In 2020, Austin Skin (a dermatology practice located in Smithville) was looking to enter the Austin market. After a thorough search, AQUILA’s tenant representation team helped secure a brand new retail location in shell condition in the Spicewood/Bee Cave area. Our team successfully negotiated the lease and secured a TI allowance for Austin Skin.
Because of this successful transaction and working relationship, our client chose to hire AQUILA’s project management team to handle its design and build-out.
Additionally, Austin Skin was able to secure a construction loan to complete the project.
Challenges
The construction market was extremely competitive and over-occupied in Central Texas, so we chose to hire a general contractor early in the design process. This foresight allowed the team to get timely and accurate feedback on constructability and costs for the design as it was developing. We realized the project was going to end up significantly over budget and at a greater expense to the client than the amount of the construction loan in place.
The pandemic was also in full force in the early days, which meant the rules and regulations regarding construction as an essential business were changing on a daily basis. This caused delays and uncertainty – both of which led to further cost issues.
Construction documents were already completed and submitted for permit. We wanted to help our clients open up for business as early as possible and avoid downtime, so we pushed forward with construction while working to find answers to the problems at hand.
Results
AQUILA and the project team worked with our client over the Christmas and New Year holidays in order to value engineer the project. Austin Skin wanted aesthetically pleasing materials for the space and had an overall design concept in mind that was crucial to maintain and deliver. We were able to switch out the flooring, lighting, finish selections, and means/methods of construction to fit the budget and aesthetic needs.
Overcoming construction costs, navigating daily changes to construction regulations due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and guiding Austin Skin to more cost-effective material selections without sacrificing their vision ultimately resulted in a project that met Austin Skin’s absolute satisfaction. Our client was thrilled with the end result and the fact that we managed to finish the project as quickly as possible for the smallest out-of-pocket impact.
| More Details | |
| Property Name | Austin Skin at Colinas Crossing |
| Architect | Sixth River |
| General Contractor | Sabre Commercial |
| Square Footage | 3,120 |
| Schedule | 2 Months |
| Completion | March 2021 |
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