ALTERNATE DELIVERY

Overview

My working definition of “conventional” project delivery is: one owner; one prime designer under contract to the owner that holds all other design subcontracts; and one prime general construction contractor under contract to the owner, procured through competitive bidding based on 100% complete construction documents, that holds all other construction subcontracts. Under this conventional delivery scenario, the owner would also hold certain design-related and preconstruction-services contracts, such as surveying, geotechnical engineering, environmental consulting, etc., and may also hire an independent project manager or management firm to serve as the owner’s representative. Anything other than that scenario would be “alternate” project delivery. Accordingly, I have not worked on any projects in this century that employed a conventional delivery method.

In recognition of this ever-growing trend toward alternate project delivery methods, new model contract documents have been developed in recent years by various industry organizations, including the Associated General Contractors (AGC), Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA), and American Institute of Architects (AIA). Adding to the mix, the AIA has literally invented a whole new delivery method called Integrated Project Delivery, and has published guidelines and standard contract documents for that method. Other organizations have weighed in with new approaches to project delivery as well, such as the Lean Construction Institute with its Lean Project Delivery System.

In addition to the varied approaches to project delivery and new contract forms described above, every project has its own unique circumstances and many utilize customized contract forms developed by owners, architects, constructors and others. As a result, employment of alternate delivery increases the complexity of project management tools that are prepared during the project Startup phase.

Services

The added complexity of alternate delivery makes an even stronger case for specialized assistance in the performance of the Startup phase activities. Further, I can also assist owners and project teams with evaluation of various delivery methods and determination of the method that best meets the owner’s needs.

Alternate Delivery Experience

Below are examples of my experience with alternate project delivery.

Terminal Renovation and Modernization
Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, 2010 – 2013

Having completed programming and schematic design for its terminal renewal and improvements program (“TRIP”), the Dallas/Fort Worth International (“DFW”) established the following organization for project delivery:

• Two design and design management teams (one for Terminals A and C and another for Terminals B and E)
• Two construction managers at risk, brought on board simultaneously and paired with the design and design management teams, that provided pre-construction services and held all construction contracts
• A program implementation management team that represented DFW and managed the program on its behalf

As project director, I had a leadership role in fleshing out project delivery details at the outset of the implementation phase.

Terminal Renovation and Modernization
San Juan International Airport, 2013

Under a public-private partnership, renovation and reconfiguration of the passenger terminal complex by Aerostar, the private airport operator, to modernize the terminal facilities and consolidate airline operations. As a project management consultant to Hunt Construction, prime design-build contractor, I had a leadership role in fleshing out project delivery details at the outset of the implementation phase.

Sands Bethlehem Casino and Resort
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, 2013

The project was fast-track design and construction of a new casino and entertainment complex. The owner and developer, Las Vegas Sands Corporation (LSVC), held the design and multiple prime construction contracts, some of which were design-build. Working as an independent consultant under contract to the LSVC, I was initially assigned to work with LSVC’s internal legal counsel to modify LSCV’s standard Nevada construction contract to reflect the specific requirements of Pennsylvania and the unique characteristics of the Bethlehem project, and to prepare a design-build contract for the parking structure. I also modified LSVC’s contractor procurement documents, the architect’s contract, and the general requirements to properly coordinate those documents with the standard construction contract and accurately reflect the Pennsylvania team’s construction management processes and procedures. I then assisted in the procurement of over 50 trade contractors, tailored the new Bethlehem standard contract as necessary to accommodate the varying scope and unique aspects of the work of each contractor, and negotiated contractual terms when required.

Internet Server Exchange Buildings
San Francisco and Los Angeles, California, 2000 – 2001

Fast-track construction of state-of-the-art data centers in San Francisco and Los Angeles for the rapidly emerging and highly competitive dot-com industry began barely after the completion of the conceptual design phases. As project manager for the architect, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), I worked with the owner, constructor, and my design team to literally invent new processes on the fly to enable the design team to keep up with the pace of construction and facilitate fast-track permitting. As a result of my experience on those data center projects, I was assigned to an internal SOM task force to develop standards for construction support services for projects employing alternate delivery methods.

Terminal Expansiona and Redevelopment
Oakland International Airport, 1999 – 2000

Having completed a terminal development master plan, the Port of Oakland selected a design team lead by HOK to be the “master architect” to perform schematic design and then hand off design packages to other designers or design-build contractors for implementation. When I joined the program management team as design manager, I inherited a start-from-scratch draft of the master architect contract that had been prepared by a law firm hired by the Port that did not accurately reflect the master architect concept, nor did it accurately reflect the services required. Further, I found the draft contract to be confusing and poorly constructed and proposed some specific changes for reworking the contract to the Port’s project director and internal legal counsel. They agreed with my assessment and proposed changes and directed the outside law firm to work with me on improving the contract. After reworking the contract, I then took the lead role in negotiating a final agreement with HOK.

Tren Urbano Rail Transit System
San Juan, Puerto Rico, 1995 – 1996

The project, development of a new commuter rail transit system for San Juan, Puerto Rico, was funded by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and implemented as a design-build demonstration project. When I joined the project management and design team during the planning and early design phases, no one at the time really knew how to execute a design-build project of that scale, much less one that would have to comply with the FTA’s competitive bidding requirements, and I took on a leadership role in assessing the implications of the design-build method and determining what changes to traditional processes and procedures needed to be made. We eventually developed what was essentially a “bridging” method (although that term was not then widely used) whereby the design team established the overall design intent of the project and set forth what aspects of the design were to be fixed and where variability would be allowed in the detailed design performed by the design-build contractor.