Hartford Business Journal

8 Hartford Business Journal • March 16, 2015 www.HartfordBusiness.com Biggest stadium construction challenge: Transparency By Keith Griffin Special to the Hartford Business Journal W hat's the biggest challenge in building a baseball stadium in Hartford? It's not so much the physical difficulties. After all, construction companies are used to building in challenging environments. Nope, the big- gest challenge is the increased scrutiny. Every step of the way this project is going to be under a microscope. That's the honest assessment of Bob Landino, CEO of Centerplan Cos. of Middletown. His firm is overseeing the construction and development of the new Double-A baseball stadium in downtown Hartford for the yet-to-be- named New Britain Rock Cats. "It's more than we are used to on a construction site," Landino said of the heightened attention that comes with building a publicly financed ballpark. The increased oversight doesn't impact the construc- tion schedule per se, but it does require additional staff to inform the stakeholders (i.e. local government, the media, and the public), adding to the project's overall costs. "That's a big nuance that requires special attention. If we were building a high school or public safety facility, they don't go through this kind of scrutiny," Landino said. "It's the nature of how it was originated and evolved. It's been a subject of public interest." The final cost of the Downtown North development, including the ballpark, housing, retail and office space and parking, is expected to be $350 million. The ballpark itself, which is being financed through a stadium authority, will cost $56 million. Centerplan is being paid to construct the stadium, but won't have an ownership stake in it. Landino said any baseball stadium project would be of intense interest, even if private dollars were financing it. "We are comfortable with the transparency. We are in a fish bowl because of what it is and where it is," he added. Another challenge is that the stadium design is still a work in progress. Ground was broken in mid-February, but designs have not been finalized. The architects from Hartford-based JCJ Architecture weren't available for comment, but Landino admitted it is somewhat unusual to not yet have a completed design in place even as construction crews begin to turnover dirt. He doesn't think, however, it will have an impact on the project. "We're in a design-build environment," he said. "[The design] is in the process of being completed, so we don't lose time in construction." That's another challenge for Centerplan: the timetable. Construction Institute looks to future with new exec. director Q&A talks about construction industry trends with Nancy Greenwald, who recently took over as executive director of Hartford's Construction Insti- tute from Bob Cianci. Q: First, can you tell us a bit about the Institute? A: The Construction Institute is unique. Its mission is to improve the delivery and management of the built environment by promoting collabo- ration and innovation among all participants in the industry. We have a vibrant profes- sional membership with a wealth of knowl- edge and experience. Our members include owners, from municipalities, hos- pitals and colleges, companies like ESPN and UTC, along with architects, engineers, contractors, subcontractors, con- struction managers, manufactur- ers, and those who provide vital services to the industry, for exam- ple accountants and lawyers. The Institute has a rich his- tory of providing programs and workshops that both look to the future and have a very practical focus on what businesses need to be doing now. The Institute has also been a valuable resource for the Uni- versity of Hartford, particularly faculty and students at the Col- lege of Engineering, Technology and Architecture. In the coming year, we will be also be enhanc- ing our connection with the Bar- ney School of Business and the Entrepreneurship Center. The University provides the Institute and its members a valuable pool of highly trained interns and poten- tial employees and the ability to connect with academic research. Q: Construction added about 800 jobs in Connecticut in 2014. How is 2015 looking? Which industries are provid- ing the most work and why? Which industries are slacking on construction projects? Although I have more than 30 years in the building industry, as the owner and executive of a design/build firm and as an attor- ney, arbitrator, and mediator, I am a relative newcomer to Connecticut. I have learned that there are a number of trends influencing the current real estate environment, which in turn influences construc- tion projects. The general percep- tion is that the industry in Con- necticut is making a slow recovery from the recession. The trends we see developing in the industry gen- erally are evident in Connecticut; these include urban redevelop- ment, the adaptive reuse and ren- ovation of existing facilities (both commercial and residential) with a focus on sustainability and resil- iency, and increased investment in infrastructure. Q: How is the construction indus- try using mobile technology? Mobile technology creates opportunities for improving effi- ciency, accuracy and safety through real- time communication among the parties working on a construc- tion project. The indus- try is the beneficiary of improved mobile photo and video technology on smart- phones and tablets and highly mobile camer- as, like GoPro. The data collected is uploaded to the cloud, which allows real-time collaboration. Analytic tools and apps allow improved deployment of materi- als and manpower, and improve site progress tracking. Drones are being used effectively on construc- tion sites for similar purposes. The next step, involves the Internet of Things, using machines, both mobile and set in place, commu- nicating data to each other, which benefits both ongoing construction projects and provides the basis for virtual operation and management functions. The purpose of using any of these technologies is to help us to build and operate better, safer buildings, with less waste, in less time, and for less money. Q: What's the biggest chal- lenge facing the construc- tion industry today? How is the industry meeting that challenge? There are a range of challenges facing the construction indus- try today: the economy, global competition, climate change, and shortages of skilled labor, to name a few. The challenges really need to be viewed in context, and holis- tically. The construction industry is meeting those challenges by adapting. This really touches the heart of the Institute's mission. Our members are the thought leaders in the industry who are focused on meeting these challenges by look- ing at the big picture, asking the hard questions, and discussing and collaborating on solutions that are both creative and practical. NaNcy GreeNwald executive director, construction Institute Continued P H O T O | C O n T r i b u T e d P H O T O | C O n T r i b u T e d P H O T O | P a b l O r O b l e s P H O T O | H b J F i l e Continued centerplan construction recently broke ground on downtown Hartford's minor league baseball stadium, which must be ready by next March. centerplan ceO robert landino (top photo); the downtown North master plan is shown in the middle photo; a soil excavator (bottom photo) breaks ground on the Hartford stadium. Focus Hospitality

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