Green and glamorous
Photo courtesy of MGM Mirage
FALL
Fall 2010 Contents
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Project showcase CityCenter, Las Vegas - Green and glamorous. Halcrow Yolles played a key role in the realization of a new architectural chapter for Las Vegas. Dames Point, Jacksonville: On time, on budget and environmentally friendly.
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Expanding expertise New joiners bring in expertise to highways and bridges, high-speed rail and energy.
Welcome to the first issue of our
new North American communiqué. Each quarter it will come to you full of information about what’s going on with Halcrow’s people, places and projects and how we are helping to solve our clients’ greatest challenges through planning, design and management services for infrastructure development worldwide.
The CityCenter US$8.6 billion development is an 18-millionsquare-foot, mixed-use project which features six structures which are part of MGM’s vision to enhance Las Vegas
Green
PROJECT SHOWCASE
Photo courtesy of MGM Mirage
and glamorous Halcrow Yolles played a key role in the realization of a new architectural chapter for Las Vegas, Nevada, by providing structural engineering services to CityCenter, the largest, most significant privately funded project in the United States, and one of the world’s largest green developments.
Developed by MGM Mirage Inc., Las Vegas and Infinity World, the US$8.6 billion development is an 18-million-square-foot, mixed-use project which features six structures which are part of MGM’s vision to enhance Las Vegas’s reputation as a glamorous international leisure and
business destination, and to introduce a high-end residential component to the world-famous ‘Strip’. Designed by some of the world’s most sought-after architects, it includes three upscale hotels, condominiums, entertainment space and one casino.
Top and bottom left: Crystals™ retail and entertainment district Bottom right: Veer Towers™ and Mandarin Oriental Hotel Opposite page: The Treehouse located within Crystals™ retail and entertainment district
Photo courtesy of MGM Mirage
PROJECT SHOWCASE
Our dedication and extensive experience allowed us to successfully keep pace with this enormous undertaking’s aggressive construction schedule With our collaborative and integrated design approach, our technical expertise and our passion for great architecture, Halcrow Yolles helped worldrenowned architects Studio Daniel Libeskind, Murphy/Jahn, Adamson Associates, and Kohn Pederson Fox overcome the challenges and make their creative vision a reality. We brought to life the complex angles of Crystals™, a 500,000-square-foot, high-end retail, entertainment and dining space; ensured that the leaning 37-story Veer Towers™ were structurally sound; and provided innovative design solutions for the Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas, a non-gaming mixed-use hotel, condo and spa. The firm also helped CityCenter to achieve LEED® Gold ratings by incorporating key LEED requirements into our plans and using LEED-friendly materials, such as recycled local steel. Our dedication and extensive experience allowed us to successfully keep pace with this enormous undertaking’s aggressive construction schedule while working on several very different iconic structures simultaneously. For information please contact Dave Watson at david.watson@halcrowyolles.com or call (416) 363 8123.
PROJECT SHOWCASE
Dames Point: On time, on budget and environmentally friendly Halcrow played a vital role in the development of the multi-awardwinning US$230 million Dames Point container terminal in Jacksonville, Florida, one of the largest container facilities on the US east coast. Completed in January 2009, Halcrow was the lead consultant from its original conception and worked with Jacksonville Port Authority (Jaxport) to plan, permit and design the terminal. The challenging project successfully met a dizzying array of environmental regulations. The team not only made use of all the materials available, but minimized the environmental impact generated by such an enormous project. This included the preservation of a 30-acre freshwater wetland, and the avoidance of reclaiming the St Johns River, while simultaneously ensuring the continued operation of Jacksonville’s dredge spoil sites. Dames Point was completed on time and within budget, despite the many hurdles that needed to be negotiated during the 40-month schedule. The success of the project was due to persistent attention to detail,
Dockside lifting cranes
awareness of environmental concerns, and open dialogue with local stakeholders and permitting authorities, along with teamwork and dedication from all professionals involved, from conception to completion. Halcrow has been presented with numerous awards for its work on this project, including the Coasts, Oceans, Rivers and Ports Institute (COPRI) Project Excellence competition for an innovative and sustainable dredging solution; the Construction Management Association of America (CMAA) south west and Central Florida chapter’s gold project achievement award; and the British Construction Industry (BCI) award for projects outside the UK for which either the principal designer or contractor is a UK-based firm. For information on our maritime engineering expertise, please contact Patrick King at pking@halcrow.com or call (212) 608 3990.
Overhead view of the port container facilities
Shipping along the St Johns River
EXPANDING EXPERTIZE
Bringing on new expertise in highways and bridges, high-speed rail and energy Stephen W. Lowry joined Halcrow in March as vice
president of the firm’s highways and bridges operation in North America. Working with a team of experienced highway and bridge professionals, Steve is responsible for the development of this market sector across the United States and Canada. Highlights of his project experience include multi-modal transportation planning and design and multi-discipline design and build and alternative delivery systems for highways and bridges in the US and abroad. In 2008 and 2009, he served as the
executive director for the QatarBahrain Causeway, overseeing design, construction and program management services for what will be the world’s longest multi-modal marine crossing, carrying freight and passenger rail and a four-lane divided motorway across the Persian Gulf, from the Kingdom of Bahrain to the State of Qatar. He is based in Halcrow’s Austin, Texas, office. Stephen Lowry to drive highways and bridges operations
William R. Mooney joined Halcrow as a senior manager of our rail practice in the United States in February. As vice president, rail, Bill is working to expand our current rail capabilities, with particular emphasis on expansion into the high speed rail market. Bill has more than 33 years of experience as a rail transit professional with the Chicago Transit William R. Mooney joins Halcrow’s rail program Authority (CTA) – the second largest transit agency in the US. Bill started his career at the CTA in 1977 as a transit professional trainee and worked his way up through the ranks, being appointed chief operations officer in 2007. He is extremely well-versed in every aspect of transit operations and is regularly called upon to advise transit agencies across the US on how to improve their day-to-day operations. Bill is based in Chicago.
Mark Gabriel, accomplished industry veteran, speaker and
author, joined in May as senior vice president, power, for Halcrow in North America. Mark’s 20-year energy business pedigree has been forged across a broad set of industry issues, from advanced metering and intelligent infrastructure to advanced generation, gas and oil technology deployments. He has developed several proprietary analytic techniques in mergers and acquisitions, technology roadmapping and strategic messaging. Clients have included some of the nation’s largest investor‑owned utilities as well as a number of co-ops, Generation and Transmission, municipal entities, NASA, Department of the Energy, the State of Maryland and Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. Based in Denver, Mark is the author of Visions for a Sustainable Energy Future published by Fairmont Press, and the winner of the 2009 Indie Award for Excellence.
Spotlight on Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) Our expert strategic transaction advice helps clients harness the potential of PPPs in infrastructure delivery through: • strategic procurement • due diligence • risk management • asset management At Halcrow, we’ve developed an unparalled track record in public-
private partnerships. Our ability to listen and our detailed understanding of PPP transactions have led to strong relationships with a range of clients, including public agencies, project promoters, concessionaires and financiers. For information on how we’re solving some of our clients’ greatest challenges, visit halcrow.com or email pppinfo@halcrow.com.
Seen around town Halcrow was the main sponsor at McGraw Hill’s 2010 Global Construction Summit, ‘Winning Business in World Markets’, held in April in New York City. The summit brought together professionals from around the world to discuss and explore global industry challenges and participate in discussions regarding business development opportunities, industry trends, innovations, and best practice. Michael Della Rocca, group board director and president of Halcrow in North America, moderated the summit’s
Michael Della Rocca
halcrow.com
opening-day panel on public-private partnerships (PPP). Halcrow was also a platinum sponsor of the 22nd Annual American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) Conference in July in Washington D.C. Brian Howells, the 2009-2010 ARTBA P3 division president and a director within Halcrow’s transportation group, had the distinct honor of introducing the conference’s keynote speaker, U.S. Secretary of Transportation, Ray LaHood, and participated on the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) conference panel. Also representing Halcrow was vice president Bob Brownstein, who spoke about high-speed rail and PPP, and Marcus Rooney, public-private partnership market sector manager, who participated on the PPP and transit panel.
JOIN THE CONVERSATION Come blog with us! Halcrow launched two new blogs in July, on water scarcity and geospatial issues. The blogs are updated frequently and provide cutting-edge information and in-depth discussion of these important topics by our specialists and experts. The blogs can be found on our website at: http://blogs.halcrow.com/ geospatial and http://blogs. halcrow.com/waterscarscity/.
Powering up
Halcrow recently opened a new office in Denver, Colorado. Home to The National Energy Renewable Laboratory, Xcel Energy, Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association Inc., large water utilities including Denver Water, as well as transit agencies, this office will bring the firm’s expertise in power, water and transportation infrastructure to the Rocky Mountain region. With local knowledge and global expertise in sustainable and renewable energy, water scarcity and resource issues, the office will initially be staffed by water and power teams, including Mark Gabriel, senior vice president, power, along with Tony Georgis and Thomas Stringfellow, who together draw on more than 50 years’ experience in the energy market. Contact information: Union Tower, 165 South Union Blvd. Suite 785 Lakewood, CO 80228 call (303) 872 5152