Stout’s Real Estate Development Advisory practice was retained by Collegis Education, a higher education technology and managed services firm, to serve as their tenant representative and project manager for the consolidation of its office footprint and strategic investment in a refreshed and reconfigured workplace. Collegis sought to reduce their real estate footprint across multiple office floors while simultaneously improving the quality and functionality of its retained space.

Stout managed the full project lifecycle from project initiation and budget development through design, permitting, construction, and closeout. Our services also included procurement and management of the project team — including the architect, general contractor, and furniture consultant — as well as performing detailed project accounting that captured detailed monthly invoice reviews and draw package presentations to the client.

The project management tools utilized included Smartsheet dashboarding, budget tracking, schedule management, and weekly action item discussions that all provided real-time visibility to the client throughout the engagement. Key value-add services provided included a fine-tuned programming and test fit analysis to calibrate the design to the project budget, a competitive general contractor procurement process that resulted in efficiencies and cost savings to the client, and detailed site observation during construction to prevent costly rework.

The project was delivered on budget and exceeded client expectations, with a complete closeout document package including permits and inspections, as-built and record drawings, warranties, project accounting files, and a certificate of occupancy.

This engagement reflects our ability to serve as a trusted, independent tenant advocate across the full complexity of a tenant improvement project, from strategic planning through execution and delivery.