Pasadena Chamber Webinar to Tackle the Costs and Permits Behind Tenant Improvements

Jamil Soucar, founder and principal of Arc & Line, LLC, who has worked in the construction industry since 1983, will discuss tenant improvement projects in a free webinar at 4 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 10, hosted by the Pasadena Chamber of Commerce. 

The hourlong session, “Navigating Tenant Improvements: What to Know Before You Start,” is the September installment of BizBoost, a monthly webinar series the Chamber presents with other San Gabriel Valley chambers and the Small Business Development Center and Women’s Business Center at Pasadena City College. 

“So many people get bogged down in tenant improvement projects because they do not know the questions to ask, the processes to expect or have any idea of the costs involved before they get started,” Pasadena Chamber CEO Paul Little said in a Chamber news release. 

Little said Soucar “has extensive experience with projects of all kinds, size and scope and will be providing insights into the basic groundwork that needs to be done before engaging contractors, applying for permits or spending any money.” 

Soucar founded the firm in 2007, serving as a prime consultant and construction expert, and is a Pasadena Chamber member, according to the release, which describes him as a recognized expert on commercial construction projects. His career spans construction management, scheduling and expert witness consulting. He specializes in project management, contract scope disputes and delay and claims analysis, and has acted as an independent construction expert witness for law firms handling contractual, scope and defect disputes. 

Soucar has managed public works and educational-sector construction projects as an owner’s representative, project manager or general consultant, the release said. He has also developed and conducted technical industry training programs on construction management best practices and claim mitigation. 

Tenant improvements are among the project types the City of Pasadena requires applicants to submit online through its Permit Center Online portal. The city reviews plan-check submittals concurrently across departments rather than routing them through Building and Safety first. 

BizBoost webinars run on the second Thursday of each month at 4 p.m. and are free, though registration is required in advance. The Chamber describes the series as focused on building strong small businesses to support local economies. 

“We welcome members of any of our Chamber of Commerce partners as well as the general public,” Little said. 

The series is a collaboration with the chambers of Alhambra, Azusa, Claremont, Covina, Duarte, El Monte/South El Monte, Irwindale, La Verne, the Regional Chamber of the San Gabriel Valley, Rosemead, San Dimas, South Pasadena and Temple City, along with the Small Business Development Center and Women’s Business Center at Pasadena City College. Verizon sponsors the series. 

The Pasadena Chamber of Commerce and Civic Association traces its founding to the Board of Trade in 1888 and supports 1,100 members with networking, advocacy, assistance and informational programming, according to the Chamber. 

BizBoost Webinar: “Navigating Tenant Improvements: What to Know Before You Start,” with Jamil Soucar of Arc & Line. Thursday, Sept. 10, 4 p.m., via Zoom. Free; advance registration required at https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_UU_WUhJySyCEhM02mOB26Q. More information: www.pasadena-chamber.org. 

“We designed the series to support our local businesses in building their prosperity,” Little said.