Project Management, Construction Management, & Project Controls Archives - Page 10 of 11

ENR Names Otak To Top 100 Construction Management/Program Management for Fee List

Otak has been named a Top 100 Construction Management/Program Management for Fee company by the Engineering News-Record. Otak ranked 85th this year, a jump from last year when the company was unranked.

ENR ranks companies based on total 2019 revenue in $ millions for both domestic and international project/program management services performed as a professional service for a fee.

Otak has seen, as referenced in an article by ENR, that the use of professional services firms to plan and deliver projects is increasing. Complex planning, financing, and cost estimating is becoming the norm and necessitates more efficient and cost-effective delivery. The use of professional service firms is seen by owners as the best solution. Firms like Otak can provide additional expertise that may not be found among owners’ available resources.

The rise in use of professional service firms is reflected in this year’s ENR Top 100 Construction Management-for-Fee and Top 50 Program Management Firms list. Revenue for the CM-PM group in 2019 was up 2.7%, to $24.43 billion in 2019 from $23.78 billion in 2018. Domestic revenue from their work was stronger, rising 3.8%, to $18.88 billion. The gains were, however, not seen in foreign projects and programs that fell 0.6%, to $5.54 billion in 2019.

Looking ahead to next year, there is uncertainty due to the impacts from COVID-19, however, Otak’s work has remained steady as we have benefitted from our strong reputation and from being located in states that deemed construction essential. We anticipate being listed among the Top 100 again in 2020.

Otak Partners with Earth Day Oregon to Support Nonprofit Depave

Times are challenging as we all face the impacts of COVID-19. But as our day to day lives have been disrupted, mother nature continues on unabated. Flowers have come up, migrating birds have returned, and temperatures are rising.

In recognition of all that nature provides, Earth Day is celebrated throughout April. While this year there won’t be group events as we practice social distancing, Otak is still taking this time to celebrate the great outdoors.

Otak has again signed on as a business partner for Earth Day Oregon to recognize, support and celebrate our planet and those organizations that work hard every day for our natural world. Through Earth Day Oregon, Otak donated to Depave, a nonprofit that works to turn paved spaces into greenspaces to create more livable cities. We understand the environmental and social benefits greenspace can have and gladly stand behind and have volunteered for the many projects Depave has undertaken to green the landscape of Portland. We look forward to working together with Depave on its next project.

On the homefront, Otak’s GO Committee and Operations Team remind us that Earth Day is really every day and there are things we can do in our daily lives to get back to nature.

1. Start a small garden. You can build raised beds in your yard, or simply pot some herbs and veggies to grow on your porch.
2. Bike and walk more. Do you live near your local grocery store? Consider if it is possible to walk or bike for your next trip to the store (while following proper PPE and social distancing guidelines). A win-win for getting outside and getting your essential errands done.
3. Start a home compost. Many of us are already doing this. Check-in with your local trash service to see if they offer compost pick up. If not and if space allows, you can start composting in your backyard by purchasing something like a “Bio Monster” or “Worm Factory” bin and use the compost for your garden.
4. Shop locally, eat seasonally. With stay-at-home orders in place during the opening weeks for farmers’ markets, your local market or farm might be offering pick-up or delivery!
5. Play Earth Day Bingo! Get the family involved in this great activity from the City of Kirkland.

Getting outside is one of the recommendations for keeping COVID-19 at bay, as well as a way to maintain your mental health. We want our employees to stay healthy so we encourage you to get out and show your love for the planet, on earth day and every day!

Bybee Lakes Hope Center, Wapato Property Immediate Renovation To Accomodate COVID-19 Patients

Jordan Schnitzer, President of Harsch Investment Properties, and Helping Hands Reentry Outreach Centers announced that they are working with the Oregon Health Authority to expedite the renovation of the Wapato property, also known as the Bybee Lakes Hope Center, in anticipation of high community need for bed spaces for patients to safely isolate and recover from COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.

According to state officials, it is likely that there will be a major shortage of medical bed space in the coming weeks. The Bybee Lakes Hope Center team believes this vacant property will be an asset to the regional community and the State of Oregon in response to the unprecedented public health crisis. “There will be a huge need for medical quarantine and transitional housing for those impacted by COVID-19,” said Oregon State Senator Elizabeth Steiner Hayward, a family physician on faculty at OHSU and advisory board member for the Bybee Lakes Hope Center. “Helping Hands’ Bybee Lakes building and their skilled team are a perfect fit for responding to this community crisis.”

Oregon State Senator Betsy Johnson, board member of Helping Hands Reentry Outreach Centers and advisory board member for Bybee Lakes Hope Center, underscored the sense of urgency in identifying a comprehensive response to the novel coronavirus. “This is a serious situation, and it’s time to act,” Senator Johnson said. “We have to think outside the box to develop a multi-pronged plan to increase capacity to treat the sick in our community, and the Bybee Lakes property can provide hundreds of much-needed beds.”

Jordan Schnitzer, the current owner, purchased the property in 2018 and has been working with Helping Hands to raise over $4 million dollars in private donations to renovate the site into a valuable resource for the homeless population. “COVID-19 is a crisis impacting every citizen in our state. Working with Helping Hands and the state of Oregon, I am pleased that Wapato could be used as a facility to help Oregonians survive this health emergency,” Schnitzer said.

DAY CPM was hired by Helping Hands as the Bybee Lakes Hope Center construction project management firm in February 2020. Terry Shanley, Principal at DAY CPM, and his team are working to quickly identify necessary building improvements for COVID-19 patients, including an upgraded ventilation system, utilities and equipment, and ensuring the rest of the facility can be operational as soon as possible. “It’s times like these that call for collaboration and pursuing new ideas and different solutions,” Shanley said. “DAY CPM is proud to be on this team cooperating with public and private entities to build a viable solution to this crisis.”

COVID-19 has impacted the short-term plans for Helping Hands with postponement of several community awareness and fundraising events. However, the Helping Hands team remains steadfastly committed to opening the Bybee Lakes Hope Center to serve community members experiencing homelessness as soon as it’s appropriate to do so. “Responding to the crisis is what Helping Hands does best,” said Helping Hands founder and CEO, Alan Evans. “We will open Bybee Lakes when the time is right, but for now, availability of medical beds has to be a higher priority so we’re working on a crisis response plan using this facility for the community good.”

Harsch Investment Properties and the Helping Hands team will have a timeline for expedited renovation of the facility before the end of the month and will update the community as information becomes available.

For additional information: Raven Russell, r.brown@helpinghandsreentry.org,503-298-9104 or Terry Shanley, terry.shanley@otak.com, 503-816-1718.

Construction of the North Clackamas School District’s Adrienne C. Nelson High School

We are thrilled to be a part of the new construction of North Clackamas School District’s Adrienne C. Nelson High School.

Otak is providing full project management services from our K-12 capital management and bond program specialists at Day CPM. The Day/Otak team is leading the project with budget, scope and schedule oversight; consultant coordination; construction administration; facilities staff integration; and furniture and equipment ordering, delivery, and logistics management.

This $100 million project has been a huge undertaking for the school district, however, DAY CPM’s expertise in managing school bond programs has ensured the district’s needs and expectations are being achieved in a cost effective and timely manner.

We hope that this new high school will be a wonderful place of learning and relationship building that will provide the students with many of the tools they will need going forward.

Otak also provides professional expertise in the fields of architecture, engineering, planning and management of construction projects.

The project scope includes significant additions to the facility as well as relocating and expanding the existing Health Center, Counseling and Career Center areas, kitchen improvements and other minor changes.

Significant additions to the facility include:

2-story classroom wing at the northeast end of the building;
Second-floor classrooms over the existing first floor;
Performing arts wing with a full-size auditorium and black box theater; band, orchestral and choir teaching and practice rooms, offices, restrooms, and storage spaces;
A new gym facility that incorporates competition and practice basketball courts, bleachers, weight room, wrestling room, hydrotherapy facilities, lockers/showers, training rooms, coaches’ offices, restrooms, and storage;
New athletic complex complete with football field; track and field venues; partially covered stadium with home and guest bleachers, press box, ticket and concession spaces; updated varsity softball and baseball fields and a new batting facility at Hood View Park; restrooms and storage.

For more information, check out North Clackamas Schools’ video tour of this project.

Tillamook Street Improvements

A large-scale traffic redesign of the downtown core of Tillamook also adds a new connection for the community to enjoy pedestrian access to natural areas. Including the complete replacement of the Hoquarten Slough bridge and realignment of the couplet where the area’s main highways meet, the roadway design increases capacity and efficiency while reducing the threat of flooding.

Efficient Roadway Design and Construction

In partnership with the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) and Quincy Engineering, this $25 million roadway design in downtown Tillamook makes significant improvements to both US101 and OR6. Along with the intersection between the two highways, reconstruction of the US101 bridge over Hoquarten Slough. Road redevelopment that daylighted storm drains and decreased run off, reduces potential flooding. The project also adds a new parklet and an extension of a pedestrian pathway across a reused rail bridge, connecting two natural areas on either side of Highway 6. Otak designed these improvements while managing construction through completion as part of the broader revitalization of downtown Tillamook.

Tigard-Tualatin School District School Bond Program

The Tigard-Tualatin School District’s $350 million bond focuses on facility technology improvements as well as seismic and security upgrades to ensure these schools remain safe and functional for the community. Otak is providing school bond program and project management while overseeing the expansion of new elementary and middle schools, major renovations at each high school, and many other comprehensive and sustainable updates to most of the schools within the district.

Managing a School Bond for District-Wide Technology Upgrades and New Sustainable Facilities

Improvements across the district focus on HVAC updates, roof repairs, and outfitting classrooms and schools with new technology to enhance the creative thinking in the STEM classrooms. As part of expanding their facilities, construction of the new, award-winning Art Rutkin Elementary School adds 75,000 square-feet of space for students. Work at district high schools include Creekside Community High School, becoming one of the first net-zero education buildings in the state. The mass timber building is intentionally designed with a sloped, south-facing roofline to support solar opportunities on the way to pursuing net-zero energy. Altogether, these upgrades and renovations are designed to create an environment that promotes forward thinking, innovation and encourages an education system that serves the community for years to come.

Swedish Issaquah Medical Campus Project

The Swedish Issaquah Medical Campus project represents the largest hospital project in Seattle in more than 30 years. An integrated project delivery method was used to support the project, resulting in completion one year under schedule which translated to savings of millions of dollars in construction overhead.

An Efficient Construction Process and Sustainable Design, Saving Cost and Energy

The full-service, 630,000-square-foot campus is home to a five-story hospital supporting several primary and specialty care clinics. It also houses a full-service emergency department, the Swedish Cancer Institute facility, a pharmacy, a laboratory, and an imaging center. The 175-inpatient bed facility also includes a mini shopping area with eight retail stores, a Starbucks, and a full-service restaurant and cafeteria. In addition to providing full project management services, we secured medical equipment as well as furniture, fixtures, and equipment; coordinated IT systems procurement; managed budgets; and estimated costs. In 2013, Swedish Medical Center was named the most energy-efficient hospital in the United States, using 43 percent less energy than a typical hospital. A courtyard garden, five-story atrium, and green roofs showcase the hospital’s innovative and sustainable design features. The Otak owner’s representative team led project delivery to maximize efficiency in the completion and future operations of the prominent healthcare facility.

Salem-Keizer School District

A school bond in the Pacific Northwest was leveraged to incorporate various additions and upgrades of 29 schools with numerous other repairs throughout the remaining 41 facilities. These upgrades will include, but are not limited to, new roofs, window replacements, flooring, HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and parking lots refurbishment.

Comprehensive Updates to the Second Largest School District in Oregon

The major projects include adding additional capacity to support enrollment and educational programs, increasing seismic safety as well as the safety and security systems. Those improvements will upgrade technology in a number of areas while also updating facilities to reach ADA standards. As owner’s representative, Otak provided program management services for the Salem- Keizer School District construction projects funded by a bond levy that was passed. Salem-Keizer School District is the second largest district in Oregon with over 40,000 students and 5,000 employees.

State Accident Insurance Fund (SAIF) Renovation Project

The State Accident Insurance Fund (SAIF) Salem Campus’s multi-site renovation focused on improving efficiency in office layout, seismic updates, flood control, and created an inviting space for the community of Salem. The design upgrades allow for a significant reduction in utility cost, which will allow SAIF to reallocate money from utility costs to pay off the building at a faster rate.

Delivering an Efficient Design for a Non-Profit and Hands-On Experience for Students

Along with serving as owner’s representative in updating this non-profit facility, Otak also utilized the opportunity to provide a learning experience for young professionals in the field. In line with a commitment to community enrichment and involvement, the engaged Oregon State University engineering students in this project. By asking them to respond to a request for proposal, the activity helped them prepare for an upcoming Associated Schools of Construction competition. It also offered them an opportunity for hands-on experience in the construction industry.

Reynolds School District Bond Project

The Reynolds School District’s bond program used green building design to create healthier, more sustainable schools and save money in the process. A diverse group of stakeholders were brought together to provide dynamic sustainable strategies for multiple sites focused on water efficiency, energy, materials, indoor environmental quality, and wellness features. In addition to seismic and safety upgrades, the bond also placed the Reynolds School District in a pilot for the Green Technology Alternative – only the third such project statewide.

Maximizing Bond Dollars to Develop A More Sustainable School District

The $125-million bond included the total replacement of Fairview, Troutdale, and Wilkes Elementary Schools, as well as repair and renovation of Reynolds High School. High School renovations included adding classrooms, connecting all outbuildings to the main school, relocating student support services to the front entry, and expansion of the cafeteria and commons area. Secure, controlled access entrances, as well as exterior lighting and security cameras were added at all schools. The design also aimed to support better learning by providing more daylight and fresh air to help mitigate common health issues that have been attributed to unhealthy indoor environmental quality. Otak served as owner’s representative and bond program manager while also working with a trusted subconsultant to provide energy modeling analysis and feasibility studies to maximize the District’s return on investment. The incentives of these green energy measures resulted in approximately $400,000 in energy credits back to the district.