CREJ

30 / BUILDING DIALOGUE / March 2021 ELEMENTS Construction Planning Practices Get Back to Basics to Manage Project Complexity I t’s never been more important for con- struction industryprofessionals tomanage project timelines and budgets to contend with the complexities and uncertainties that characterize the current market. As we navigate these conditions, it’s an ideal time to focus on the basic building blocks of project management and planning. Market conditions continue to be influenced by variables beyond our control, exacerbating the com- plexities behind every construction project. Success will find thosewho have gone back to basics: commu- nication, risk mitigation, sound due diligence and an approach that embraces a willingness to go above and beyond for our clients. • Best practices in 2021 . Sitemaintenanceandproj- ect coordinationrequireprecise systems toorchestrate a cohesive workflow. This depends largely on the ca- pabilities of both people and technology as well as the successful integration of the systems driven by each. The larger the project, the greater the need to man- age complexity with proactive communication. Es- tablish your project culture and decide how you will determine success. Create a “success board,” with rep- resentation from all stakeholders to get early buy-in and consensus around actions, practices and project successmeasurementsbywhichall teammembers are to be held accountable. Once you’ve set standards for communication, it’s time to focus on risks and reaction protocols to navi- gate andmitigate those inevitable setbacks anddisrup- tions inherent in the construction industry. Tominimize risk, contractorsmust be looking ahead. For example, having expert knowledge of the subcon- tractor market and material pricing can help deter- mine optimal times to buy, even when it might seem premature; locking inkey subcontractor pricingbefore contracts are in place can help save significant time andmoneywhenmarket conditions fluctuate. Finally, don’t overlook soft skills required of project managers. When the stakes are high, leadership and attitude make a tangible difference. You need strong leadership to coordinate the complexities that come along with projects at scale. Without a captain to steer the ship, you run the risk of costly and unnecessary de- lays, and evenmore critical, safety concerns. Regardless of the project, you need a single entity to keepeveryoneonthe samepage, to rundailymeetings, tomanagepermits andstakeholder relations, toensure proper access points for all contractors and to fulfill the litany of requirements and mandates that arise depending on project type and location (e.g., land use requirements, historic designations, etc.). This can be a momentous task, so this person or group must have a can-do, roll-up-your-sleeves attitude to keep things moving forward. • Work in action: 9+CO Redevelopment: Contin- uum Partners and its associates are in the midst of a major transformation and revitalization project on the 12-block, 26-acre site at Ninth Avenue and Colora- do Boulevard after a decade of vacancy. Kiewit served as the construction manager/general contractor to coordinate construction activities, horizontal infra- structure and two of the development’s neighborhood “blocks” south of Ninth Avenue, which involved just over 460,000 square feet of new construction for office and retail space. The project’s location in a densely populated neigh- borhood along one of Denver’s busiest thoroughfares presents a unique set of challenges, along with other variables that would threaten project certainty, in- cluding the skeleton of the site’s former building, a slow-moving permitting process, and the volume of project stakeholders between various owners and gen- eral contractors. The constructionsite for blocks 2 and4was amoving mosaic of activity fromthe start. Multiple independent contractors, hundreds of subcontractors, suppliers av- eraging 10 deliveries of materials per day, vendors pro- viding services for workers, and waste management systems all had to be managed within a constricted constructionzone. At times, asmanyas 10 separategen- eral contractorsworked around eachother, sharing the project site and access roads. To add complexity, each general contractor was working on behalf of different owner representatives. Communication, with daily meetings and agreed-upon standards, helped keep ev- eryonemarching in the same direction. While the volume of construction activity was un- Kyle Welker Project Executive, Kiewit Building Group Inc. Falcon Aerial Imaging Redevelopment of 9+CO Block 2 included 99,000 square feet of new construction on a two-story core and shell building for the movie theater, street-level restaurants and retail.