Article Wales McLelland’s Development Services

With over 50 years of building innovation in the commercial and industrial sectors, Wales McLelland is the specialized partner you need. From site selection and acquisition to planning, designing, and executing, we’ve crafted proven custom processes that consistently deliver unmatched quality, no matter how challenging or complex the site or build may be. Through our years of navigating challenging projects on difficult sites, we know that the pre-planning and approval stage is critical to the success of the building construction phase and overall development.

Whether you are a small, family run business or a multi-national pension fund, the goal of our development services is to anticipate and mitigate costs and risks, ultimately leading to the success of your project.

 

Development Services for Every Site

Market conditions, site constraints, and approvals challenges are only becoming more pronounced as the acute shortage of industrial and commercial development sites, particularly in the Lower Mainland, continues to accelerate. Many of our clients are either busy working on other aspects of their business or require a unique skill set and have a distinct need for comprehensive development services for their next build. 

At Wales McLelland, we have the resources, expertise, and capacity to take on all aspects of the pre-development phase, allowing us to tailor a suite of development services to the particular project vision and execution needs of our clients. When required, we bring in and recommend select consultants who work under our direction and leadership to ensure an integrated and streamlined approach where the client’s objectives are always at the forefront of the decision-making process. 

We keep the overall development services management in-house while utilizing our experience to build constructability into the process. This added benefit ensures that clear lines of sight into construction budgeting, scheduling, value engineering, and risk management methods are always maintained during the critical planning stage.

Setting Up Every Project for Success

We set up every client for success by providing development management services, each tailored to the precise requirements of the project and client. Our full suite of services are as follows:

  • Initial feasibility and concept massing studies. These studies lay the groundwork for informed decision-making, helping us identify opportunities and challenges early on in the development process.
  • Due diligence, including highest- and best-use analysis as well as comprehensive initial budgeting, taking into account all known expected costs and potential risk or unknown items. This gives us a clear picture of financial scenarios, net usable space, and opportunities, including environmental and geotechnical, to ensure a clear understanding of scope, risks, and possibilities. By addressing these factors upfront, we mitigate potential obstacles and streamline the path to success.
  • Pro-forma and cashflow development. We develop detailed pro-forma budgets that encompass site development and building construction, providing a solid financial framework to guide project progression. Throughout the development process, we continuously track budget metrics, allowing for agile adjustments and ensuring alignment with evolving needs.
  • Commissioning, directing, and interpreting consultant studies and reports for areas including transportation, environmental habitat, environmental soils, geotechnical, Indigenous consulting, civil site servicing, arborists, etc. 
  • Assemble an effective consultant team with professionals and firms that meet the needs of the particular project and client. We take on leadership and management of all aspects of the design process, including constructability analysis, consultant coordination, scheduling and tracking of deliverables, and key decision-making. 
  • Rezonings, development and building permits. We handle complex regulations, including all municipal staff engagement, negotiations, and approvals, to ensure compliance. Having Wales McLelland involved in this process provides the client with someone they can trust to act and negotiate on their behalf while keeping the overall success of the project in mind at all times. We see the whole picture during this critical phase.
  • Other approvals such as MFLNRO, DFO, Public Engagement, MOE, sensitive ecosystems (municipal), soil deposit, demolition, tree clearing, and erosion and sediment control.

      

Development services are just one part of the puzzle when laying the groundwork for a successful project. With over 50 years of construction experience, we offer a full suite of construction support, including Preconstruction, Design-Build, Construction Management, and General Contracting, to complete your project on time and within budget.

Ready to get started with Wales McLelland? Contact us and let’s get started on your next project.