Services

Our site design team approaches every site improvement project with the intent that it will serve as an example of stewardship within the community. We take pride in our work and the legacy each project leaves behind.

Our familiarity with the approval process allows us to prepare plans that address regulatory requirements up front and facilitate quick turn-around. While keeping our clients’ goals in mind, we work closely with local officials and county, state and federal agencies to ensure compliance with stormwater management, floodplain development, zoning and other applicable regulations.

Projects range from development and implementation of campus- or district-wide improvement programs to building additions, flood reduction and drainage improvements, and new developments for public and private sector clients.

Services include:

Direct service to the organizations most responsible for providing their constituents reliable, safe, cost-effective services is a priority for GHA. Many of our professionals currently serve as full-time municipal engineers for a dozen Chicago-area municipalities and on an as-need basis for dozens of additional communities. Our wide range of services allows communities access to the resources of a full-service engineering firm without having to fund these services on a full-time basis.

We are particularly adept at managing the potentially controversial nature of public projects, planning issues, and the need to maintain a positive relationship with local residents and businesses.

Key Municipal Services:

GHA’s Water Resources engineers are thoroughly familiar with the requirements of the various northeastern Illinois county and municipal stormwater ordinances. We regularly prepare documentation and permit submittals to meet these regulatory requirements.

Our strategies combine proven stormwater management approaches with innovative naturalized systems to both reduce stormwater runoff volume and enhance downstream water quality.

GHA regularly performs:

In the engineering phase that takes all the planning and intensive design and makes it a reality, there is uncertainty that can be mitigated with the right approach. For contractor and material accuracy and compliance, our trained eye and reliable processes match the high level of performance sought by project owners when seeking the right consultant.

The enemy of confidence for construction project stakeholders is uncertainty. The actual inconvenience experienced is undeniably unpleasant, but what residents, commuters, and the local business community really fears is not knowing what is being done, how long it will take, and why.

Construction projects commonly involve changes and delays. This is counterintuitive to projecting the perception of intentional, well-planned construction activity. This leaves only preemptive timeliness as the most important tool. Over the years, it has been common to generate newsletters, flyers, and other communications channels to manage the emotions of project stakeholders.

We know that today’s immediacy is demanded by the public, and while hard-copy methods may still need to be included, the most helpful channel to connect with those most interested in remaining fully informed is a project-specific website GHA brings strong experience in utilizing a project-specific website to inform stakeholders about the project and is the most common method chosen and most conveniently consumed.

Throughout the engineering design process, data is collected, analyzed and created. Our engineering design and GIS staff work closely together to ensure a seamless transition of data into and out of engineering drawings, allowing valuable survey and design data to be shared on various platforms.

We also use state-of-the art handheld Global Positioning System (GPS) equipment for efficient and accurate data collection for asset mapping, as well as online mapping software and servers to provide you with an efficient platform for distribution of GIS data and applications.

How we can help:

GIS Web/Mobile Application Development

We design customized web applications hosted on our secure server that allows you to analyze and interpret geospatial data both in the office and in the field. Using the power of ArcGIS Server and ArcGIS Online, we design and implement applications based on your organizational needs.

Planning and Design

GIS provides an efficient and intelligent method to getting your organizational needs off the ground. From designing a hazard mitigation plan to assessing bike trail connectivity, we can conceptualize and deliver an intuitive solution.

GPS Asset/Facility Location

We use the latest high precision Global Positioning System technology to collect and map assets, as well as track and manage vehicle fleets.

Asset Mapping and Database Management

We provide cost-effective innovative solutions to efficiently manage engineering design projects, utility networks, and asset databases.

We pride ourselves in partnering with communities to develop and implement capital improvement projects that are cost-effective while also considering the best design for long-term maintenance. Our staff assists with the initial planning phases all the way through design, permitting and construction, and helps municipalities obtain permits efficiently in order to complete projects within budgets.

We assist with: