Edwards Aquifer Authority manages, conserves, and protects south-central Texas’ primary water resource, the Edwards Aquifer.  Created by the Texas Legislature in 1993, the Authority is a regulatory agency for an eight-county region, balancing the area’s water needs while preserving the water resource.   Broaddus & Associates served as project manager for the Authority’s headquarters building expansion and remodeling.

The design-build project included renovation to an existing building and a two-story addition, expanding the headquarters to approximately 45,000 SF.  The new structure is designed to complement the surrounding neighborhood, comply with the River North Development Authority’s design guidelines, and present a limestone façade, which is representative of the aquifer strata.  The new addition is directly connected to the existing structure to increase operational efficiency.  A focal point at the main entry will be the new boardroom, with increased visitor capacity and functionality.

Broaddus & Associates served as a liaison and was heavily involved in coordination with the municipalities, River North Development Authority, and the Edwards Aquifer Authority’s legal counsel regarding the necessary permits, re-zoning, and re-platting which were required. Broaddus & Associates assisted in selecting the design-build team led the team in schematic design and design development phases.  As project manager, Broaddus & Associates also obtained a Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) from the design-build team and reviews all project estimates submitted. 

Through an extensive value engineering process, Broaddus & Associates was able to make recommendations throughout the design phase which ultimately resulted in generating $335,000 in savings for the Authority.  These recommendations include:

• Slab-on-grade foundation
• Rain water collection/harvesting system for landscaping
• Hiring of a specialized audio/visual consultant
• Utilizing the design-build alternate delivery method, resulting in a four- to six-month reduction in schedule
  
  

Finally, Broaddus & Associates managed the FF&E and multi-phased moving efforts, which moved approximately 50 employees into the new building and relocated additional employees from various locations into the remodeled existing building.  Throughout all phases, Broaddus & Associates oversaw the budget development and schedule maintenance to ensure the Authority’s strategic plan to maximize office efficiency and effectiveness remained on target.