Page 195 - In Pursuit of the Sunbeam.indd

180 In Pursuit of the Sunbeam: A Practical Guide to Transformation from Institution to Household
“Now that you have strongly anchored indicators of project feasibility, a decision has been made to retrofit or build, and a clear sense of the design framework you prefer is established, you are prepared to formally assemble your development team.”
Configuring and Assembling Your Project Development Team
Now that you have strongly anchored indicators of project feasibility, a decision has been made to retrofit or build, and a clear sense of the design framework you prefer is established, you are prepared to formally assemble your development team. Some projects may be of a size and scope that warrant a developer. We assume herein that will not be the case unless you are going to convert or build a large number of households, or if your household plans are within a larger expansion project in a Full Service Retirement Community (FSRC).
If, however, you do need a development firm, it will coordinate the development team. If your project is not large enough to warrant a full- blown developer, a less expensive possibility is to hire a development coordinator who specializes in smaller undertakings. If you do not engage a developer, the owner must ensure solid development team coordination. Professionals you need to consider as part of your team include:
- Architects and other design professionals to plan the physical retrofit or new construction. Project engineers are brought in as subcontractors of the architect.
- A financial feasibility consultant to keep up with cost forecasts as the design process moves forward (you may have internal expertise). To formalize your pre-feasibility forecast, your lender/underwriter may require you to have a financial feasibility consultant.
- A Market/demographic consultant(s) may be required to formalize your prefeasibility market study before your lender/underwriter agrees to finance the project.
- A marketing firm can help you communicate your message. Often this is overlooked as part of a nursing home project, but it can be important in attracting the community to your new vision and lifestyle. This may be the same firm that does your market/demographic work.
- A Household Model consultant during the design and development stage of your project can simultaneously assist with the organizational and environmental design elements. They may also be able to furnish specialized operating consultants well versed in the Household Model (i.e. dining services, nursing, administrative, etc.)
- A dining services consultant may be desirable because of significant changes (to the degree you determine) from preparing, serving and consuming food the old centralized way to doing it in the household kitchen. The decentralized approach has major design implications for the household and may require outside assistance. (Note: Kitchen operations