Page 13 - CooperatorNews Chicagoland Spring 2022

CHICAGO.COOPERATORNEWS.COM COOPERATORNEWS CHICAGOLAND — SPRING 2022 13 Professional Property Management for Chicago’s Finest High Rise Condominium Associations Community Specialists 205 North Michigan Avenue / Suite 2930 Chicago, Illinois 60611 312.337.8691 / CommunitySpecialists.net Time for a new Time for a new CBU? CBU? Mailbox Installations and Repairs Mailbox Installations and Repairs Mailbox Fast LLC Mailbox Fast LLC www.MailboxFast.com www.MailboxFast.com Wheaton, IL Wheaton, IL 630-215-7343 630-215-7343 Before Before Make Your Life Easier with Make Your Life Easier with Gia, which provides interior design and reno- vation services to associations throughout New England, says that a problem with this is all about organization, says Mullendore. structure is that the ultimate decision-makers Everything has to be properly sequenced to should be few, and should be part of the en- tire process. “From the beginning of a project munity and to account for “stuff that’s more like this, you have to decide who the decision technical”—like shutting down the sprinkler makers are, and you want those people on system, for example. During a hallway reno- board from the first meeting,” she says. When vation project he worked on, he says, “One we discuss how frequently boards turn over, week, you have demolition on two floors, not to mention the mercurial makeup of mul- tifamily communities as owners/shareholders demolition moves down two floors—in other come and go, she emphasizes the importance words, a highly organized game of logistics.” of getting information up front and setting Meanwhile, you are “working with a board of priorities and decisions from the beginning to directors; you then have to balance that with mitigate the inherent attrition. “You would start by having a fact-finding building engineer—and do all this work while meeting,” she says, “to find out what the bud- get is for the project, what the needs are, how limited hours; you have to put up site protec- much has already been started—has anything tion; you’ve got to work around the residents already been purchased or approved? It’s im- portant to ask all the right questions. And you have to deal with the occasional complaints make sure that what you’re designing meets that a neighbor may have—‘Your painting those needs and encompasses all of the deci- sions that have already been made.” In terms of who should be on the commit- tee, Milazzo Smith says it’s ideal to have a wide decisions are made in the beginning of the range of stakeholders with a wide range of in- terests—“not just people that are interested in approved the design, but it might take a year decor,” she says, “but a wider representation of or two to implement it. If it’s already been ap- the needs of the community.” She continues, “The more people that are that design—what you’re building—and that’s involved in the decision, the harder it is to get the key. Now, there might be things that come the decision made. However, everyone wants up that you have to address, but you still will to feel like they’re being heard. … You might be making decisions consistent with the over- send out a questionnaire, or have a broader all design that was created when you started.” meeting to make sure the board or the deco- rating committee hears everyone’s needs and tant in this regard, because they are not only concerns. People can be passionate about taking into account what looks good now, design decisions, whether they know what but what will endure, both aesthetically and they’re doing or not. And a space like \[a lobby physically. “Part of the design process is try- or a hallway\], where people walk through ev- ery day—it’s an extension of their home, so “like selecting things that look really good they’re personally invested in those decisions.” that don’t have to cost a million dollars—and Often, says Eric Mullendore, owner of Eric that takes a certain amount of knowledge of Mullendore Architecture & Interior Design product.” based in Chicago, this becomes the biggest challenge for the designer or architect. “I think mise—and patience. In the hallway project, the difficult thing in terms of design is, in this says Mullendore, “there was no shortage of day and age, the internet makes everybody opinions from unit owners about what was an expert,” he laments. “Everybody looks on good, and what wasn’t. And so sometimes Pinterest, everybody reads design magazines. you just have to sit back and let all those opin- And that can be a landmine of conflicting ions get expressed. And then, hopefully, you interests. Somebody can see a photograph \[as the designer\] thoughtfully make the right and think, ‘Oh, that’s really neat.’ Well, it’s the decision.” wrong size, or it gives off the wrong light \[for the space in question\]. So from a design per- spective, you work with your committee, and advice,” adds Milazzo Smith. “And that advice you decide which battles are worth fighting, is sometimes hard to give; based on my ex- and which battles are not worth fighting.” Seeing It Through The professionals agree that as long as all set the expectations properly, then every proj- the upfront work has been done correctly— the right team, the permitting, the engineer- ing and technical considerations, the budget- ing and financing, the communication with residents—the actual design and construction components of a project are really the easiest parts. However long a capital design project takes—and it can take years from conception to sign-off—the bulk of that duration is in that behind-the-scenes work. Getting through the construction phase minimize disruption to the building or com- then the next week, you start painting, and working with the property manager and the people live here. You have to do work between who still need to come and go. And then you smells,’ or something like that. And the big- gest worry is safety.” “That’s why I think it’s important that the process,” says Milazzo Smith. “You might have proved, then there’s great documentation of The professional designer’s eye is impor- ing to establish good value,” says Mullendore, It also takes a certain amount of compro- “I think the most important part of any project is that you listen, and that you give perience with condo associations, giving that tough advice upfront is really helpful. If you’ve ect is successful, because it’s right for the cli- ent.” n Darcey Gerstein is Associate Editor and a Staff Writer for CooperatorNews.