SAN FRANCISCO—As transit gets a jolt throughout the Bay Area, parking developers have adapted to address the potentially abbreviated but necessary demand. Through the years, McCarthy Building Companies has been involved in building numerous parking structures in the region for many large entities. In the second of a two-part exclusive, Rodney Riddle, vice president of parking structures at McCarthy Building Companies, discussed some of the latest parking technology, the labor shortage's effect on construction and parking structure project tips.
GlobeSt.com: What is the latest technology being utilized in parking structures?
Riddle: The biggest development we've seen in parking technology lately is the advancement of parking guidance systems (PGS), which employs red or green lights to indicate available parking spaces for added convenience for the parker. This technology is mainly being used in retail structures, where the volume of users going in and out is high, and contributes to the bottom line for owners when they can make parking an easier process for their customers, but we are also seeing the use of PGS being applied to office structures. License plate reader systems are also becoming more elaborate and turning to a mobile model. These devices, typically used for issuing citations to drive revenue, attach to vehicles and quickly read license plates on the move.
In terms of parking development, we have been applying the use of building information modeling to create a model of our structures in 3D before construction has even begun. The model ensures exact quality control by making sure every detail meets the correct dimensions, thereby eliminating re-work efforts and speeding up the process of accurate layout in the field.
GlobeSt.com: How is the current labor shortage affecting McCarthy's ability to stay competitive?
Riddle: The labor shortage is being felt across the board in every trade right now and development throughout Northern California is as busy as we've ever seen it. However, McCarthy has been fortunate to not feel the effects of the shortage in our self-perform parking structure construction due to our caution and attentiveness with the market. To ensure we are equipped to handle all our projects, McCarthy has been strategically selective in the projects we pursue and take on. We maintain a steady workflow and make sure not to take on too much so that we don't have to pull in inexperienced or expensive workers to fill a need. We also self-perform all of our concrete work and secure subcontractors early on in the process to allow them ample time to plan and staff the best people for the project.
GlobeSt.com: All things considered, what questions should CRE owners ask with regard to building a parking structure?
Riddle: Do you self-perform? A self-perform model allows for control over budget and schedule, and sets the standard for quality on day one. Owners should know if their contractor is doing the work themselves or relying on subcontractors who may not have the owner's best interests in mind.
Do you own your equipment and forming systems? This can affect the timeline and/or budget of the project.
What is the composition of your workforce? Inquire about the number of carpenters, laborers, finishers, etc. staffed to ensure a lack of manpower will not be an issue for your project.
What is your backlog and how does that affect my project? Owners should know if their contractor has the manpower to finish the project.
Can I tour your recently completed or in-progress parking projects? This ensures quality control and allows insight into how safe the site is and how the teams function.
How much experience do you have with the designer? There are a limited number of qualified, experienced designers out there, and experience with collaboration is critical.
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Lisa Brown
Lisa Brown is an editor for the south and west regions of GlobeSt.com. She has 25-plus years of real estate experience, with a regional PR role at Grubb & Ellis and a national communications position at MMI. Brown also spent 10 years as executive director at NAIOP San Francisco Bay Area chapter, where she led the organization to achieving its first national award honors and recognition on Capitol Hill. She has written extensively on commercial real estate topics and edited numerous pieces on the subject.
