Success on Storz Warehouse Illustrates Benefits of Design-Build

GreenSlate Development presented our Client Direct Services group with an intriguing opportunity with Storz Warehouse, a 202,000-square-foot speculative industrial/flex building in Omaha.

After chasing a build-to-suit, the company had possession of a site and already had a site plan, design drawings and a construction estimate. They just needed a builder. We’re known for our design-build approach in which we oversee both the design and the construction of a facility. It’s an approach that offers greater flexibility, reduced costs and faster delivery.

We took on GreenSlate’s project, and we – and they – found it to be a rewarding opportunity.

• We provided GreenSlate with an upfront guaranteed maximum price, allowing them to secure project financing and reduce their own financial risk and enabling early leasing efforts that resulted in a fully leased building shortly after completion in July 2024.

• We split the location of the storm water detention basins, eliminated paving inefficiencies and redesigned the building to gain an additional 50,000 square feet, increasing it to 202,000 square feet.

• We improved the overall aesthetics of the building by moving the truck court to the rear, facing an adjacent facility’s trailer storage, and the offices to the front, with a view of the green space. We also incorporated clerestory glass on the front elevation to provide natural light and welcoming entrances to improve the building’s exterior aesthetics.

• We coordinated bay widths to optimize the steel framing while still providing two drive-in doors and accommodating up to 27 dock doors.

• We identified a subsurface water drainage and soil mitigation alternative that shaved three months off the project timeline and purchased fill at a significantly reduced cost from a nearby highway construction project. These efforts provided more than $1 million in cost savings.

“This was GreenSlate’s first industrial development, and I think it’s fair to say that they immediately saw the benefits of our design-build process,” said Mike Anthony, Director of Project Management. “It’s hard to argue with a six-figure cost reduction and over 30% more leasable space all on an expedited timeline. We’re very pleased we could deliver such positive results for GreenSlate and make their entry into the industrial market a positive one.”

• More about Storz Warehouse