VOLUME 6
ISSUE 1
2009
In This Issue
1
STV’s Construction
Management Division
Grows by Leaps & Bounds
12
Supporting A New
USDA Facility
14
Philadelphia Schools
Get Upgrades
stv | ink 1
Photo © Alexander Chelmodeev/
Shutterstock
table of
VOLUME 6 | ISSUE 1 | 2009
STV Group
205 West Welsh Drive
Douglassville, PA 19518
T 610-385-8200
F 610-385-8500
STV Incorporated
225 Park Avenue South
New York, NY 10003
T 212-777-4400
F 212-529-5237
info@stvinc.com
www.stvinc.com
Editorial Board
Dominick M. Servedio, P.E.
Linda Rosenberg
Richard M. Amodei
Managing Editors
Debra Trace
Jill Bonamusa
Editor
Mark Ginocchio
Contributors
Nancy Benecki
Jennifer Callahan
Rachel Spevack
Graphic Design
Julie Kim
Front cover photo:
© Artem Samokhvalov/Shutterstock
2 stv | ink
contents
1
Standing Tall: STV’s Construction Management Division Grows
By Leaps and Bounds
4
Capital Venture: Teaming With Other Construction Management
Firms to Get Jobs Done
8
Project Oversight: FTA Projects Get Value-Added Services
agement
STV’s Construction Man
s and Bounds
Division Grows by Leap
The past few years have been a boon for STV’s Construction Management Division,
with bigger projects and new partnerships helping the firm expand in a changing
industry.
Entering into joint venture agreements with other construction firms has allowed
STV to grow its business.
The firm has provided project management oversight services for FTA mass transit
projects across the United States for more than 20 years.
10
Planning the Recovery: STV Project Controls Assists FEMA in
Natural Disaster Work
12
Eyes in the Heartland: Supporting a New USDA Facility in Iowa
14
Schools Like New: Philadelphia Schools Get Upgrades
The firm is providing cost estimates and related analyses in areas that have been
affected by natural disasters.
The Ames Modernization Program in Ames, IA, is one of the largest USDA projects
in recent memory, and STV provided owner’s representation services for the agency.
The School District of Philadelphia is upgrading or rebuilding city schools with STV
helping as construction managers.
17
Taking the LEED: Construction Management Division Oversee
“Greener” Projects
18
What’s New at STV
The Westchester Community College Gateway Center is one of many STV
construction management projects looking to achieve LEED certification.
The Jefferson Hall Library and Learning Center opens at the U.S. Military Academy
at West Point, and several other projects and employees earn accolades.
The rise of STV’s Construction Management (CM) Division from small player to industry leader did not happen overnight, but its recent growth has been exponential nevertheless.
It’s the kind of growth that showcases the wide-range of talent at STV in addition to the firm’s excellent team of engineers
and architects. The CM Division has brought the company
some of its most high-profile jobs from Lower Manhattan to
Ames, IA. Under the leadership of executive vice president and
Construction Management chief operating officer Milo Riverso, Ph.D., P.E., the division is playing a pivotal role monitoring the trends shaping the construction industry – trends like
higher environmental standards for buildings, more project
controls, and oversight and mentoring construction managers
of the future.
“The Construction Management Division features a diverse
range of people,” said Riverso, who joined the company three
years ago and has more than 20 years of experience in program
management, construction management and general construction. “This includes estimators, schedulers, risk assessors and
superintendents. It’s a growing industry, and STV, as a firm, is
on that path.”
The CM Division boasts 160 professionals in their Northeast, Central and Project Control regions, more than doubling
in size the past three years. Financially, 2008 was a landmark
year for the group as revenues were more than double their
levels compared to 2006.
With the division now boasting several assignments with
construction values exceeding $1 billion, the group has assembled a project portfolio unheard of for STV only a decade ago,
when the firm was still looking to make a name for itself in the
construction management sector.
Changing Perceptions
When the CM Division was first established at STV in
1995, the firm had to prove it could offer services beyond its
well-known architectural and engineering expertise.
“The perception of STV in the industry was that it was an
architectural and engineering firm, not a construction management company,” said senior vice president Brian Flaherty,
who helped create the division in New York when he joined
the firm in 1995 and now serves as the design-build national
practice leader for STV. “We had to overcome that hurdle.”
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Julie Valerio, manager of design, and Sassan Manii, project manager
Photo © Chris Preovolos
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Vice president John Drygulski, vice president Timothy Mason,
vice president and director of Project Controls Jeffrey Sueck,
and executive vice president Milo Riverso
STV is also providing more construction management
services for environmentally friendly projects. The Freedom
Tower in lower Manhattan is looking to achieve LEED
(Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold Certification and in Westchester County, NY, the Westchester
Community College’s “Gateway Center” is another LEED
project the firm is working on.
And nothing may be more pivotal to the growth of STV’s
CM Division than its increasing involvement in sharing risk
with outside construction firms. With public agencies doling out hundreds of millions of dollars for projects like the
Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts campus renovation
in Manhattan, clients are looking to bring construction firms
together in joint venture agreements to compliment each
other’s experience and expertise.
“When clients think about firms that provide construction management services, we want STV to be at the top of
their list,” Riverso said.
Malory Nguyen, project engineer,
Paul Usuriello, project manager, and Sajid Hilal of AG Consulting Engineering, PC
Photo © Chris Preovolos
A Changing Industry
STV’s growing portfolio and more aggressive business
model has allowed the firm to adapt to changing trends in the
construction management marketplace. With construction
costs on the rise, the need for more risk assessment and project
oversight has led to STV growing its Project Controls group.
Photo © Chris Preovolos
Project manager Sokol Bejleri, PMP, LEED AP, and Dennis Nazzaro, senior
project manager and senior associate
Since bringing aboard Jeffrey Sueck, CPE, CCC, CEP,
PSP, AVS, in 2007 as vice president and national director
of Project Controls, STV has hired 33 new people for the
practice. These professionals work with clients to ensure cost
estimates are accurate and projects are delivered on-time.
Recent project control contracts include the $4 billion Dulles Corridor Metrolink Extension for the Virginia
Department of Rail and Public Transportation, and an open
order with the Federal Emergency Management Agency
(FEMA) to provide cost estimates and related analyses for
the agency’s relief work in areas that have been affected by
natural disasters.
“One of our biggest selling points has been for us to
be good and accurate,” Sueck said. “No matter what, that
estimate has to go out right.”
Photo © Alexander Chelmodeev/Shutterstock
Building Relationships
When Riverso joined the group in 2005, he brought with
him a wealth of institutional knowledge from his experience in
the industry. Prior to joining STV, Riverso served as president
of several construction management and general contracting
firms and at a large public agency. Riverso lead the division
through a reorganization, which created a more aggressive and
competitive practice at the company.
The group fostered relationships with specific clients like
the New York School Construction Authority, the New York
City Housing Authority, the New York City Department
of Design and Construction, the New York State Dormitory Authority, and the Port Authority of New York & New
Jersey (PANYNJ).
Out of the Central Region, a long-history of work with
Shire Pharmaceuticals, AstaZeneca Pharmaceuticals and
Kutztown University, all in Pennsylvania, has led to recent
contracts for STV.
In 2006, the Construction Management Division took
on its largest assignment at the time, providing owner’s representation and expert program management services for the
Freedom Tower and World Trade Center Memorial projects in
downtown Manhattan for the PANYNJ.
“Many of our clients are repeat clients,” said vice president
John Drygulski, the division’s Northeast regional manager
in New York. “We’ve earned a good reputation from these
clients and we hope to continue serving them in the future.”
Photo © Chris Preovolos
The New York team began with a group of 30 people,
growing to 50 after the group secured one of its first major
contracts, serving as project director for three Amtrak Acela
high-speed rail maintenance facilities in Washington, DC,
Boston and Queens.
The Amtrak project helped established STV’s construction
management services and led to other large projects. STV was
proving it could supply its clients with a range of resources
that was uncommon at other construction management firms.
With engineers and architects already in-house, STV could
promote itself as a full-service firm.
“The perception of STV
in the industry was that
it was an architectural
and engineering firm, not
a construction management company. We had to
overcome that hurdle.”
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Capital Venture
Teaming With Other Construction
Management Firms to Get Jobs Done
Photo © Mike Liu/Shutterstock
For construction management services, STV doesn’t
just work alone.
Joint ventures with companies like Tishman Construction Corporation and Bradford Construction Corporation have been the source of some of STV’s newest
projects, including work for the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) by managing $240 million for the renovation of the Lincoln
Center for the Performing Arts campus in Manhattan.
“As construction management firms working together,
we share the risk and enhance each other,” said John
Drygulski, STV vice president and the Construction
Management (CM) Division’s Northeast regional manager in New York. “We complement each other’s areas of
expertise. We bring something different to the table.”
With its long-standing background as an engineering
and architectural firm, STV has developed relationships
and has unique experiences with some of the clients
requesting these significant construction management
services, Drygulski added.
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Image by Diller Scofidio + Renfro in collaboration with FXFOWLE Architects
Photo © Chris Preovolos
Rendering by Diller Scofidio + Renfro in association with Beyer Blinder Bell
Photo © Mark Bussell
STV Inc. and Tishman Construction Corporation have recently teamed up as joint venture partners for a renovation of the Lincoln Center campus in New York City.
Clockwise from top right: Jack Anserian and Jose Garcia, contract control specialist with subconsultant CARA Construction Management; conceptual design of Alice Tully
Hall and The Juilliard School from the southwest corner of Broadway and 65th Street - Bravo Lincoln Center redevelopment; architectural rendering of new Columbus
Avenue Approach to Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, looking south, including grand stair and entrance ramps, glass entrance canopies, concourse-level roadway,
and new landscaping; aerial view of West 65th Street corner for Alice Tully Hall and Juilliard School expansion.
And joint ventures are a way to bring firms, who are
normally competitors, together as the public sector request
construction management services for projects of increasing
size, according to officials at the Construction Management
Association of America, the national organization of construction management professionals and firms.
The Lincoln Center renovation includes the modernization
of the campus, concert venues and other public spaces across
the 16-acre facility.
This contract pairs STV with Tishman - the firm that was
recently ranked No. 1 out of 25 in Building Design & Construction magazine’s “Giant’s 300” report, a survey of the largest
firms in the nonresidential building industry.
As program manager, STV will assist the NYCEDC with
monitoring and managing $240 million of city and federal
funding. This includes checking actual costs against estimates,
examining drawings and determining constructability among
other responsibilities.
6 stv | ink
“The rehabilitation of Lincoln Center will be more than
just an ordinary campus rehabilitation project,” Riverso said.
“It is one of the preeminent performing arts centers in the
world, and a triumph of city planning in the 1950s.”
The planned renovations include the rebuilding of Lincoln Center’s primary entrance along Columbus Avenue and
upgrades to the adjacent Josie Robertson plaza; a new multiscreen facility at the Film Center; new outer and box office
lobbies at Alice Tully Hall; and an expansion of the Juilliard
School facilities.
Another joint venture has the CM Division involved with
a program where larger, more experienced firms help smaller,
emerging contractors succeed.
STV recently signed a $100 million contract with the New
York City School Construction Authority (SCA) for its Mentor Program. In a joint venture with Bradford Construction,
both firms will provide construction management services and
technical assistance to Minority-Owned Businesses, Woman-
Owned Businesses and Locally-Based Enterprises (M/W/
LBE), serving as the SCA’s agent to ensure projects awarded
through the Mentor Program are completed safely, on time
and within budget. Within the program, mentor firms handle
multiple projects at different sites while addressing the needs of
emerging firms.
“Consistent with our corporate vision and goals, this project will propel STV to a major role in the industry by helping
emerging minority, women owned and locally-based business
enterprise contractors so they can take critical steps to move
their business to the next level,” said Jack Anserian, P.E.,
P.M.P., STV project manager.
The SCA established the Mentor Program in fiscal year
1993 to increase participation of M/W/LBE firms in school
construction projects. STV served as a mentor construction
management firm for more than two years. The Learning,
Evaluation, Access, Direction = Success (LEADS) program
implemented by the team, has been providing resources to
M/W/LBE firms helping them complete their projects. The
team has also held workshops, open houses, networking events
and informational seminars for these firms. The small businesses also receive a weekly e-mail, with information about
construction opportunities, events and bid opportunities.
A key component of the program is that it targets smaller
construction contracts, typically ranging from $80,000 to
$750,000. SCA also waives bonding requirements, covers
contractors’ liability insurance, partners with Carver Federal
Savings Bank to help contractors obtain small business loans at
minimal interest rates and has created a bonding program with
the team of Willis/ACE Surety providing surety bonds to firms
entering the Graduate Mentor Program.
After completing the four-year mentor program, qualified
emerging firms are eligible for SCA’s Graduate
Mentor Program, a twoyear advanced program
that permits bidding on
larger projects.
“As construction management firms working together, we
share the risk and enhance each other. We complement
each other’s areas of expertise.”
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When it comes to keeping new transit projects on track, STV
has consistently been at the forefront.
For more than 20 years, the firm has worked with the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) providing project management
oversight (PMO) and support for “New Starts” transit initiatives
in numerous cities around the country.
As part of the PMO program, STV has overseen numerous
transportation corridor studies, design programs, construction
projects and other assignments to help evaluate and recommend ways to improve mobility, while assuring the FTA’s projects are within budget and on-time.
Adding Links to Seattle’s Sound Transit
In Seattle the $1.9 billion University Link is a 3.1 mile
light rail extension of a current project from the Pine Street
Stub Tunnel in downtown Seattle to Husky Stadium at the
University of Washington. This new project includes construction of two underground stations, the university station and an
intermediate station in Seattle’s Capitol Hill district.
The 13.9 mile Initial Segment light rail line will operate
between the north end of the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel to the intersection of South 154th Street and State Route
518, connecting Seattle with neighboring Tukwila and SeaTac.
The Airport Link extends the Initial Segment alignment by 1.7
miles south from the intersection to the SeaTac International
Airport. Combined, the projects will include 13 stations.
“Both Central Link projects are expected to add tens of
thousands of new riders and are vital to the Seattle area,” said
Terry Esteb, a PMO manager in STV’s Seattle office. “STV
has been working with the FTA and the local transit agency,
reviewing its plans for project management, operations, maintenance and real estate acquisitions.”
Photo © Peretti & Park Pictures
FTA Projects Get Value-Added Services
The firm’s most recent PMO task orders are with the Central Link Light Rail in Seattle, the Regional Transportation
District (RTD) in Denver and the Municipal Transportation
Agency in San Francisco.
Photo courtesy of Sound Transit
Project Oversight
Project management oversight and risk assessment is
increasing in importance for all areas of design and construction, from transit projects to new buildings and land developments. With construction costs rising and budgets constrained,
nearly all city, state and federal agencies are seeking firms to
perform the kind of work STV has specialized in for years.
“We work with each transit agency to review and report
on the schedule, budget and quality of major transportation
investments,” said STV senior vice president Margarita Gagliardi, transportation planning national practice leader. “Our
PMO staff serves as an extension of the FTA staff.”
The risk assessment process is an in-depth review of a
given project for potential factors that could influence the
costs, schedule, safety and quality. This includes helping to
acquire, retain and organize quality personnel; scheduling
construction activities; providing cost estimates; procuring
and maintaining local funds to help with construction costs;
and successfully translating approved planning and environmental documents into management plans and design criteria
for the client.
STV’s previous PMO contracts with the FTA have been
in Salt Lake City, Seattle, New Orleans, Denver and the San
Francisco Bay Area. STV has also provided transit project
analyses for agencies like the Chicago Transit Authority, the
Metropolitan Transportation Authority in New York, Houston METRO and Dallas Area Rapid Transit.
Photo courtesy of Denver RTD
Photo courtesy of Sound Transit
STV is providing
project management
oversight services for
the Seattle Central
Link light rail service
on behalf of the FTA.
Counterclockwise: Link train; construction crews work on track for Denver RTD West Corridor; STV is providing project management oversight services
on behalf of the FTA.
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Photo courtesy of Denver RTD
Assessing Denver’s Rail Corridors
In Denver, STV’s latest PMO services involve a number of
commuter and light rail lines for the RTD, including the West
Corridor, East Corridor and Gold line projects.
The West Corridor will run from the Central Platte Valley
light rail line at the Auraria West station near the University of
Colorado, Denver, and head 12.1 miles to the Jefferson County
Government Center in the City of Golden, CO. Twelve stations are planned along the route, six with parking facilities.
Early construction activities are already underway and a full
funding grant agreement with the FTA.
The East Corridor commuter rail extends 23.6 miles from
Denver Union Station (DUS) in downtown Denver to Denver International Airport. The corridor has five stops planned
between Union Station and the airport. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2011 and completed by 2015.
The Gold Line is a proposed 11.2-mile commuter rail corridor, beginning at Union Station passing through northwest
Denver, Adams County, Arvada and Wheat Ridge. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2011 and be completed by 2015.
The RTD is planning to combine the East Corridor and
Gold Line projects into a 50-year concession agreement under
the FTA’s Public-Private Partnership pilot program. RTD’s
decision to combine its projects into one concession is a first
in the United States and would provide STV with a unique
Bay Area Oversight
Continuing the company’s involvement with transit development in the San Francisco Bay Area, STV’s newest PMO
task order with the region’s Municipal Transportation Agency,
involves oversight of the MTA Central Subway and Third
Street light rail projects.
Third Street light rail is a $649 million, 5.4 mile surface
line that connects all Third Street neighborhoods in San Francisco’s southeast sector to the rest of the city. The proposed
$1.3 billion Central Subway will connect the Third Street line
from its northern end at the Caltrain commuter rail terminal
at Fourth and King Streets to San Francisco’s downtown and
Chinatown, via a 0.3 mile surface line and a 1.4 mile subway
under Fourth and Stockton Streets.
“We’ve been monitoring work for the San Francisco
Municipal Railway since 1986,” said Bruce Bernhard, project
management consultant in STV’s Oakland office. “We’re here
to support the FTA and based on the work we continue to get,
they seem to be very happy with what we’ve done.”
to have full compliments of disaster and protocol instructions. Participants were deployed to Galveston and Gulf Coast areas still
recovering from 2005’s Hurricane Katrina.
“We’re put on alert when there is a potential disaster,” said
Sueck, who has worked as a senior instructor for FEMA programs
since 2004. Disasters include wind, floods, fire, earthquakes, wild
fires, hurricanes, tornadoes, tsunamis and manmade disasters.
After a disaster, an e-mail alert is sent out telling people to be
ready for training or deployment, Sueck said. Hurricane Ike was
the first national disaster that triggered an alert for STV. Volunteers
are usually deployed within 48 hours of training.
Nationwide Infrastructure Support Technical Assistance, URS
Group, Inc. and Dewberry & Davis LLC have entered into a joint
venture agreement for the project. As a subconsulting firm, STV’s
contract is an open order for any natural or manmade disasters
in the United States and U.S. territories. Workers are deployed to
towns, cities, counties and state properties such as libraries, schools,
fire houses, police departments and municipal buildings.
The program has offered an eye-opening experience to STV
employees who have been deployed to the devastated areas.
After spending 10 days in intensive training, Edward Woods,
manager of Project Controls for STV’s Construction Management
Division, was dispatched to Galveston in mid-October, where he
said the damage was unbelievable.
“The closer you were to the island, the worse the devastation
was,” Woods said. “Collapsed houses, boats on top of cars, entire
communities of homes and vacation houses no longer existing,
washed out bridges and roads, and debris everywhere you look.”
opportunity as a PMO to work on a cutting edge task order.
“Being a part of a really large transportation program and
being able to support our client and assist RTD is really satisfying work,” said John Sutton, the PMO in STV’s Denver office.
Passengers wait for service along the Denver RTA West Corridor.
Planning The Recovery
Photo © Tad Denson/Shutterstock
STV Project Controls Assists FEMA in Natural Disaster Work
10 stv | ink
Thanks to a new contract out of STV’s Construction
Management Project Controls Region, STV is working with
the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
to provide cost estimates and related analyses for the
agency’s relief work in areas that have been affected by
natural disasters.
STV’s first job for FEMA brought the firm to Galveston, TX, where Hurricane Ike ravaged the Gulf Coast
last September.
Jeffrey Sueck, CPE, CCC, CEP, PSP, AVS, vice president
and national director of Project Controls at STV, recently
conducted training sessions in Washington, DC, where
about 400 engineering, architecture and construction
management professionals from across the country came
stv | ink 11
I
t’s one of the largest construction projects in recent
memory for the United States Department of Agriculture
(USDA), and STV helped it toward completion.
As the owner’s representative for the $460 million
Ames Modernization Program in Ames, IA, STV provided support to site staff as they upgraded and consolidated
facilities for the National Animal Disease Center, National
Veterinary Services Laboratories and the Center for Veterinary
Biologics – creating a state-of-the-art animal health center.
The end result is a health center that will play a key role in
protecting the nation’s food supply against disease outbreaks.
The emergence of deadly livestock diseases like mad cow disease
in Europe, along with threats to human welfare from infectious
food agents like salmonella and E. coli, make the modernized
Ames facility a necessity in an ever-changing world.
STV provided its services to four of the program’s five facilities during construction. Work was completed in early 2009.
“We augmented their staff and anticipated any problems
they had,” said Stephen Cheney, P.E., senior project manager
12 stv | ink
at STV’s Ames location. “We provided an on site presence on
behalf of the USDA’s Ames Modernization branch.”
Starting in August, 2003, STV provided services for
construction of the 627,350 square-foot USDA consolidate
laboratory facility; 156,623 square-foot Biosafety Level 3 Agricultural Hazards (BSL3-AG) Large Animal Housing Facility;
the 4,140 square-foot training barn; the central plant infrastructure upgrade and waste water pre-treatment plant; and
the low containment large animal facility.
STV monitored price proposals, schedules, construction
safety and change orders for the client. When the USDA
required the review of a submittal, STV arranged for meetings
with local USDA representatives.
“We were the eyes on the ground,” Cheney said. “We
monitor these activities for our client.”
STV’s work at Ames also tied in to a larger trend developing in the construction industry the past few years. More federal agencies are looking for outside firms to help coordinate
massive construction programs, according to the June 9, 2008
Photo © Dale Photography Inc.
Supporting a New USDA Facility in iowa
commissioning of the building’s mechanical, electrical and
specialty systems.
The project has been highlighted by STV Construction
Management central region vice president Timothy Mason as
one of the key projects overseen by the division.
“This project has presented a significant opportunity for us
to work on a project of enormous importance to the USDA and
the entire country,” Mason said. “It serves as a valuable model
for us to show how we ensure our clients that their project will
be a quality project.”
Photo © Dale Photography Inc.
Eyes in the Heartland
issue of Engineering News-Record. With the in-house talentpool at many of these agencies shrinking, project owners turn
to outside firms with expertise in construction management,
providing services such as owner’s representative, up to full
scale program management.
The size and complexity of the Ames project created an
assortment of challenges for its designers, construction managers and STV.
The BSL-3AG Large Animal Housing Facility will be used
for research programs on domestic animals and wildlife with
part of the structure dedicated to providing diagnostic support
for the USDA. To meet quality standards, some areas of the
building had to pass a prescribed pressure decay test, functioning as an air-tight structure. Some of the rooms required rigid
control of temperature, humidity and air movement.
STV assisted the USDA in finalizing the design through
a series of mock-ups. The firm also helped commission the
motor control center in the building, the lighting controls, the
fire alarm system, the bio-safety alarm system, the intercom/
paging system, the access control system and the closed circuit
television system.
The planning of construction activities for this project
required coordination with local USDA staff to ensure the
existing utilities were not disrupted and temporary shutdowns
occured only at pre-planned times.
The consolidated laboratory facility is the largest building
in the new complex and will primarily be used for office and
laboratory work. The building will be Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design (LEED) certified. STV participated in
Photo © Dale Photography Inc.
Photo © Dale Photography Inc.
STV was owner’s representative on behalf of the United States Department of Agriculture for
the Ames Modernization Program in Ames, IA. The $460 million project includes the 156,623 square-foot Biosafety Level 3 Agricultural Hazards facility.
From top: Interior of the BSL3-AG facility, training barn, the central plant infrastructure for the complex will be upgraded as part of the construction project.
stv | ink 13
S ch
ool
s Li k
e Ne
w
Photo © RVOIII Photography
14 stv | ink
Philadelphia Schools
Get Upgrades
W
hen massive structural upgrades were needed at
a number of Philadelphia public schools, STV
was there to help, working with school administrators, community leaders and residents
ensuring projects were built and renovated safely with minimal
disruption to students.
The fifth largest school district in the nation, the School
District of Philadelphia (SDP) has more than 220,000 students
enrolled in its elementary, middle, high school and alternative
schools. As of 2004, 71 percent of the district’s schools were
more than 50 years old and lacked sufficient capital spending.
There were signs of significant deterioration and an expanded
capital program was needed to bring the facilities to a state
of good repair. A number of schools also needed to be completely replaced, necessitating construction of new facilities to
relieve overcrowding and to provide new educational options
to district students.
As one of SDP’s construction managers, STV is managing the $212 million construction program of at least 11
city schools, providing full-service capabilities during design
and construction stages including estimates, constructability
reviews, value engineering and scheduling, as well as commissioning during closeout.
STV’s Philadelphia work mirrors national and regional construction trends. Throughout the United States, more money
was allocated for school construction in 2007, but because of
rising costs, fewer buildings are being built or renovated. The
nation spent $20.8 billion on school construction in 2007,
which included new buildings, additions for existing buildings
and retrofits of existing facilities, compared with $20.1 billion
stv | ink 15
Taking the LEED
in 2006, according to School Planning & Management’s “2008
School Construction Report.”
In Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey, the stabilized
student population resulted in additional emphasis on upgrading and expanding existing facilities, according to the report.
So of the $2.7 billion spent in the region on school construction in 2007, only about 40 percent was doled out for new
buildings, compared with the national average of 63.3 percent
of construction costs dedicated to new facilities, according to
the report.
The Philadelphia construction program includes three
renovations, four new addition/rehabilitation projects and four
new buildings, with construction values ranging from $5 million to $33 million.
STV was contracted to provide construction management services for five K-12 schools, including two
renovations, and three new additions. After successfully
managing these five concurrent projects, SDP awarded
STV six additional schools to manage; four new schools and
two renovations.
STV’s efforts were led by senior project manager George
Gottuso, and project manager and associate Robert McAllister
from the firm’s Philadelphia office. Both were charged with
ensuring the schools received immediate repair, even while
classes were still in session.
“All of the projects were scheduled to be constructed with
minimal impact to students and school operations,” Gottuso said.
New portions of the school were constructed first, McAllister said. “Then we would relocate the students from the
existing structures to the new portions so that renovations in
the existing structures could occur,” he added.
For schools under renovation, STV created swing spaces
to relocate students and faculty on a temporary basis, so construction could take place in the vacated areas.
There were other challenges STV
overcame throughout the construction
process. STV had to work closely with city
stakeholders like the Philadelphia Art Commission to ensure all the architecture and
landscaping of all school exteriors followed
local standards and protocols.
“It took some extensive construction
staging, but we’ve achieved success
at every school,” Gottuso said.
One of the schools, Commodore John Barry Elementary
School, tragically burned down in 2004. STV was under
extreme time constraints to manage construction of a new
school that was to achieve a LEED (Leadership in Energy
and Environmental Design) Silver Rating. McAllister’s team
worked aggressiverly to meet a September 2008 occupancy
deadline by August, in time for school to open.
To help secure bidders for the renovations and additions needed at Henry A. Brown Elementary School, STV
developed a new logistics plan, resulting in a completed
school within budget and one month before deadline. To
minimize disruption to students, STV suggested working
on the school addition first, then the required renovations.
STV project managers said they applied these methods at all 11 schools to help overcome any challenges
or obstacles.
“It took some extensive construction staging, but we’ve
achieved success at every school,” Gottuso said.
SDP’s office of capital programs supervises the Philadelphia School Improvement Team, an active community
outreach team that serves as an official district liaison, meeting with school stakeholders on a regular basis to increase
awareness of the many benefits available to them during the
building process.
Below: Renderings of Commodore John Barry Elementary School (top)
and Girard Academy Music Program (bottom)
Philadelphia Schools Receiving
Construction Management Services from STV
Photo © RVOIII Photography
Benjamin Rush Middle School
Commodore John Barry Elementary School
Edwin Forrest Education Center and Campus Park
Ethel Allen Elementary School
Francis Willard Elementary School
Girard Academy Music Program
Henry A. Brown Elementary School
Jules E. Mastbaum Area Vocational and Technical School
Simon Gratz High School
Solis Cohen Primary Education Center
William H. Ziegler Elementary School
Left to right: Erick Biggers, Ronald Bovasso, Timothy Mason, George Gottuso,
Jennifer Dewitt, Frederick Gaskins and Robert McAllister
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Construction Management Division
Oversees “Greener” Projects
As more clients want projects to achieve a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rating, STV’s
Construction Management Division is there playing a key
role in the process.
At Westchester Community College in Valhalla, NY,
STV is performing construction administration services for
the Gateway Center - a $40.5 million facility that will offer
programs in business, professional development and English as a second language. The 70,000-square-foot facility
will include a welcome center, auditorium, conference areas,
classrooms, technology labs, offices and a café, and is
scheduled to open in 2010.
STV is performing budgeting, scheduling and multi-prime
contractor oversight while helping the facility earn LEED certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).
“There’s a tremendous amount of administration associated with a LEED project,” said STV project manager
Paul Sacco, P.E.
The construction manager’s challenge “is to interpret the
[LEED] credit application,” said Derec Persaud, CCM, PMP,
LEED AP. “As construction manager we were in a position to
evaluate onsite which [credits] are feasible and achievable
by the subcontractors.”
For example, one possible certification is a waste management plan encouraging effective recycling of construction waste. At Gateway Center, all recyclable construction
byproducts, including lumber, steel scraps and concrete
debris, are periodically collected.
Sustainable stormwater management techniques also
help a project get certified. Gateway Center’s two “bio
basins” – large water holding tanks – will handle all stormwater runoff from the site.
Nationally, more projects are seeking LEED certification,
especially in the public sector, according to the Construction
Management Association of America (CMAA).
“We think it’s a very good role for our members to play,”
said John McKeon, CMAA’s vice president, communications. “Owners are very interested in what their building is
going to cost them to use after the building is finished. We
think the construction manager is the person who has the
best grasp of the whole picture.”
Michael Seelig, construction superintendent, at the Gateway Center site
under construction.
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Jefferson Hall Library Opens
The opening of the Jefferson Hall Library and Learning Center at the United States Military
Academy (USMA) at West Point, NY was celebrated during a ceremony and dedication dinner
held in September. Jefferson Hall is the first new building at West Point in more than 30 years.
The 141,000 square-foot, six-story building was constructed using state-of-the-art engineering
techniques that blend with the historic character of the campus. STV planned and designed
the new library in collaboration with Holzman Moss Architecture for the U.S. Army Corps
of Engineers. Price Jepsen, AIA, LEED AP, director of facilities planning and programming,
served as the project manager.
Jefferson Hall sits at the edge of The Plain at West Point, part of the National Historic
Landmark District. The engineers, the New York State Historic Preservation Office and USMA
agreed to the library’s location for minimal disturbance to the site’s historic designation while
ensuring maximum integration into the existing campus.
Jefferson Hall earned a Bronze Rating from the U.S. Army’s Sustainable Project Rating
Tool, a program based on the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Rating System.
Servedio Earns Multiple Honors
Dominick Servedio, P.E., STV’s chairman and chief executive officer, was elected to the
National Academy of Construction, an independent organization made up of industry leaders whose present or past professional careers demonstrate outstanding contributions to the
effectiveness of the engineering and construction sectors. One of only 10 individuals accepted
into the academy’s class of 2008, Servedio’s acceptance was based on his “long-term innovative
construction and engineering leadership in industry advancement
through his company, public agencies and professional organizations,” according to the organization.
Servedio also received an Industry Recognition Award at the
New York Building Congress (NYBC) 2008 Industry Recognition
Dinner. The award was presented to Servedio by the Port Authority
of New York & New Jersey’s executive director Christopher Ward.
Ward praised Servedio and STV’s long history of work in New York
City, saying “Dominick has committed himself to New York. He
makes this town possible.”
Servedio recently concluded a two-year term as chairman of
the NYBC.
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Photo © Kessler Photography
what’s new
at STV
Photo © Julian Olivas / Air-to-Ground
Second Boston Office
STV announced in November the opening of a second
office in Boston at 320 Congress Street. The office has 11
employees, and Scott Krieger, P.E., Transportation and Infrastructure Division, is the office manager. STV has had a presNorth Carolina Project Earns ACEC Honors
STV/Ralph Whitehead Associates received the Henry A. ence in Boston for more than 30 years.
Stikes Grand Conceptor Award, the top honor given by the
North Carolina chapter of the American Council of Engi- Women’s Transportation Seminar Honors Two
neering Companies in the transportation category. The team The Women’s Transportation Seminar (WTS), an orgaplayed a lead role in the design and construction management nization dedicate to the professional advancement of women,
of the $462 million South Corridor Light Rail Transit System recently honored an STV board of directors member and an
STV employee.
(“LYNX” Blue Line).
STV/Ralph Whitehead Associates provided oversight of the Board member Lillian Borrone,
track and catenary system, 13 bridges, 15 stations, infrastruc- received a Lifetime Achievement
ture improvements, and major facilities including the 92,000- Award from WTS International in
square foot Vehicle Maintenance Facility and 1,000-space Washington, DC, in September. A
parking garage. The 9.6 mile project connects south Charlotte former WTS International presiwith the uptown Central Business District, providing connec- dent, Borrone previously received a
tivity to local neighborhoods and businesses. It is the first use Women of the Year Award in 1989
from the organization.
of light rail transit in the history of North Carolina.
The WTS Philadelphia Chapter awarded STV Philadelphia
New STV Office in Harrisburg, PA
STV opened a new office in Harrisburg, PA, the firm’s employee Carol Rose Member of the Year in December at the
fourth location in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania includ- Sheraton Philadelphia Center City Hotel. Rose, a vehicle sysing the corporate headquarters in Douglassville. The Har- tems specialist, is an electrical engineer with more than 10 years
risburg office will focus on transportation and infrastructure of experience at STV in project administration, design review,
for Pennsylvania, eventually expanding into building and testing and inspection for a variety of rail vehicle procurement,
facilities, and construction management services. The office overhaul and quality upgrade programs. She is a member of the
will also serve as an important centralized bridge between American Public Transportation Association Task Force that
two other major STV offices in Pennsylvania – Philadelphia developed a safety compliance standard enhancing operational
and Pittsburgh. Leonard Smith Jr., P.E., Transportation and safety of new passenger rail cars. She has been a WTS member
since 2002.
Infrastructure Division, serves as office manager.
Editor’s Note: As STV Ink was going to press, Milo Riverso, Ph.D., P.E. was appointed to the position of president of STV.
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Restored Hoboken Ferry Terminal Wins New York Construction ‘Best Of’ Award
The Hoboken Ferry Terminal and Clock Tower Restoration the tower based on historical research, archival drawings and
won the Best Marine Project in New York Construction maga- articles on the tower. Because all of the original plans were no
zine’s Best of ‘08 Awards. STV served as the project manager for longer available, the team modeled some details and ornaments
NJ TRANSIT on a job that brought the lights back to the New after other areas of the terminal.
Jersey skyline along the Hudson River after nearly 30 years.
Now on the national Register of Historic Places, the Hobo Preliminary documents for the clock tower were prepared ken Ferry and Terminal is a multi-modal transportation hub
by STV, Beyer Blinder Belle Architects & Planners, and Leni that integrates train, light rail and bus services in New Jersey
Schwendinger Light Projects. The original 230-foot-high clock with the ferry service (run by The Port Authority of New York
tower, built in 1907, was demolished in the 1950s due to the & New Jersey) and the Port Authority Trans-Hudson Corporaadvanced deterioration of its copper cladding and structure. tion system to Manhattan. More than 50,000 commuters and
STV, Beyer Blinder Belle and other team members recreated other travelers use the terminal complex each weekday.
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