The first week of March is known throughout our industry as Women in Construction week, wherein we recognize both the achievements of the women who lead projects from the jobsite and the home office, as well as celebrate how far the A/E/C world has come in creating opportunities for every member of the team.

This year’s theme is “Together We Rise,” a fitting statement considering how unique the construction workplace is in banding together in pursuit of a common goal – and now, more than ever, we are united behind the pursuit of bringing even more women into the fold as we work to build tomorrow’s great buildings.

How does Callahan rise to the occasion?

Any firm that signals an appreciation or support of women in construction needs to put their money where their mouth is. A 2023 report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reveals that 10.8% of construction workers in the United States are women – clearly, we have some room to grow in creating more opportunities for women to enter the industry. How does Callahan do this? In a few distinct ways:

We advance women’s voices – from the field to the executive team: Callahan believes in providing everyone with the opportunity to lead teams and projects to the best possible outcome. Advancing from within is a core Callahan value, and we’re proud to have women leading multiple aspects of our day-to-day business strategy and project performance.

We create open forums for communication: You can’t call your firm a leader in letting all voices be heard if there’s no avenue for dialog. From regular company forums to social events and everything in between, Callahan culture prioritizes equal amplification of voices and sensitivity towards issues that impact each employee differently.

We put our boots on the ground in the communities we serve: Many organizations that Callahan supports through financial donations and volunteerism help to address issues that uniquely affect women. Guided by the women on our team, our organization supports nonprofits and other community institutions via direct feedback from our employees.

We believe mentoring is a team sport: Mentorship opportunities abound at Callahan, and a forward-looking organization like ours creates numerous opportunities for seasoned executives and field leaders to provide next-generation workers with insights that will transform their careers. With many women among our up-and-coming project management teams, we are committed to giving them the tools they need to advance to the next level of leadership.

It takes an entire industry to make change permanent

Callahan is proud to support Women in Construction Week, and we remind our partners and colleagues that the best way to drive opportunities for women on their teams is through thoughtful collaboration, meaningful mentorship, and ongoing learning. And if you’re looking for ways to understand some of the unique challenges women face in our industry, consider leading a dialog with your teams on one of the topics below.

Top discussion topics for Women in Construction Week:

  1. How effective communication can improve project outcomes
  2. Jobsite safety: a topic that unites us all
  3. Tradeswomen and their impact on field operations
  4. Not just a week: how to keep WIC topics alive all year long 

Being open to discussing thought-provoking conversations has helped our teams immensely and shaped our culture for the better. Let’s all make the 2025 Women in Construction week more impactful than ever:

For more information on Callahan’s culture, click here.

There was a time when LEED certification dominated sustainability conversations in construction. It played a crucial role in making the industry more environmentally aware by rewarding buildings for incorporating green features. While LEED remains impactful, a shift is occurring toward another standard: Passive House Certification (CPHB).

Prescriptive vs. Performance-Based: Understanding the Key Difference

One of the biggest distinctions between LEED and Passive House is their approach to achieving energy efficiency:

What Makes a Building Passive House Certified?

Unlike LEED, there is no single template or set of mandatory design choices to achieve Passive House Certification. Instead, buildings must meet strict energy performance targets through a combination of strategies. Here are the key elements:

Breaking the Cost Myth: Passive House Doesn’t Always Mean More Expensive

A common misconception about Passive House construction is that it carries a hefty price tag. However, many developers are finding that Passive House projects can be cost-neutral when considering long-term energy savings and reduced reliance on mechanical systems.

Key cost factors to consider:

Why Callahan is Leading the Way

At Callahan, we recognize that Passive House is the future of high-performance building. That’s why along with multiple successfully completed, Passive House Certified Projects and counting, we now have over 30 Certified Passive House Builders on staff, ready to guide clients through the process. By taking a collaborative, lessons learned, performance-focused approach, we help developers meet certification standards while maximizing efficiency and cost savings.

“We hired Callahan because your project team possessed the flexibility and keen awareness that the success of the project hinged on the coordination of multiple professionals, some of whom represent non-traditional design and building techniques. Callahan was able to adapt quickly to multiple challenges posed by Passive House design and tolerances. Callahan seamlessly coordinated the entire project team, driving solutions to unique building challenges while pressing hard towards our project deadline.”
-Kurt Therrien, President, The Kensington Investment Group

For more information on our sustainable building expertise or to learn more about our CPHB-certified team, contact us today.

In the past year, the economy’s ups and downs have affected every industry in some way. These fluctuations have often led to some level of uncertainty that impacted confidence on the part of both consumers and businesses, affecting everything from materials prices to the cost of groceries. Fortunately, if current forecasts hold tight, there are plenty of reasons to be optimistic.

The biggest impact will be whether the Fed continues to cut interest rates following a quarter-point cut in December. Current predictions vary in amount and frequency, but the overall consensus is that the Fed isn’t done cutting. This impacts key construction industry metrics, including borrowing, which boosts optimism and confidence with a lower cost of debt. Additionally, given rates are still historically high, there’s certainly hope for further reductions to spur more construction starts.

According to the Dodge Construction Network, residential and non-residential construction starts are expected to grow, along with non-building construction, thanks to federal funds flowing into infrastructure projects. While hotels and offices aren’t expected to surge in the coming year, healthcare and manufacturing construction continue to show little signs of slowing down after a strong performance in 2024.

Like other construction management firms, Callahan is looking ahead with optimism as we see increased activity in our business development pipeline in both our Massachusetts and New York markets. From mixed-use retail to multifamily housing, the projects expected to kick off in 2025 are exciting for numerous reasons, such as addressing severe shortfalls in housing stock to signaling more consumer confidence than we’ve seen in recent years. Some projects we’re particularly excited about include 200Q in Wakefield, MA; Leefort Terrace in Salem, MA; The Ridgeway in Yonkers, NY; Spark on Cedar in Newington, CT; and many others to be announced later in Q1.

In 2025, we look forward to building together and launching forward with numerous opportunities for shared success. Contact us today to discuss how we can get your next project out of the concept stage and into the ground.

Callahan Construction and Velney Construction Team Up to Meet Twin Challenges

By Pat Callahan

The need for housing in Massachusetts and across the country is immense. As a general contractor and construction manager with a wealth of expertise in building housing of all types (i.e. market-rate, affordable, age-restricted) Callahan sees how critical it is to bring these projects online. However, especially in today’s market, it is extremely challenging.

One of the biggest challenges we see in the industry right now goes beyond simply financing the work at the state level.  The 2021 MBTA Communities law as well as the recently passed Affordable Homes Act, are major steps in the right direction, but we see some additional steps needed to truly maximize the impact of public dollars – which is why our company recently took the proactive step to form a strategic partnership with Somerville, -based contractor Velney Construction.

Right now, the construction industry faces tremendous change as generational shifts that are impacting every layer of society also alter how we do business. Many seasoned professionals are aging out of the industry, leaving voids we desperately need to fill to meet the ambitious goals of the housing bills.

Callahan Wins Too

It is essential to build the bench of the next-generation of Massachusetts general contractors to ensure our industry is future-proof. Recently, groups like the SouthCoast Workforce Housing Coalition have been created to address the need to create good-paying jobs and increase housing stock in order to future-proof our workforce, a goal that our company shares with state leaders.

As Callahan continues to grow both geographically and in the scope of the projects we manage, partnering with companies like Velney will enable us to provide more resources to our customers while also ensuring that smaller and historically disadvantaged business have access to the tools necessary to grow professionally.

We see Velney as an ideal partner for pursuing joint venture opportunities on new housing projects and for helping a next-generation company invest in the tools needed to grow and succeed.

Firms like Velney often find it difficult to afford the resources necessary to grow smart and manage risk appropriately. We have found that many startup construction organizations fail due to financial strains on their business, or because they have taken on work without the proper resources to manage it.

Callahan will be helping Velney train its own employees both in practical jobsite skills along with utilizing technology tools such as Building Information Modeling (BIM), Procore and estimating software, along with internal resources like legal, accounting, risk management and quality control.

We believe this partnership will let Velney build a track record for sustainable and manageable growth, with the goal of eventually competing on their own with other larger GCs. 

Higher Construction Costs Hurt WMBEs

New building codes, as well as changes to federal policy such as the 2023 overhaul of the Davis-Bacon Act, sharply increased construction costs. Massachusetts’ new Home Energy Rating System (HERS) program also increased costs to build while passing future savings from reduced energy expenses on to the consumer down the road.

While these programs ultimately aim to protect workers and consumers, they also make it increasingly difficult for young companies to enter into an already expensive industry. Simply getting a shovel in the ground doesn’t mean a business is instantly profitable, as the road is long and challenging from signing a contract to being financially stable – and we believe companies like Velney can get there with some strategic support.

For Callahan, this relationship helps us become more diverse, grow our MBE/WBE partner base, provides our customers with more options and gives us the pride of helping others. We also see it as a critical way to help address the state’s housing shortfall by bringing on resources to help us build faster and smarter, all the while training next-generation workers who will someday build these projects on their own long after the current crop of leaders age out of the business. Massachusetts has made great strides to address the housing gap. We at Callahan are excited that this partnership with Velney will not only support ambitious investment in this state and the Northeast but also in a company that is ready to rise to the next level.

This story originally appeared in Banker & Tradesman

Artificial intelligence (AI) has clearly taken multiple industries by storm. Finance, marketing, academics, and myriad others are embracing the rise of AI while also trying to understand the exact role it will play in the workforce of the future. The construction industry is also beginning to explore the potential of artificial intelligence and machine learning to drive efficiencies into the jobsite, along with improvements to safety and quality.

AI doesn’t mean you’re turning over the control of the jobsite to a machine; in fact, humans are likely to play an even greater role in daily operations as AI acts as a partner tool to allow project managers and executives to focus on high-quality work and begin leaving basic tasks in the hands of an AI solution.

At Callahan Construction, our internal AI council is already experimenting with AI tools along with the integration of software that uses AI to expedite key tasks. Below are some of the technologies Callahan is considering implementing to harness the power of AI:

For now, Callahan’s AI committee is looking to build out the various use cases for AI and create a library that will provide guidance on how to standardize AI throughout the company. One path already being considered is using an AI tool like CoPilot to reference internal documents and provide Callahan-specific responses to prompts.

When it comes to helping free up its teams to focus on delivering highly specialized services to its clients, Callahan is eager to deploy AI tools that will take repetitive processes off a project manager’s plate. The company is hoping AI will someday soon be used for specific tasks like reviewing plans and specs for building submittal logs, scanning preliminary reviews of submittals, finding potential scope gaps, and more. While it’s impossible to see what the future holds, it’s obvious AI will play an outsized role in the AEC industry.

Jason Costello, Assistant Project Manager

The life sciences market is rapidly changing – that much we know. While no one can predict the future, it is possible to build a cutting-edge laboratory and research facility that will adapt to the changing needs of scientists and researchers. That’s what is unfolding at 440 Bedford, a completely new approach to lab space in the coveted Lexington submarket.

440 Bedford Street is a new 6-story, 335,000 GSF Class AA speculative life science lab and office building being built by Callahan Construction. When finished, the building will include incubator lab space, graduator lab space, lab-ready spaces, a café, fitness center and other amenities. The building will also feature a retail and restaurant space on the first level and several outdoor amenities, along with a 6-level parking garage with parking for 575 vehicles. Put simply, this isn’t just a place to come work; it’s a destination for collaboration and an extension of one’s lifestyle.

Callahan’s pre-construction expertise was on full display during the early phases of the project, as the construction team discovered soil deficiencies that had the potential to cause substantial delays to the project schedule and significant costs to the budget if not resolved as early as possible. The preconstruction team as well as Callahan’s Site Division were able to find solutions to the problem that kept the project on schedule, saved money for the client, and strengthened trust between all parties on the project.

440 Bedford will feature numerous high-end touches, including modern interiors designed to inspire, flooded with natural light and plenty of amenities to keep scientists balanced. And with its location in the sought-after Lexington and Hartwell Avenue submarket, 440 Bedford offers ease of access to both the building and nature, not to mention proximity to other innovative companies and industries along with mass transit.

“Callahan is excited to once again leverage its experience with complex projects including laboratories and research facilities, along with our robust portfolio of pre-construction services, to build 440 Bedford,” said Steve Callahan Jr., Vice President – Business Development, Callahan Construction. “The team behind this project in Lexington knows how important it is to bring this cutting-edge research space to market, and we look forward to seeing it filled with the people and projects changing our world for the better.”

For more information about Callahan’s pre-construction services, please visit https://callahan-inc.com/our-services/enhanced-preconstruction-services/.

In Westchester County, there’s been an onslaught of development-driven activity in the world of mixed-use projects. Callahan Construction has been fortunate to build many of these world-class facilities that combine desirable retail features with high-end living spaces, and the pipeline seems healthy, to say the least. What does this say, then, about the need for retail and other mixed use projects in the region?

For one thing, the new normal in a post-pandemic economy has opened up all sorts of opportunities for developers, contractors, and community leaders alike. As the need for office space subsides, the demand for housing continues to grow. And as consumers place greater emphasis on being closer to home and having the convenience of public transportation nearby, mixed use developments begin to make more sense than ever before.

Callahan has seen a surge in interest for its construction management services here in Westchester, and is currently working with owners and developers on new mixed-use and office-to-residential conversion projects that are sure to continue the trend of Westchester and other bedroom communities becoming even more sought after places to live, work, and relax.

Grocery Stores: the Anchor of New Communities

While you don’t have to look far to see construction cranes in the sky and shovels in the ground, there are some projects worth giving a closer look to. In New City, the forthcoming New City Center is a  grocery-anchored community that features a tenant mix consisting of personal services, banking, and food and beverage tenants. Callahan will over see the implementation of numerous upgrades which will establish a contemporary, 21st century retail experience with new features that will meet community needs.

But it’s not just Westchester County: Callahan oversees mixed-use retail projects from Rockland County to Rockport, Massachusetts, and recently completed a 75,000 square-foot, grocery store-anchored project in Newington, CT called Meadow Commons. With significant concerns regarding site development and wetlands protection, it represents another example of how retail and mixed-use projects are becoming major fixtures in communities throughout the Northeast, and will continue to be for years to come.

But it’s not just grocery stores that are future hotbeds of development activity: vacant office buildings are high on the list of possibilities as well.

Evaluating an Office-to-Residential Conversion

As community leaders look to recoup lost tax revenues from office buildings that can’t attract tenants, and see housing as a major pain point to address that can also attract new tax revenue, it’s clear that office-to-residential conversions are going to become more commonplace. With that in mind, here are some important considerations to weigh when considering such a project:

  1. Consider the state of the superstructure: does it need extensive work to add sufficient density? A residential building needs to support a minimum number of occupants to be financially viable.
  2. What is the existing HVAC and M/E/P setup, and does it support a residential use? Will it need extensive re-work to meet the needs of building occupants? Where are the elevators located, and will they need to be moved?
  3. Perform an overall constructability assessment. Not every building is well-suited for a residential conversion. Make sure you’re starting with a building that makes sense to convert.

If an office conversion or mixed use project is right for your portfolio, contact Callahan today to learn how our track record can help your next project get into the ground and open for business. Visit the Callahan Construction website to learn more.

Across the country, the lack of availability of safe, modern housing has led to myriad conversations about how to solve the inventory crisis. Even after months of predictions that the housing market would return to pre-pandemic pricing levels with more homes on the market, it seems that the new normal is likely here to stay. While the frenzy that led to many buyers paying well above asking prices has cooled, the need for new housing options remains as strong as ever.


Callahan Construction has been fortunate to work with some of the boldest and smartest developers around the northeastern U.S., as the company is involved with apartment community projects from New England to New York. Thanks to the experience gleaned from working on fast-track new construction projects around the Tri-State area, we’ve learned that you can create desirable living spaces that take into account both the changing needs of a modern workforce and the constraints posed by traditional suburban markets with limited housing stock.

Here are some of the things we’ve learned from our developer partners along the way:

These days, it’s not enough to simply build a structure with 400 units in a location that doesn’t take into account the need for convenience, comfort, and remote work considerations. Throughout New York and other nearby metros, the most successful apartment projects are building for a future tenant’s entire lifestyle, and not just a place to sleep and eat. If you’re looking for a construction partner that understands what the future of apartment communities looks like, contact Callahan Construction today.

New York – 11/7/23 – While the New York City commercial real estate market has faced the same challenges and uncertainties as many other major markets around the country — particularly when it comes to office assets — multifamily remains a bright spot.

NY multifamily vacancy rates remain at near-historic lows while rents have exceeded pre-pandemic levels and grown by 2.3% in the last 12 months, which is nearly twice the national average. Despite these positive numbers, challenges remain, particularly when it comes to financing.

“The multifamily market in New York, New Jersey, and CT is not slowing down,” said Phil Dinan, director of business development at Callahan Construction Managers, which specializes in multifamily construction, among other asset classes. “However, some projects are being held up due to the financial market. Money is expensive, and banks do not have the same mindset they did three or five years ago and are being very stringent about who they are lending to these days.”

This holdup means it is more important than ever for projects to come in on time and within budget, something Callahan has been working hard to achieve for its clients in Tri-State, Boston and beyond.

Dinan said that thankfully, project costs appear that they are starting to come down following the upward surge that’s been seen in recent years. However, supply chain disruptions and the tight lending market continue to impact Callahan’s multifamily clients, which has led the firm to search for creative solutions to keep projects moving, from tapping into its wide network of partners and suppliers to utilizing its extensive pre-construction services.

David Morrow, vice president of New York Operations for Callahan, cited a client that needed to install a walk-in freezer, but due to supply chain delays the lead time for this core component was significantly increased. Callahan switched subcontractors to a company that could produce the equipment more quickly and was able to keep the project on schedule. Callahan’s trade partners also added extra labor and overtime to help make up the time that was lost to procurement delays, further shepherding the project along and helping it meet projected milestones despite these challenges.

For another project, a client building a life sciences facility hoped to have it leased up as quickly as possible. Callahan not only built the core and shell of the building, but also worked with project stakeholders to coordinate the fit-up of the facility, ensuring that the space would have everything it needed to be move-in ready for tenants. The first tenant was able to move in one month after the shell was completed.

Callahan’s keys to success can come down to a few factors, including the firm’s pre-construction strategy lead by Frank DiCenso, vice president of preconstruction at Callahan, which involves coordinating with all project stakeholders as early on as possible in the process. Callahan leverages the firm’s extensive in-house staff of engineers, architects, estimators, and mechanical, engineering, and plumbing (MEP) professionals.

This allows the project team to proactively tackle any challenges a project may face, rather than when it is too late to come up with an effective solution. During the height of the pandemic-led supply chain disruptions, Callahan was purchasing steel and other long lead items before the team had completed final GMP contracts with a client. This allowed it to lock in the price for these items ahead of time and keep a project on track.

“There’s really no magic button for fixing the problems facing CRE right now,” Dinan said. “it’s just about diving in and doing anything you can, whether it’s reaching out to different partners and debt funds and using your network to try to do anything you can — we pride ourselves on going above and beyond to do what’s best for the client.”

Sometimes, Callahan’s pre-construction strategy allows it to enhance a project in ways clients may not have realized. DiCesno spoke about a spec conversion Callahan did at a former USPS facility. During the pre-construction assessment, the team determined that a lower-level utility space in the facility could be transformed into 211 covered parking spaces with an elevator for added convenience. As a result, the lease-up of the finished project was very successful and the asset traded at a value more than two times the total development cost, he said.

Looking ahead, Callahan has several multifamily projects in the works in the Tris-State and Dinan remains positive about what lies ahead for CRE.

“Going into 2024, I do see the market coming back,” he said. “We were hoping there would be a larger recovery at this point, and that has yet to materialize, but there are bright spots on the horizon, and I believe that in 2024 we will get back to the market we’ve been used to seeing. We look forward to working with our clients toward that goal.”

Author: Julia Troy

Let's build something together

Callahan is committed to building strong, long-lasting client relationships, and to consistently delivering solutions that exceed expectations. Contact us today about starting your next project.

Contact Us Today