PROJECT SUMMARY
The Calgary Courts Centre, located in downtown Calgary, houses the Calgary Court of Appeals, the Court of Queen’s Bench and four divisions of the Provincial Court. With the goals of consolidation and sustainability, the Province of Alberta contracted with HDR for consulting and project management services for this large-scale design-build project. Through this partnership, a competitive procurement process proceeded to hire a development manager, architect, builder and building operator for the design and construction of the one million square foot, $300 million center.

For over twenty years, the City of Calgary and the Province of Alberta had planned to consolidate three court systems and five court buildings to create an accessible and efficient justice system on one large campus. To innovatively fund and build the complex, the provincial government pursued a public-private partnership. Guided by the objectives of quick delivery, risk transfer and smart growth, Alberta contracted with HDR to provide general and P3 consultant advisory services.

The court center includes two towers of 20 and 24 floors; walking connector bridges; office space for 600 staff, including 75 justices/judges, 180 security staff and 360 agency personnel; and underground parking accommodating 220 vehicles. The subsequent demolition of the Court of Queen’s Bench facility provided an additional underground parking garage with 450 spaces below 1.46 acres of public park space. The entire facility is built to LEED Silver standards.

PROJECT OBJECTIVES
Alberta’s goals included financing a facility with a long life cycle that could be delivered quickly and innovatively. A public-private partnership offered this innovation, as well as an integrated approach for competition and transfer of risk.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION
Partners
The public sector partners for this project were the City of Calgary and the Province of Alberta. Calgary is the largest city in the Province of Alberta, located in the foothills of the Canadian Rocky Mountains. It was host to the 1988 Winter Olympics and has become a popular winter sports destination. The Province of Alberta, the fourth largest in Canada, funded the $300 million construction and supplied an additional $15 to $20 million for furnishings.

The private sector partner for this project was HDR, an architectural, engineering and consulting firm that helps clients manage complex projects. HDR acted as a consultant and advisor throughout the process, providing project management, planning and programming for the facility. The firm’s experience in P3PM® (public-private partnerships project management) fosters better communications, optimizes efficiency, manages costs and effectively addresses issues as they arise throughout the process.

Implementation Environment–Legislative and Administrative
The Canada Strategic Infrastructure Fund Act (2002) established a fund to provide for the payment of contributions to eligible recipients for large-scale strategic infrastructure projects that contribute to the economic growth or quality of life and to the advancement of Canada’s infrastructure objectives. This legislation promotes the use of public-private partnerships where appropriate. In December 2008, the Calgary City Council adopted its own public-private partnership policy (likely based of the success of the court center partnership) in part to address its $18 billion infrastructure needs through 2020.

Financial Agreement
The Province of Alberta contributed almost $320 million for this project while a consortium of development and architectural firms participated in the design-build delivery process. These firms included GWL Realty Architecture, Inc. (development manager); CANA Management Ltd. (builder); Kasian Architecture Interior Design and Planning (architect); SNC-Lavalin ProFac Inc. (building operator). Phase II of the project includes a $50 million four-story underground parking garage and the installation of 1.46 acres of public park space above.

Contract Provisions
The court center needed to consolidate three separate court systems and five scattered buildings into one accessible and efficient campus. This provision necessitated extensive upfront planning and review of Province objectives. In order to build the center, an innovative agreement would have to transfer risk to the private sector while delivering a sustainable and state-of-the-art facility that could house nearly 600 employees and facilitate delivery of required services. The result was one million square feet of modern architectural design in downtown Calgary.

Implementation Metrics
HDR’s oversight and P3 advisory services effectively guided the provincial government through the planning and implementation process. The four-phase process developed by HDR allowed the government to develop four bridging documents that provided conceptual terms for the facility, performance and prescriptive requirements, agreement terms and evaluation criteria. Five months of extensive space needs and sustainability planning enhanced the building’s design, which includes atrium heat recovery, a green roof, plaza gardens and recycled storm water. These provisions created a 73 percent building efficiency rate.

With only eight weeks to provide design, guaranteed maximum price and schedule, the consortium of firms had to work diligently to accurately and completely assemble a design that could accomplish the judiciary’s objectives while maximizing private sector resources.

Commentary
The public sector’s choice to hire a P3 advisory consultant was an important step in the project. Through HDR’s guidance and project management, the court center project, from issuance of the Expression of Interest to the public opening, was completed within five years.