We all have that one project. Maybe it’s an interpretation issue with the City that has dragged out approvals for months. Maybe it’s a miscommunication between team members that caused a redesign. Maybe it’s a contractor that is slightly over their head and it’s taking a lot of hand holding. Each and every time, the partnership with the Client, the Owner and the community is what really counts. We recently completed a project with a valued client and partnership that did not go well. Design and permitting were a little long, but we got it in place and the groundbreaking was exciting. More than two years later, the project still was not complete. We showed up every time. We offered solutions to problems that we didn’t create. We tried our best to stay on budget, but also to keep pushing forward. Finally the project was completed and opened. The day-to-day success of this project relies on the drainage working well. Not long after the opening, a major storm came through the area (25-year+ rain event). I was nervous. I did a drive by DURING the tail end of the storm. Turns out – the Client did, too. The next day we received pictures from the site during the event. The drainage worked exactly as designed and the Client stated that he could open up at full capacity the next day without issue.
For me, that is the goal. That is the value that we try to bring. Success isn’t when the check clears, it’s when the Client, the Owner, and the community reaps the benefits of what you have done and how you have done it – as a team.