Dear DATELINE,
Craig Unger’s comments regarding design-build resonated with our team [“Prison Priorities,” May 2008 DATELINE]. Almost every member of our team — owner, designer, constructor or regulatory agency — will tell you that the Coyote Ridge Corrections Center Expansion in Washington State has been one of the best projects that they have ever been involved with. It’s all about the team.
His comment: “Design-build is about relationship among the various members of the design-build team, and more important, their relationship with the owner,” illustrates what we have and continue to focus on.
Our definition of success is: We will be successful if at the end we can all smile, shake hands and say, “That was fun; let’s do it again.” We are 90 percent complete with the project, and every time the team gets together we continue to talk about how we could keep the team together to build another prison.
The Coyote Ridge Corrections Center Expansion is a 2,048 bed medium security corrections center being constructed by the Washington State Department of Corrections in eastern Washington. The design-builder is Hunt/Lydig Joint Venture under a $160 million contract. The project is currently two months ahead of schedule and under budget.
Jack A. Olson, PE
Coyote Ridge Corrections Center Expansion
Project Director
Olympia, Wash.
Editor’s note: The Coyote Ridge Corrections Center Expansion design-build team will give a presentation at the 2008 Design-Build Conference and Expo.
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