Consider being your own GC, but with a construction manager whom you pay by the hour. That way, you get the fun part of being the GC and your construction manager takes care of the headaches. It also allows you to exercise more control over quality because you have a direct relationship with the various trades. It also minimizes the risk of getting stuck with a bad contractor. We used that method on a couple of office building projects. It worked great. It kept costs down and quality up. On the down side, it probably added to the length of the project, although I am not sure why that would need to be the case. The key is to find the right construction manager.

Congratulations on your project. Whichever way you go, it will be a great adventure.