The Importance of Facility and Space Planning
Plante & Moran CRESA’s recent survey of schools and municipalities revealed that, on average, community facilities in Southeast Michigan are at least 42 years old. This is significant because many of these buildings were only designed to have a 30-year useful life. As a result, these institutions are forced to spend considerable funds maintaining these older buildings. We all can appreciate that the tighter budgets become, the more difficult it is to come up with these funds.
Given their aging infrastructure, many schools and municipalities are beginning to evaluate their facilities. However, in considering the options, it is important to answer three questions: (1) Is your facility a focus within your community? (2) How will the services you provide evolve in the future? And (3) what is the current attitude in your community regarding facilities?
Is your facility located in the heart of your community, or is it on the periphery? If it is located downtown, should it be? There’s no right or wrong answer to this question. Some municipalities might locate City Hall, for example, in the heart of downtown. Those governments want that building to be a focal point and believe it is important to be situated in the heart of the City. On the other hand, other municipalities might locate their Town Hall outside of downtown, hoping to spur economic development in that area. It’s important to decide if you’re attempting to drive development with your community, or if development is driving itself.
This is an extremely important consideration. Whatever you build, it’s crucial that the building support the services you provide and include adequate space to provide them. Or, does your current facility have excess capacity because your service platform and population demographic is different today than it was 30 or more years ago? Think about how the building will be used now and 10 years from now, and plan accordingly. For example, if your community is considering consolidation of services, you may not need as much space as if you were still offering those services yourself.
Are people in your community supportive of expanding facilities or moving locations? Do you have the money available to undertake such significant projects? Is there a champion within the community to lead these efforts? While evaluating cost-effectiveness is quantifiable, the other concerns are not; however, they’re just as important in determining how you should proceed with any facility renovation, expansion or relocation.
These projects are very complex; it’s likely that you may not have the staff expertise to handle all the project responsibilities. And while it may seem sensible to partner with an architect or a contractor, you may want to consider engaging the assistance of professionals who are independent of the construction or design of the project. It is generally recognized that projects that are managed by an independent owner/representative cost 10 percent to 20 percent less than those that are not.
Plante & Moran CRESA (Corporate Real Estate Service Advisors) serves as an unbiased advocate for you, providing time, resources, and expertise to each project. Our in-house architects, engineers, attorneys, financial advisors, urban planners and real estate professionals can assist you in carefully defining project objectives, applying a competitive selection process for those working on the project, and monitoring of project deliverables. We have no ownership or priority interests in services provided by architects or contractors; therefore, our advisory services are entirely free of conflict.
Your facility is one of your greatest assets. Need assistance? Plante & Moran CRESA helps organizations successfully complete projects on time and within budget and allow you to stay focused on the day-to-day issues that arise within your organization.
Given their aging infrastructure, many schools and municipalities are beginning to evaluate their facilities. However, in considering the options, it is important to answer three questions: (1) Is your facility a focus within your community? (2) How will the services you provide evolve in the future? And (3) what is the current attitude in your community regarding facilities?
Is your facility a focus within your community?
Is your facility located in the heart of your community, or is it on the periphery? If it is located downtown, should it be? There’s no right or wrong answer to this question. Some municipalities might locate City Hall, for example, in the heart of downtown. Those governments want that building to be a focal point and believe it is important to be situated in the heart of the City. On the other hand, other municipalities might locate their Town Hall outside of downtown, hoping to spur economic development in that area. It’s important to decide if you’re attempting to drive development with your community, or if development is driving itself.
How will the services you provide evolve?
This is an extremely important consideration. Whatever you build, it’s crucial that the building support the services you provide and include adequate space to provide them. Or, does your current facility have excess capacity because your service platform and population demographic is different today than it was 30 or more years ago? Think about how the building will be used now and 10 years from now, and plan accordingly. For example, if your community is considering consolidation of services, you may not need as much space as if you were still offering those services yourself.
What is the current attitude in your community regarding facilities?
Are people in your community supportive of expanding facilities or moving locations? Do you have the money available to undertake such significant projects? Is there a champion within the community to lead these efforts? While evaluating cost-effectiveness is quantifiable, the other concerns are not; however, they’re just as important in determining how you should proceed with any facility renovation, expansion or relocation.
Do you have the resources to help analyze the different options available?
These projects are very complex; it’s likely that you may not have the staff expertise to handle all the project responsibilities. And while it may seem sensible to partner with an architect or a contractor, you may want to consider engaging the assistance of professionals who are independent of the construction or design of the project. It is generally recognized that projects that are managed by an independent owner/representative cost 10 percent to 20 percent less than those that are not.
Plante & Moran CRESA can help!
Plante & Moran CRESA (Corporate Real Estate Service Advisors) serves as an unbiased advocate for you, providing time, resources, and expertise to each project. Our in-house architects, engineers, attorneys, financial advisors, urban planners and real estate professionals can assist you in carefully defining project objectives, applying a competitive selection process for those working on the project, and monitoring of project deliverables. We have no ownership or priority interests in services provided by architects or contractors; therefore, our advisory services are entirely free of conflict.
Your facility is one of your greatest assets. Need assistance? Plante & Moran CRESA helps organizations successfully complete projects on time and within budget and allow you to stay focused on the day-to-day issues that arise within your organization.
