As Matt Caruso sits behind his desk on Long Island, he points to the cover of the Construction & Realty Services Company (CRSG) brochure and says, "Our claim to fame is our ability to package services across all affiliated companies and offer a one-stop shopping package of expediting, engineering, construction process drawings, inspection, safety and labor for any construction project." Caruso is the overall managing partner of CRSG and its related affiliates.
He then pulls out a prototypical CPM chart and says, "We can provide services in any phase, and alleviate the client of the cumbersome coordination burden inherent in construction activities. We integrate an efficient and cost effective means to provide these services from job cradle to grave."
For the last 15 years, CRSG and its affiliates have sought to broaden their construction compliance and labor service base to provide their clients with additional services that are necessary, atypical and innovative. Domani Consultants, the company which provides expediting services has augmented their zoning and building code consultation capacity and become an integral member of a jobs pre-construction and design team. The service provided allows for a cost effective "design" in conjunction with conforming to the new 2008 (and soon 2014) building code. Such a service ensures an accurate interpretation of regulation utilizing the CCD1 and ZRD1 process. Also, as a leader in providing services through the new HUB initiative and triaging a job for a filing game plan that will ensure a timely filing and review, Domani Consultants has been successful in decreasing filing to approval time to 4-6 weeks for some projects.
The key to the "HUB," per Jane Webster, senior vice president and managing partner of Domani Consultants, is to have the design team intimately involved in the HUB process to provide immediate answers to objections as well as ensure completeness of drawings in order to ensure speedy review and approval. Also, Domani Consultants provides their services across all agencies from DOB to NYCFD to DEP to Landmarks to DOT to the TA.
Webster also lauds her staff's ability to deal with the TCO process and their stamina of staying with the project and delivering the Final C of O in a timely fashion.
"No one in our business ever finishes!," she said. "It takes time, effort and focus - most people in our business get the TCO and run; we don't abandon our clients. We want a 100-year relationship."
"If we have to hold the plumbers hand at the DOB window we do that," she said. "We shirk no responsibility when it comes to product delivery."
Turning back to Caruso who then explains that usually Domani Consulting is the "first in" and gives the foundation to the other services provided by the other entities.
"Domani Inspections is a special entity," he said pointing to Stephen Lampard, P.E., the managing partner.
"We have spent a fortune in the last six years augmenting the capacity of our staff with training and proper certifications to provide IAS certified (Domani Inspections has 30) special inspection services to the industry," said Lampard. "We provide full TR-1 and TR-8 item inspection activity."
As a DOB registered inspection agency with six P.E's and 40 inspectors, Lampard offers a complete package that can either be done on per unit or lump sum for a project.
Lampard in conjunction with James Patterson, P.E. can also provide contractor related drawing services such as Demo Means and Methods (DS1); support of excavation (SOE) as well as cocoon drawings for concrete operation. In addition, Lampard' and Webster's staff can provide Builders Paving Plan (BPP), Tenant Protection Plan (TPP), Fire Safety Plans (FSP), Fire Protection Plans (FPP) and in conjunction with Domani Consultants run them through the approval process with respective agencies as well as provide the TR-1 inspection services that are required to close them out.
Domani Inspections also provides pre-construction adjacent property surveys, vibration monitoring and adjacent property monitoring plan development (Directive 10/88) and services for any construction project.
"We combine the ability to develop technically correct, cost efficient and expedient services to our clients. We are a service business, we don't make widgets. We sell our people and expertise without compromising correct engineering and integrity," Lampard said.
Finally, Caruso talks about the safety services CRSG provides through the CR Safety Company, providing managers and approved safety plans to over 50 N.Y.C. sites. CRSG also provides union labor services (through EWBC, a BCA Signator) to perform job site protection and housekeeping services to a variety of work sites.
"We combine our services to provide a centralized safety responsibility. If a piece of netting is in need of repair or missing we just do it-we don't have to play telephone to get it done," said Caruso.
CRSG and its affiliates boast clients such as Tishman, Lend Lease, Related, Extell, Equity Residential as part of its client base. It provides services to such mega projects as Carnegie 57, 99 Church, Riverside West, Hudson Yards to name only a few.
"Our ability to combine many services into one cost effective package allows us to give the highest level of services possible to our clients while ensuring the integrity that compliance related activities deserve. You have to inspect what you expect," Caruso said. "And no one inspects or expects as much as CRSG." Tags: