Services

We strive to be in the forefront of product and regional development trends in the mission critical space which provide lasting value for our customers that exceed their expectations. Our knowledge spans every aspect of the real estate development and ownership cycle. We plan, transact, create and position institutional-quality and market-based projects through a risk-managed process that consistently delivers projects on time and on budget.

Development | Project Management

The most important factor in the success of a development project is our focus on the customer’s requirements, balanced with investment, scope, schedule and cost objectives.  Our project leaders face a myriad of issues in developing complex projects within tight scope, cost, schedule and delivery criteria.  We prepare capital budgets and structure project management teams to anticipate risks along the project cycle, whether it be “scope creep,” weather delays, labor disputes, material supply delays, or changes in direction requested by customers.  Close communication and transparency with the customer and the entire project team are critical to the overall success of each project.  We typically manage the project from planning and ground-breaking through commissioning and handover with rigorous reporting.  The client is fully integrated into the process.   Our experience in data center development and project management spans the following products:

  • Colocation Cloud Centers
  • Enterprise Cloud Centers
  • Powered Building Shells
  • Owner and Tenant Custom Build-To-Suit Solutions
  • Interconnection

Our work focuses on managing complex mission critical projects from inception through occupancy, on time and on budget, largely through Owner Representation.   We work with the management and investment teams to establish and secure approval of the business case, advance market and financial analysis, scope, schedule and cost constraints.  Critical steps in the process include:

  • Establish Project Goals and Objectives
    • Program the project in terms of desired metrics, delivery schedules, incorporating client standards, meeting growth projections, and achieving efficiency targets
    • Develop baseline market and project design criteria development
    • Establish schedule and cost parameters
    • Advance market and financial proforma analysis
    • Supervise project team selection and management
  • Site Selection and Early-Stage Development
    • Evaluate site candidates to determine the optimal locations
    • Provide scalable, efficient tools and processes to improve delivery and communication
    • Apply 80-point evaluation matrix to filter key decision factors, assess site risks and opportunities
    • Lead entitlements and economic incentives negotiations process as requested
    • Lead real estate transactions and negotiating commercial agreements as requested
  • Design
    • Establish the project scope for design, construction build-out, voice/data/network cabling, furniture, security, move coordination
    • Integrate architecture, engineering, sustainability and technical operations specialists with the client team to provide innovative solutions towards achieving the most desired outcomes
    • Lead weekly project development meetings
    • Coordinate architectural and engineering programing, planning and design documents
    • Coordinate all building and municipal permitting issues
  • Pre-Construction
    • If the delivery schedule is of primary importance, we will recommend that the team select a general contractor and negotiate a construction agreement based on a GMP type of contract.
    • If the lowest possible construction cost is of primary importance, we will recommend that competitive bidding used to select the lowest cost qualified contractor.
    • Obtain all build-out and outside vendor cost and schedule estimates, and establish an overall project budget and schedule
      • Lead the negotiation and administration of all contracts
  • Equipment Procurement
    • Leverage our vendor and supplier relationships to get the best prices and lead teams on key equipment components
  • Construction
    • Manage the entire design, construction, consultant and vendor team to deliver project on schedule and within budget while managing risk factors
    • Manage weekly meetings to ensure adherence to contract documents and client requirements
    • Provide regular reports and budget updates
    • Review and negotiate vendor payment applications and change orders
    • Manage punch lists and obtain certificates of completion
    • Ensure appropriate close-out documentation is obtained in a timely manner
  • Commissioning
    • Engage a third party commissioning agent to fully test and certify each project
  • Transition from Construction to “Go-Live” Operations
    • Leverage the internal operations team and experience operating facilities.
    • Engage operations team to participate in close out, commissioning procedures

Transaction Management

Our clients engage us to support and lead the acquisition transactions required to control properties selected for the selection and development of new facilities.  In the capacity of owner or tenant representation, we analyze the mission critical real estate requirements and manage the negotiations to secure the strategic options.

  • Project Definition
    • Review business plan and assist in establishing project objectives
    • Develop alternative facility strategies leading to an alternative set of real estate actions, relocation schedules and occupancy patterns
    • Evaluate business case quantitative and qualitative characteristics
    • Prepare and summarize results of executive questionnaire to develop project parameters
    • Support all management presentations associated with recommended real estate execution plan
    • Manage planning sessions required to develop size, characteristics and utilization of each facility
    • Develop project schedule and establish critical dates and deadlines
  • Market Research and Analysis
    • Prepare and provide original market research of the targeted markets
    • Prepare and provide analysis of space availability and vacancy rates of the targeted market area – current and projected immediate future
    • Identify overall rental rates (including operating expenses and other add-ons) and concession packages (including all allowances)
  • Real Estate Negotiation
    • Develop and implement a transaction plan and negotiating strategy
    • Establish competitive environment to obtain the most advantageous transaction structure and quality
    • Maximize the use of negotiating team through planned negotiating sessions
    • Coordinate site tour of preliminary and final options under consideration
    • Lead negotiations to establish all significant or substantial business points
    • Provide both economic and non-economic analysis of trade-offs and alternate positions
  • Architect, Engineer, Consultant, Pre-Construction Team Selection (if requested)
    • Manage the project team selection process
    • Manage roles and responsibilities, along completion of design, scheduling and cost estimating
  • Complete Proposal Evaluation, Transaction Document
    • Perform qualitative, quantitative comparisons of all proposals
    • Develop comprehensive analysis, including sensitivity studies
    • Provide senior team presentations, including recommendations
    • Negotiation of documentation with principals, counsel and outside advisors

Consulting | Advisory

Our clients often engage us to help analyze the mission critical real estate challenges they face and provide strategic options leading to the potential solutions with expert guidance and values alignment.  This process is critical to defining the problem to be solved, and to ensuring alignment among all internal stakeholders.   With our expert guidance and experience, we guide our clients through results-driven strategic planning, feasibility analysis, programming and the pre-development activities.

  • Set Goals and Objectives
    • Collaborate with the client to determine strategic objectives within organized program management
    • Conduct “whiteboard sessions” with key client members and stakeholders to 1) identify all critical scope, schedule and cost drivers behind the project, 2) structure the project team members, roles and responsibilities, and 3) prepare the overall development plan.
    • Ensure high uptime, capacity availability, flexibility, capital and operational cost efficiency benchmarks are set
  • Reliability and Redundancy
    • Lead the team to establish topology, network and system reliability and redundancy profiles
    • Determine which benchmarks most effectively meets the client’s goals: Tier 4, Tier 3+, Tier 3, Tier 2
  • Efficiency
    • The race to the lowest PUE is tempered by the investment required to attain the desired efficiency. The lower the PUE, the higher the cost and more involved the operational requirements.
    • Evaluate the trade-offs in determining the full and partial load PUEs.
  • Total Cost of Ownership Analysis (“TCO”)
    • Work together on an “open book” basis to fully evaluate and rigorously analyze the Total Cost of Ownership associated with each project design scenario, including CapEx and OpEx costs
  • Establish Scope, Schedule, and Budget Targets
    • Mutually agree to all critical milestones, benchmarks, and targets for internal approval of their respective organizations while managing rapid scalability
  • Establish Risk Factors
    • Navigate challenges and project risks that accompany projects of large magnitude and scale, including power availability and IT connectivity, material and labor supply, equipment procurement, delivery schedule, and local permitting processes
    • Create scalable processes to track progress, risks at each site