In early 2020, ATPE executed a new lease for two floors and began the process of planning to build out its new space. Initially, the brokers working on the project were representing both the landlord and ATPE. This same firm had negotiated both sides of the lease and was going to facilitate the build-out. ATPE wasn’t fully comfortable with this arrangement and decided to hire a third-party project management firm to represent and protect their interests.
The architect working on the design for ATPE had a long-term relationship with AQUILA’s project management team and invited us to interview for the project.
AQUILA’s project management team got straight to work and came to the interview prepared with preliminary budgets and schedules developed from collaborating with the architecture firm. This allowed the meeting to turn into an active working session, rather than a simple introduction, and AQUILA was formally engaged to lead the project team shortly thereafter.
Challenges
Shortly after construction began on the initial first-floor phase, the COVID-19 outbreak struck.
When COVID-19 restrictions were put in place, AQUILA’s project management team stayed on alert 24/7. Local and state government policies changed quickly with regard to what constituted essential business and under what circumstances construction would be allowed to continue. ATPE’s project was put on a brief hold during this early stage of uncertainty, but the project team worked to appropriately classify the effort as essential infrastructure and get the schedule back on track.
Once construction recommenced, the team put strict safety protocols in place and kept the team informed and in compliance with the rapidly changing regulations. The initial stage of the pandemic caused significant labor and manpower issues as well, but AQUILA’s project management team worked with their construction partners and tenant vendors to effectively execute the project on schedule.
The Results
Despite these time-consuming challenges during the most uncertain time of the pandemic, both phases of the project were completed on time and on budget. The project team was also able to complete additional wishlist items for ATPE that were above and beyond the initial plans as part of the punchlist and close-out process.
| More Details | |
| Property Name | Huntland Building |
| Architect | KDS Austin |
| Square Footage | 17,237 |
| Schedule | 5 Months |
| Completion | June 2020 |
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