carries a considerable amount of risk. Distressed and troubled properties, of course, differ in the nature of their problems and, consequently, in the construction lender’s path to hopefully salvaging some portion of return. The reasons for the troubles during construction are myriad, including poor management and significant schedule extensions; inadequate contract documents (which can lead to a… Read More
While commercial building owners seem to be relatively well informed regarding ways in which they can save energy, homeowners are less likely to be aware of the newer means and methods they can employ. M&H Observations staff asked Joseph Marciano, P.E., LEED AP, Senior Associate of Merritt & Harris’ Mechanical Engineering Group and its resident “green” guru, what devices are available to homeowners today that could save them significant dollars in the long run. Joe’s response was LED lighting and smart meters. LED lighting is covered in the lead article. Here is Joe’s explanation of smart meters: “Most people ‘run up a tab’ with their electrical utility, hoping that… Read More
We encourage you to check out this article on current trends in sustainable construction: http://greenglobe.com/green-globe-certification/
by Mike Dwyer, Principal Office to Rental Residential Construction costs are starting to increase primarily due to the cost of materials. Material costs from steel shapes to aluminum and copper are seeing year over year increases of 3.5-9.0%. New commercial construction is starting to see glimmers of hope for a modest recovery, as we said in our last newsletter, but there is still no clear image of the light at the end of the tunnel. In recent months, we have been engaged to review and monitor a number of conversion projects. Although many traditional workouts are still being classified as… Read More
With the advent of LEED, Green Globe, and a myriad of other real estate-related energy conservation programs, interest in new building-applicable technology abounds. New products continue to bombard the investor and building owner, many of which, it seems, are destined to be outmoded before they gain acceptability. Some, however, have the potential of impacting the “green building” market for years to come. We’ve put together a list of the new products that we at Merritt & Harris, Inc. believe have the potential of piquing the energy-conscious building owner ‘s curiosity during 2011. Solar Energy Improvements and innovations in solar energy… Read More
We encourage you to check out this article on current trends in construction: http://www.multifamilyexecutive.com/design-development/in-some-markets-its-now-cheaper-to-build-than-buy-1_o
by Michael J. Dwyer, Principal, M&H Cost & Review Group Tough times for the construction industry continue to support last year’s forecasts of an overall 7 percent decline in non-residential construction spending for the United States. Despite forecasts for a subdued economic recovery and a relative scarcity of nonresidential building construction, construction costs, year over year, have generally risen by roughly 2-3 percent. This increase reflects the actual cost of materials and labor. However, with limited construction activity, contractors are submitting bids at reduced rates to get work. For a developer, this can be a good thing and some developers… Read More
Sports venues often bring national attention to regional foods. Chicago’s Soldiers’ Field is known for “brats” (bratwurst, not difficult children) and AT&T Park in San Francisco brought us garlic fries. And what would an Eagles or Phillies broadcast be without a shot of a tailgater grilling cheese steaks? The New Meadowlands Stadium, recently completed home of the NFL’s Jets and Giants, now serves a food product unknown beyond the borders of the Garden State – the Taylor Pork Roll sandwich. Taylor Ham, as it’s called in North Jersey, or just “pork roll” in South Jersey, is nearly impossible to find… Read More
Finally, after four pre-season football games, a collegiate lacrosse tournament, several Bon Jovi concerts, and an international futbol game (US vs. Brazil), the New Meadowlands Stadium opened “for real” on Sunday, September 12, 2010, with the NY Giants playing the Carolina Panthers. The stadium then held its second “real” game in record time, with the NY Jets playing the Baltimore Ravens on Monday Night Football the very next day. It’s good to get the regular NFL season going, because the stadium is, after all, a football stadium first and foremost. The Giants had a happy opening, winning 31-18, while the… Read More