198: Building Smarter: Construction, Cost & Growth with Jon Weiss, B2K Development

For roughly 40 years, developers looked at a six-acre oceanfront site in Long Beach and couldn’t get it done.

Then B2K did.

In this episode of Design Development, Jon Weiss explains what finally unlocked the 1.2-million-square-foot Superblock – and why getting a project built often has less to do with the idea and more to do with timing, local buy-in, construction strategy, and understanding the economics early enough to make the right decisions.

Jon is a fourth-generation builder and partner at B2K Development, where he leads B2K Construction and oversees nearly half a billion dollars in active construction.

We also get into:

• What Jon learned growing up in the family business under his grandfather, Sydney Engel
• Why a “fast” development approval on Long Island can still take years
• How similar buildings can carry dramatically different construction costs depending on geography
• Why B2K brings construction into the process early instead of relying on late-stage value engineering
• How understanding the developer’s pro forma changes the way a contractor approaches design and cost
• Why B2K is expanding into Connecticut and South Florida while remaining deeply rooted in Long Island

It’s a conversation about family business, partnerships, development risk, construction economics, and what it really takes to build smarter.

Don't miss the full conversation of with Jon Weiss, Principal and President of Construction at B2K Development.

Resources:

• B2K Development – Explore more about B2K Development’s projects and initiatives.
• Long Island Builders Institute – For more information about the regional development climate and ongoing projects.

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