Development Services Can Lead the Way

June 15th, 2022

What if you have a quickly approaching closing date on a contract and need to know if you can execute a project? Or if you have spent money on a civil engineer and architect to produce drawings and schematic designs to find out the city will not let you pursue your vision?

Whether obstacles arise during a project or assistance is needed as a project is just getting underway, Galloway’s development services team can help navigate the process, potentially saving time, money, and frustrations.

“It is important to engage with a group that has a deep understanding of the life cycle of a project,” said Nate Abbott, Galloway’s senior development services project manager. “Our development services team does a lot of upfront due diligence that helps set the tone and cadence for the rest of the development, but also helps expose any potential red flags.”

Galloway’s development services program is a specialized offering. It comprises nine individuals with decades of professional experience in the AEC industry, allowing them to create a unique playbook specific to each client and project.

With this playbook, our team can guide and support the client through their unique and often-challenging development process.

This starts with understanding the client’s requirements to determine Galloway’s role in the process, whether that is a significant leadership role or a more supportive role if clients already have in-house development managers.

Understanding a client’s needs also means asking the right questions: What do you want to do with the land? What is the ultimate end goal? What is your timeline? Are you under contract? Is it zoned appropriately? Will the city support the project?

These questions allow Galloway to educate the client about land use codes, local processes, and contractual conditions that the project might involve and conduct the necessary upfront due diligence.

“We take a full 360 view of the site and engage early on with the municipality to figure out what the process will look like,” said Abbott.

This involves determining and understanding: the level of support from the city; necessary entitlement, permitting, and easements; land-use codes; pre-application meetings with a municipality; feasibility and site investigation reports.

These due diligence measures allow our team to recognize obstacles and work through them before they become a problem. For example, if a city opposes a project for any reason, our team will dig deeper to understand why and develop a strategy to move forward.

For example, a city did not initially support a single-family residential project because it was believed the neighborhood would not want more single-family housing. Our team worked with land use attorneys, engaged in public affairs, and held conversations with council members to determine if the neighborhood truly did not accept the proposed project and, if so, what adjustments would need to be made to gain support.

Suppose there are obstacles not within Galloway’s scope of work, such as environmental issues. In that case, Galloway can still aid the client by procuring proposals from other professionals, identifying needed reports and associated fees, and defining the scope of work.

Throughout the development services process, Galloway collaborates diligently with the numerous stakeholders, leverages the relationships within municipalities developed over the years, and draws on a wealth of experience to keep the project moving forward in a timely and efficient manner.

“We are the single point of contact,” said Abbott. “We work across multiple disciplines and are focused on understanding the client’s needs and how we can partner with them to ensure their project is efficient and successful.”