An Owner/Developer Plan: Construction During COVID-19
AN OWNER/ DEVELOPER PLAN: CONSTRUCTION DURING COVID-19
By Anthony Gonzales
Anthony Gonzales is the Founder and Managing Principal of Spire Consulting Group. He has successfully provided construction engineering consulting services on more than 200 projects totaling in excess of $30 billion across 15 countries. Mr. Gonzales provides both proactive and forensic services for Owners, Developers, Contractors, Engineers and Architects.
Mr. Gonzales’ contact information can be found by clicking here.
As the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) sweeps through our communities, the true impact of this global pandemic is yet to be realized. However, it has sent shockwaves through the world economy and across industries. The construction and real estate industries are no different. Exacerbating the already challenging environment is the inconsistent application and classification of the industries and project types between City, County, State and Federal Authorities. What’s ‘essential vs. non-essential’ and ‘under what working conditions should a jobsite adhere to’ are just some of the questions being raised.
If you are an Owner or Developer, taking care of people and our communities is everyone’s responsibility. Thus, Owners/Developers need to consider how their projects impact the community, and are classified by the various authorities and determine the benefits and costs to continue or delay their projects. Most Governmental Agencies have deemed construction, or at least various types of construction activity, as essential. On March 16th, the President issued the updated Coronavirus Guidance for America that states:
“If you work in a critical infrastructure industry, as defined by the Department of Homeland Security, such as healthcare services and pharmaceutical and food supply, you have a special responsibility to maintain your normal work schedule.”
