HPM provided Construction Audit & Advisory Services for Landry’s Golden Nugget Casino, Resort & Hotel in Lake Charles, Louisiana.
The multi-million square foot project includes a casino with approximately 1,600 slot machines and 60 table games, a hotel with 700 guest rooms and suites, a variety of food and beverage outlets, an 18-hole golf course, a tennis club, swimming pools, a spa and 3,000 parking spaces.
The Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana is no stranger to the destruction a hurricane can leave in its path. In August 2020, Hurricane Laura caused significant damage to the Coushatta Casino Resort and the restoration project that followed was made particularly difficult due to a tight timeline.
The multi-million square foot project includes a casino with approximately 1,600 slot machines and 60 table games, a hotel with 700 guest rooms and suites, a variety of food and beverage outlets, an 18-hole golf course, a tennis club, swimming pools, a spa and 3,000 parking spaces.
The Notah Begay III Junior Golf Championship was scheduled for November and Christmas season occupancy for the Seven Clans Hotel was also a top priority. The tribe initially hired a restoration contractor to do the work, and while the demolition and removal of wet and damaged materials progressed quickly, the restoration effort faltered, leaving no area of the hotel occupiable. It quickly became evident to the tribe leadership that they were lacking the planning and organizational manpower needed to get the work completed on time, so they sought a program manager with the necessary experience to lead the way. HPM was hired to oversee the restoration of 160 guestrooms and other ancillary buildings. Our services included:
HPM also coordinated the restoration and roof repairs of other buildings on the resort campus, including the golf clubhouse, restaurant and lounge, golf course comfort stations, human resources and training offices, and other miscellaneous buildings. HPM’s efforts enabled the Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana to reopen their facilities efficiently, host the Notah Begay III Junior Golf Championship as scheduled, and welcome guests back in time for the holidays.
The Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex (BJCC) and Legacy Arena have hosted countless concerts and sporting events since its construction in the 1970s, but in order to compete with other major cities in the region, the BJCC needed a major update.
HPM was hired to manage and oversee this renovation and capital investment, the first since 1992. The initiative will position Birmingham as a top destination for meetings and conventions while also generating new opportunities to host a variety of top-tier sports and entertainment events.
The $102-million improvements and expansion will enhance the fan experience, offering modernized amenities expected of a venue today. The changes will be apparent inside and out, beginning with a reoriented primary entrance and an added glass-and-steel façade that will provide natural light and an expanded area for exhibitions, showcases, and more. Landscaping and new paint colors will be the finishing touches in transforming the arena’s former bunker-like appearance.
Inside the arena, fans will find new club-level boxes, VIP suites, and enhanced concessions, as well as modern seating and upgrades that build on the use of smartphones and technology. A 360-degree ribbon board will be added to the seating bowl, and refurbished lobbies will feature state-of-the-art escalator and elevator systems. Renovations to the behind-the-scenes areas will allow for larger tour buses and an increased number of tractor-trailers. These updates ensure that the BJCC and Legacy Arena will serve Birmingham residents, visitors, and touring talent for decades to come.
HPM served as the Owner’s Representative for the Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center Authority’s transformative sports and entertainment projects that are expected to play a leading role in the future of downtown Birmingham.
Totaling $330 million, our firm provided guidance and oversight for a building program that included both the construction of a brand new 45,000-seat football stadium that is serving as the home of the University of Alabama-Birmingham (UAB) Blazers, as well as the comprehensive renovation and expansion of the 44-year-old Legacy Arena. The project has positioned Birmingham as a top regional and national destination for meetings and conventions while also generating new opportunities to host a variety of top-tier sports and entertainment events.
HPM was initially chosen as program manager to oversee the pre-construction phase of the Legacy Arena renovation before our overall scope of work was expanded. We worked with construction teams and project managers to serve as the eyes and ears for ownership on both initiatives, continuing our distinguished track record on high-profile capital projects across Alabama. HPM partnered with Steel City Services, a Birmingham firm specializing in project management services, to deliver the scope of services required for the projects.
“The new stadium and modernized arena will be assets to the city of Birmingham for many years to come and we’re proud to work with a Birmingham-based company to see them through,” said Tad Snider, BJCC executive director and CEO since 2010.“These projects mean more opportunities for entertainment, sports, family entertainment, conventions and meetings, and the associated economic impact generated from these events that benefits the Magic City.”
City governments, such as the City of Albertville, are responsible for being good stewards of citizens’ tax dollars, and budgets based on tax revenue and municipal bonds cannot extend beyond plans. When building a new parks and recreation facility, the City wanted to offer the best complex possible while investing in a sustainable economic driver for the area.
HPM’s team worked with the project’s architect on budgeting, awarding and scheduling from the schematic stage, adjusting design plans and project scope to make the most of available funds. HPM served as the owner’s representative for the City and design team, and played a key role in bridging the gap between multiple contractors that were involved in various phases of construction. The park includes five softball fields with one championship field, four baseball fields with one championship field and five multi-purpose fields, each with all-weather turf. It includes a 100,000 plus square foot recreation center with an indoor eight-lane competition pool, multiple basketball courts and an outdoor water park with a lazy river feature, but it doesn’t stop there. The park also features four miles of hiking trails, open grass areas, an RV Park, and a 7,000 +/- seating capacity amphitheater equipped to host national touring acts to regional and community events. The 135-acre sports, leisure, wellness and entertainment venue is expected to create more than 1,200 jobs while generating an economic impact of $120 million annually.
Keeping the “Albertville Standard”
The City of Albertville had long dreamed of a way to unite and revitalize their town. The idea had been tossed around for more than 10 years before HPM entered the scene in 2018. While private entities have created multipurpose parks and facilities like these, having a city-owned park provides considerable benefits to Albertville citizens. The firm was tasked with coordinating a complex program schedule that featured numerous logistical challenges ranging from the complications due to the pandemic to one of the rainiest winters in North Alabama history, and was able to successfully navigate those hurdles while saving the City over $1 million in total project costs. Not only that, but HPM’s leadership led to a well-defined scope, master schedule and field quality assurance and coordination of the project. By partnering with HPM, the City of Albertville has maintained the “Albertville Standard” by providing new beautification and infrastructure for their city.
In 2001, the Birmingham Zoo launched a major campaign off expansion and renovation to gain prominence and attract more visitors. This multi-phase, multi-year, multi-million-dollar undertaking added educational opportunities and improved enclosures to the 60-year-old zoo.
The Alabama Wilds area provided a tour of the state’s indigenous wildlife through wetlands, farmlands and the wilds of the city. The Children’s Area gave families a place to relax, have a bite to eat, take a ride on a custom-built endangered species carousel or cool off in an interactive fountain. The massive Trails of Africa exhibit brought visitors up close with African wildlife. Guided by HPM’s leadership, the expansion brought record numbers of visitors — and a herd of endangered elephants — to the Birmingham Zoo.
WE BUILT A ZOO
While HPM has experience with projects in a wide variety of industries, Birmingham Zoo was a first — there isn’t a lot that compares to an elephant lair or a rhinoceros habitat. But the zoo called on HPM because of our reputation and track record for smart management, not because of mud wallow expertise. Any gaps in wildlife-related experience were filled by listening to, and learning from, specialists in the industry. The rest was handled with best-practice approaches to budgeting, contractual administration, construction scheduling, specialty staffing and willingness to innovate. HPM didn’t need to know how to transport an elephant or build a faux-rock mountain — with proven experience and experts on call, we delivered a zoo on time and on budget.
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Planetary Ventures, LLC (Owner) selected HPM to provide comprehensive Construction Audit & Advisory Services for the Google Bay View Suites project located in Mountain View, CA.
The Bay View campus, located on NASA Ames property off of Moffett Boulevard, will be able to house roughly 4,000 employees across two large and uniquely designed office buildings. The sloped, pavilion-like roofing is clad with large, prismatic glass shingles that generate solar power for the facility, layered in a pattern that the company calls a “dragonscale” solar skin. Inside, the offices are filled with natural lighting and vibrant colors, with lighthearted-themed areas as work spaces and gathering rooms.
When Facebook, Inc. selected a Contractor for the Phase 2 and Phase 3 tenant improvements of offices in Los Angeles known more commonly as the Brickyard, they knew they needed a specialist in auditing expertise and experience. The project, which includes tenant improvement premises in bare shell condition, is expanding the companies presence in the burgeoning tech neighborhood fivefold. HPM provided a full suite of Construction Audit & Advisory Services and helped secure requirements needed during negotiations.
The Spring District is a 36 acre LEED-ND certified, transit-oriented, mixed-use urban neighborhood on the old Safeway Distribution Center site in the Bel-Red Corridor.
Specifically designed to help tech companies attract and retain the world’s best talent, the development is centered on a future light rail station which will open in 2023 and connect Microsoft, to the east, and downtown Seattle, to the west. The 16 city blocks will feature commercial, educational and residential projects, including a hotel, restaurants and diverse local shops. HPM provided Preconstruction, Construction Audit & Advisory Services for this project, leading to significant cost savings for the owner.
HPM provided program management services for the design and construction of the $21.5 million Regions Bank mortgage operations facility in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.
HPM’s responsibilities included the management and procurement of all design, engineering, construction, and commissioning services for Regions’ largest ground-up construction project in 2018 across its 15-state imprint. In addition, HPM was responsible for the furniture, fixtures, and equipment in the single-story building.
The new 59,055-square-foot facility sits on a 10-acre site, with the building itself taking up two acres and the remainder of the space being used for parking and walking trails for employees. HPM’s plans also allow for a 20,000-square-foot expansion option.
Building highlights of the project include:
The new facility allowed for the relocation and consolidation of 325 employees from three downtown buildings into one centralized mortgage facility.
Dressing for Success through Modern, Functional Design
In developing a design plan for the building, HPM worked with Regions to identify a number of goals for the space. Priorities were to provide a balance of open space to private/collaborative space; create a comfortable yet energizing environment; and use functional yet modern furnishings to satisfy both user needs and aesthetics. To achieve these goals, an HPM account design team created interior finishes and furniture specifications in partnership with Kimball, an award-winning American furniture company. The result was an open-office layout that allows for collaboration between departments, increasing efficiency while building relationships between teams. Thoughtful details like floor-to-ceiling windows and a lobby skylight bringing in plenty of natural light; an organic color palette with pops of vibrant hues; and using reclaimed pine for a branded wall bring the building in sync with its natural, wooded surroundings, while adding a layer of mindfulness for employees. Regions Vice President of Properties and Corporate Real Estate says the project team and associates working in the new facility have been pleased with the results of Kimball and HPM’s work. “The Kimball products are a key element in our design of the new facility,” he says. “They helped us achieve our goal of providing an efficient and cost-effective space for our associates while still allowing us to provide an open and collaborative environment with attractive furniture and finishes.”