From a landmark cathedral to a highly secure facility to house the world’s most powerful computer, America’s professional construction managers helped projects of all types succeed in 2001-2002. Ten of the best examples were honored with Project Achievement Awards by the Construction Management Association of America during its National Conference in San Diego on October 13-15.
Project Achievement Awards, along with special awards for Program Management and the International Project of the Year, are bestowed by a panel of judges to honor projects that best exemplify the values professional program management and construction management deliver throughout the design and construction process. Selection criteria focus on cost control, fulfillment of schedule, and overall project management excellence.
The 2002 winners are:
Public project, constructed value of less than $10 million: Parkside Elementary School in Atlanta, Georgia. The owner is the Board of Education of the City of Atlanta and construction management services were provided by H. J. Russell and Company. Russell helped trim $1 million from the project cost and implemented an aggressive 10-month project schedule that delivered the new school more than a month early.
Private project, less than $10 million: The renovation of the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The cathedral is owned by the Archdiocese of Milwaukee and construction management was done by Grunau Project Development. This complex project involved renovation of the existing cathedral, demolition of adjacent vacant buildings, renovation of a school building to provide outreach and parish offices, construction of a new atrium, and creation of a new courtyard area for gathering, reflection and meditation. Construction management helped bring the project within a reduced budget and complete it on time despite delays at the beginning of construction.
Public project, less than $50 million: Completion of work funded by the 1998 referendum in Appoquinimink School District in Delaware. The school district was owner for several projects, and construction management was done by EDiS Company. The project consisted of renovations to five schools over three consecutive summers, along with design and construction of a new elementary school. When EDiS was hired, the project had already encountered significant delays and complications. Work on renovation of four existing schools was slated to begin in less than five weeks, and the planned new elementary school, not yet started, was $1.2 million over budget. EDiS reorganized the project schedule and worked with existing contracts and subcontractors to bring about a successful resolution.
Private project, less than $50 million: Lanier Village Estates in Gainesville, Georgia, owned by ACTS Retirement Communities, Inc., with construction management by Bovis Lend Lease, Inc., of Atlanta. This project included 156 independent living units in a large six-story residential building, plus 23 carriage homes and a 57,000 square foot clubhouse, all occupying a 76-acre site marked by an unusually steep grade. Construction was completed in only 19 months.
Public project, less than $100 million: Strategic Computing Complex at Los Alamos National Laboratories. The project’s owner is the University of California, Los Alamos National Laboratory, and construction management was done by Parsons Brinckerhoff Construction Services. This new facility houses the world’s largest and most capable computer, supporting about 300 scientists and engineers working in support of nuclear weapons stockpile stewardship requirements. Stringent security requirements were in place throughout the construction. The computer room was turned over to its users 105 days early.
Private project, less than $100 million: Park Regency Condominium in Atlanta, Georgia, owned by the Brickstone Companies, with construction management by Gilbane Building Company. The Park Regency is a 28-story building that includes 140 distinctive residential units, many highly customized, as well as a full roster of amenities and support facilities. It was completed within a very strict 24-month time window.
Public project, more than $100 million: International Arrivals Terminal 4 at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York. This $1.4 billion project is owned by JFK-IAT LLC and construction management services were performed by AMEC Construction Management, Inc. Four separate and distinct projects were built concurrently, including such elements as a new hydrant fueling system, new electrical duct banks, a drainage system, some 5,300 feet of elevated roadways and 3,100 feet of on-grade roads, plus parking areas, utilities and landscaping. The terminal included arrivals, departures and retail halls, along with immigration and customs, and two large concourses extended to the airline boarding gates and holding areas. From an original construction schedule of 77 months, AMEC was able to streamline the project to provide beneficial occupancy at just 48 months and final completion at 59 months, both major gains in the context of such a large and complex project.
Private project, more than $100 million: Honda Manufacturing plan in Lincoln, Alabama. The project owner is the Honda Motor Company. Construction management was delivered by HHG, a joint venture of Hanscomb (now Atkins Hanscomb Faithful & Gould), Harbert and Global Performance. This new plant will produce 120,000 vehicles and engines annually and feature Honda’s most technically advanced systems. The partnership brought the assembly line into operation only 16 months after groundbreaking, with full-scale production only seven months later. Both of these timetables are records for the automotive industry. This speedy completion was accomplished even as the project scope grew by 400,000 gross square feet. More than 200 prime contractors and equipment installers worked on the project 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Excellence in Program Management: Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center Expansion in San Antonio, Texas, owned by the City of San Antonio, with program management provided by 3D/International. This five-year project cost nearly $150 million and involved more than 1.4 million square feet of new construction and renovation, along with an expansion of the San Antonio River, a new scenic water part, and a 125-foot long glass observation bridge. It was completed within a critical and inflexible time frame despite major confusion and delays encountered before the city contracted with 3D/I.
International Project of the Year: West Bank Water Resources Program, Phase I. The project owner is the United States Agency for International Development, West Bank and Gaza Mission. Construction management was provided by Morganti Group, Inc. This $68 million program was intended to provide greater access to, and more effective use of scarce water resources for the Palestinian people. It included drilling of four production wells and six monitoring wells, plus two major water transmission projects comprised of pipelines, booster pump stations and reservoirs. In addition to all the technical complexities of the project, its participants had to cope with a very challenging political and social environment.
