Archives: Portfolios

Vestavia Hills City School District

Vestavia Hills City Schools (VHCS) began a process of surveys, town hall meetings and facility assessments about nine months prior to engaging HPM to provide a planning and preconstruction analysis.

During the information gathering, the district also engaged a local architect who had worked with them for many years designing and performing various improvements, additions and renovations. As a result, VHCS and the architect began to formulate a plan that would provide facility solutions to many of the needs identified in the town hall meetings and surveys, and VHCS considered moving forward with a large bond program.

HPM was introduced into the equation to help right-size the bond and determine the phasing plan. To review the proposed facility improvements and to evaluate the cost and phasing of each proposed project, HPM performed facility tours and investigations which uncovered many additional issues not yet anticipated in the original plan. HPM also took a step back to study demographic data and enrollment statistics, and we discovered that some of the proposed projects would only provide temporary solutions.

By combining the growth projections, facility assessments, phasing plans and cost analysis, HPM provided VHCS with six separate studies with variations that included concepts for property acquisition/disposition, grade realignments and alternative facility improvements to address long-term capacity issues.

Across numerous unique projects, HPM saved the owner both time and money, while keeping the program on track.

Cahaba Heights Elementary School

  • Two new additions – gym, cafeteria, classrooms and media center• Additional parking and carpool circulation required phased construction and a routing plan

 

East Elementary School

  • Adjacent to a golf course that was also under construction at the time, so HPM met with the team behind that project to develop a joint storm sewer plan• State-of-the-art kitchen and cafeteria

 

Dolly Ridge Elementary

  • HPM recommended that the district purchase the school facility from Jefferson County and developed a plan to construct the addition while the previous owner was still operating and leasing the building• 14 new classrooms, bathrooms, multi-purpose rooms, storage rooms, a calming room, office space and enlarged carpool circulation• Relocated and updated playground equipment

 

Liberty Park Elementary School

  • 14 classroom additions

 

West Elementary School

  • State-of-the-art kitchen, cafeteria and major renovation to existing multi needs classrooms

 

Pizitz Middle School

  • HPM recommended that VHCS purchase a former high school building from neighboring Hoover. Facility was completely renovated to fit the needs of a middle school.• New choir room, band room, gymnasium, baseball and softball fields• Additional parking and carpool circulation space

Pelham City Schools

As a new school district, Pelham City Schools maintained a limited number of staff to oversee capital improvement and renovation projects for a comprehensive phasing plan.

HPM provided the guidance and leadership with skills and expertise ranging from planning, preconstruction, estimating, project management, scheduling, field observation, quality control and contract negotiations from a team of 12 HPM experts that equaled approximately two full-time employees in cost to the client.

PROJECTS:

  • Pelham Ridge Elementary: New construction of 800-student facility
  • Pelham Oaks Elementary: Renovations to existing Valley Intermediate School
  • Pelham Middle School: New construction of 800-student facility
  • Pelham High School: Renovations

 

Jasper City School District

A high school over a decade in the making was bound to be modern and high-tech, with all of the amenities a student or teacher could ask for.

Jasper High School was in disrepair in 2005 when the school system purchased the 102-acre lot that would be home to the new, greatly improved campus. The new school consolidates the local middle and high school and offers educational, vocational, arts and athletic facilities like none other — 69 classrooms, a lunchroom with seating for 400, a theater with stadium seating for 1,250, two gyms, a practice field, a performing arts area and a JROTC facility with indoor shooting range, with more additions on the way.

 

 

BIG DEMANDS, STRATEGIC SAVINGS
The creation of Jasper High School started in the middle of 2000, and it was truly a project for the whole community — teachers, administrators and city leaders all provided input on what the new school would look like and how it would function. Unfortunately, the dream school conceived of by the Board of Education wasn’t anywhere close to the budget approved by the City of Jasper. HPM worked with the board and the design team to develop a plan that met their needs within the available funds. HPM’s leadership during the design, bid and construction phase resulted in a school with all of the amenities a board of education could hope for — and a project originally estimated at $77 million was ultimately completed for less than $55 million.

DETAILS:

  • JROTC facility, including shooting range
  • Competition gymnasium with seating for 2,000
  • Culinary cooking lab
  • Softball field
  • Band, choral and drama rooms
  • 1,250-seat theater

Hoover City School District

HPM first partnered with the Hoover City School District for the construction of what would be the largest high school in Alabama.

Despite a difficult build site and millions of dollars of potential cost overruns, Spain Park High School was completed on time and at considerable savings to the school district. Several years later, when the school district prepared to build the new Riverchase Elementary School, it called in HPM to make the process easy and affordable, and the relationship continued for the construction of Berry Middle School.

MITIGATING CHANGE, SAVING MONEY
Change orders are expected in construction projects — it seems to be the nature of the industry. But they can start to add up if gone unchecked. During the course of construction on Spain Park High School, dozens and dozens of change orders added up to $3 million. Smart value engineering by HPM, including extensive review and negotiation with the contractor and a complete redesign of several miles of sanitary sewer piping, saved the owner $2.9 million of that $3 million. While maintaining a positive relationship with the construction team, HPM was able to deliver the school of Hoover City Schools’ dreams and come in under budget — paying for our own fee several times over with just those savings on change orders.

SCHOOLS:

  • Riverchase Elementary School
  • Berry Middle School
  • Spain Park High School

Broward County Convention Center

The Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center is South Florida’s premiere waterfront conference center – a 600,000 square foot LEED Gold Certified facility.

Plans for expansion include an additional 525,000 square-feet of exhibit and meeting space and an 800-room, 4 Diamond Omni Hotels & Resorts Headquarters Hotel. The combined effect of the expansion and new hotel, that include public spaces and waterfront amenities, is expected to bolster the local economy by attracting more convention and trade show business, increasing tourism and creating jobs in Broward County. Construction is expected to conclude in 2025, with HPM providing Audit & Contract services throughout the life of the project.

Gordie Howe International Bridge

The Gordie Howe International Bridge project is a once-in-a-generation undertaking.

Not only will the project deliver much-needed transportation improvements for international travelers, it will also provide jobs and opportunities for growth to the Windsor-Detroit region and includes features that make this project truly distinctive. HPM has been tapped to provide FAER and Quality System Compliance and Audit services throughout the life of the project, which is scheduled for completion in 2025.

Birmingham Intermodal Facility

The Intermodal transit hub expands and transforms the existing Birmingham Jefferson County Transit Authority (BJCTA) Bus Transfer Facility into a fully integrated, multi-modal transportation center linking intercity rail, intercity bus, public transportation, taxis, car, and van pools and even Zyp bikes. Amtrak, Greyhound, and local bus services will be available from a single complex, able to accommodate the possibility of light-rail service in the future.

The two-building hub also includes a parking structure to serve the needs of employees and commuters and shell space for future retail and commercial tenants, making Intermodal a center for business as well as transportation. HPM’s program management services kept the complex project on schedule and on budget while facilitating clear communication among the numerous parties interested in the success of the project.

DETAILS:

  • Two-bay, 48,000 square-foot hangar
  • 15,000 square-foot office and warehouse space
  • State-of-the-art fire suppression system
  • Epoxy flooring
  • South Central Construction and ABC Excellence in Construction Awards

 

As client-centric servant leaders committed to doing what’s best for its clients and their projects, not only did HPM provide the City of Birmingham with the services they needed to complete the intermodal center project, but they provided relocation services for its smallest client – the honey bee. Read more about this unique story.

GulfQuest National Maritime Museum of the Gulf of Mexico

GulfQuest is a museum educating visitors about the culture and commerce of the Gulf of Mexico. Plus, it’s an event space, a gathering place, a ferry terminal and the centerpiece of Mobile Landing, a downtown waterfront development that includes the Alabama Cruise Terminal, the Mobile Convention Center and Cooper Riverside Park.

The concrete and glass museum was intended to entice Mobile citizens and visitors down to the waterfront and to spur economic growth that could turn Mobile Bay into a destination stop for the cruise industry.Bringing this massive and massively complex structure into being made HPM accountable to a lot of people: the City of Mobile, the nonprofit organized around the idea that would become GulfQuest and — particularly — the taxpayers. Operations were complicated by multiple prime contractors, elaborate interactive exhibits, downtown Mobile traffic and the Mobile River itself.

HOLDING BACK THE WATERS
GulfQuest isn’t just situated at Mobile Bay — it sits on Mobile Bay, designed to look like a ship pulling out of port to head into the Gulf. The facility includes a ferry terminal, a waterfront dining facility and a full-size replica container ship floating in water precisely matched to the water level of the river. All of that presented a complication not common to landlocked locations: keeping Mobile Bay from making its way into the museum. As the foundation was being laid — and reinforced and waterproofed — pumps had to run 24 hours a day to remove water from the site and return it to the river from which it came. Later, the challenge manifested as a mold outbreak resulting from high humidity, which HPM’s quality control measures were able to catch and remediate without any of the drywall having to be removed. Extensive pre-planning, quick thinking and attention to detail on HPM’s part kept GulfQuest high and dry.

DETAILS:

  • Multipurpose facility
  • Exhibit space, galleries, and meeting rooms
  • Administrative facility
  • Rotunda with ticketing, café, and museum store
  • Observation deck
  • Orientation theater
  • Rooftop event space

Negro Southern League Baseball Museum

Established in 1920 by a group of African-American businessmen, the Negro Southern League brought prominence to African-American baseball players throughout the South and contributed to the eventual movement of players into the major leagues. A museum honoring the league, long in the works, became a priority with the construction of Birmingham’s new baseball stadium.

HPM represented the owner throughout the project, guiding budget development and keeping construction on track to bring this long-awaited museum into the Birmingham community.

DESIGNING A MAJOR LEAGUE MUSEUM WITH A FARM TEAM BUDGET
Original plans for the Negro League Museum were as grand as the history it celebrated. The budget, however, funded largely by the city, was less than grand. HPM worked with the design team, helping change the design to provide comparable facilities at a lower cost. Ultimately, a $5 million project was adapted for delivery at $2.5 million, with plans for future expansion as space becomes available. With value engineering from the earliest stages, HPM was able to cut costs without cutting corners, giving visitors the highest quality of venue to celebrate the history of the league.

DETAILS:

  • 8,700 square feet of exhibits
  • Event space
  • Restaurant with terrace
  • Gift shop

Regions Field

More than just a home for the Birmingham Barons, Regions Field was meant to be a catalyst for economic revival in downtown Birmingham.

In a way, the City of Birmingham was taking a chance in making such a substantial investment in a high-class ballpark — 26 luxury boxes, a retail store, a children’s area, and even a beer garden set it apart from other stadiums in its league. And on top of ongoing budget negotiations, weather caused several delays, including an unexpected snowfall that briefly brought activity to a halt in a Southern city wholly unused to icy precipitation.

But when the first pitch went out that April, the stunning, award-winning ballpark was ready to play ball. And as the season went on, Regions Field contributed heavily to economic growth in the area, turning the lights back on and bringing family-friendly activity to a less-traveled part of town. Construction work, in particular, became so plentiful that subs were in heavy demand as Parkside and downtown development flourished.

BUILDING A DIAMOND IN A COAL ECONOMY
The beginning of construction on Regions Field came at the lowest dip of an economic downturn. The two-and-a-half year project was what it took to keep some subcontractors afloat. Others weren’t so lucky and ultimately failed during the course of the project. The resulting budgeting difficulties and staffing turnover added challenges to what was already a complex project with interested parties in the public and private sectors. But from the earliest stages of preconstruction, HPM had built contingencies into the schedule and budget. That preparation, along with HPM’s relationships within the local construction industry and the City’s trust in HPM’s management, kept work moving smoothly to deliver the ballpark in time for opening day.

DETAILS:

  • 8,500-seat AA minor league baseball stadium
  • 4 square blocks
  • 26 suites
  • Retail store
  • Picnic area
  • Administrative offices
  • Press box
  • Baseballparks.com’s Ballpark of the Year
  • Listed as one of Ballparkdigest.com’s Ballparks of the Decade

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