GSG launches management company

GSG Development, a Las Vegas-area developer known for such projects as Sullivan Square and The Park at Spanish Ridge, has launched a new company specializing in construction management.

GSG Construction Management is a six-person company providing preconstruction services, including value engineering, estimating, scheduling, utilities and permitting, among other things. The company also offers owner's representation and project management.

"It had previously been a specialized division of GSG Development that handled our in-house projects," GSG Development managing partner Kenneth Smith said. "But other developers kept coming to us and requesting our help. Pretty soon, we realized that we're not the only ones who can use these services."

GSG Construction Management can handle everything from $200,000 tenant improvements to new $200 million high-rises. Chief Executive Officer Ragu Sada and Chief Operating Officer David Hand will lead the company.

Sada, a 13-year construction industry veteran, is a certified professional engineer in 27 states who has handled projects for such clients as Walt Disney Co., Tenneco and Nike. He most recently served as senior estimator for Martin-Harris Construction before coming to work for GSG Development in December 2006.

Hand, meanwhile, has more than 20 years of construction management experience in Colorado, Florida, New Jersey, California and Nevada, among other locales. He most recently served as vice president and division leader for Haskell Co., a $600 million Jacksonville, Fla.-based design-build firm.

"They have saved us a tremendous amount of money in change orders, cost overruns and delays," said Smith. "Their expertise has helped streamline our day-to-day operations by maintaining budgets and schedules."

The new company handles all administrative duties associated with construction, including budgeting, design coordination and constructability reviews. It provides current pricing on building materials such as concrete, steel and asphalt, while ensuring good project safety practices and quality control.

GSG Construction Management is overseeing work on Sullivan Square, a $800 million, 16.5-acre mixed-use community at Sunset Road and Durango Drive, adjacent to the Las Vegas Beltway. The 2 million-square-foot development combines shops, parks, restaurants and residences in a master-planned setting. Sullivan Square will contain eight buildings from 12 stories to 20 stories tall. The project's initial phase is scheduled to open in late 2009.

The company is also handling construction on The Park at Spanish Ridge. The 40-acre, 620,000-square-foot office complex is at Hacienda Avenue and the Las Vegas Beltway. The development, which consists of 32 buildings from one to four stories, opened in late 2006. Work is under way on the second phase scheduled to finish in the third quarter of 2009.

"Most often, an owner or the project architect will assume construction management administration duties," Smith said. "This gives them a chance to hire dedicated professionals that oversee all construction facets from securing the lowest bids to making certain the project is completed on time and on budget."

Tony Illia writes for the Business Press. He can be reached at tonyillia@aol.com or (702) 303-5699