Mega projects are popping up in communities across the nation. These new builds – including everything from data centers and energy facilities to convention centers and corporate campuses – cost hundreds of millions of dollars and require large teams, vast resources, and multiple years of construction.
Thanks to the unique combination of competitive business incentives, an abundance of usable land, and skilled workforces, the Texas and Oklahoma markets have emerged as prime candidates for mega project construction.
JE Dunn recently spoke with leaders of our mega projects across the South Central Region to learn more about what made their projects successful and what continues to help them refine operations for the success of the project teams and our clients
Forrest Wilson, Oklahoma Office Leader
Before stepping into his role as JE Dunn’s Oklahoma City and Tulsa Office Leader in July 2024, Forrest Wilson served as project executive on Sixth and Guadalupe – a 2.1 million square foot, 66-story, mixed-use skyscraper in downtown Austin. The nearly $361 million project is currently the city’s tallest building.
What led to the success of a project this size?
As with just about anything, communication and partnership truly is key. It is vital that leaders on all levels of a mega project check in with their direct reports early and often to make sure no one gets lost in the project’s magnitude. I’ve found that these regular check ins help keep people engaged throughout the lifespan of a long project while ensuring objectives and milestones are clearly understood.
Does prefabrication play a role at this level of construction?
Prefabrication should be considered for all projects, but it can prove vital to the highest levels of success on large projects. Any man-hours we can remove from the site benefits everything from safety to quality to the logistics of moving material and people. Since we were going so tall on this building, we spent a lot of time thinking about the logistics of moving people and materials up and down the building. This wouldn’t be an issue with a shorter building. Our team leads were constantly thinking about that long-term and short-term coordination.
Greg Euston, Project Executive
Earlier this year, the JE Dunn / Turner Joint Venture made headlines after being awarded the $1.2 billion Austin Convention Center Redevelopment. Greg Euston is leading the JE Dunn project team’s efforts to help nearly double the size of the facility, which is a hub for the annual SXSW Conference. This isn’t Greg’s first large campus project either – he oversaw the construction of Dell Seton Medical Center at The University of Texas in Austin and helped lead the Sprint World Headquarters in Kansas.
How can joint ventures benefit mega projects?
On projects of mega magnitude, our joint venture partners are essential. They help provide resources and expertise any single general contractor couldn’t reliably supply alone. Take, for example, the redevelopment of the Austin Convention Center. JE Dunn’s relationships and industry expertise – at both a local and national level – paired with Turner Construction’s extensive convention center resume means the client benefits from both teams’ invaluable experience in preconstruction, estimating, and execution.
What role does sustainability play in mega projects?
High-profile projects prioritize sustainable building practices more every year, and for good reason. Not only is environmental stewardship important for our communities, it also fosters public support for a project, especially one of such magnitude and visible impact. However, simply recycling materials is no longer sufficient. Now, mega projects are shifting their sustainability focus to reducing or eliminating a facility’s carbon footprint through reduced embodied carbon and other zero-carbon initiatives. On the Austin Convention Center Project, our team is working to achieve zero carbon certification through the use of lower carbon concrete and the re-use of some of the structural steel from the existing convention center. Our team also plans to install a 100% electric kitchen and electric heat recovery chillers to help the facility operate carbon-free.
Alok Patel, Vice President/ Project Executive
Since breaking ground on the Temple Data Center in early 2022, 386-acres went from a greenfield to a three-building, 750,000 square foot campus. Alok Patel helped lead the transformation that saw over1,400 skilled tradespeople on-site at peak construction and boasts a $100M+ JE Dunn self-perform package which includes scopes for layout, concrete, equipment pads, site paving, precast supply and erection, carpentry-rough and finish, doors, frames, and hardware installation, multi-trade rack fabrication and installation, hot aisle containment installation, and temporary low voltage services.
How do you effectively lead the number of staff required for a project of this size?
Our team working on this project is massive – we’re essentially our own small town within a city. We have dedicated, full-time staff for engineers, equipment managers, construction
managers, safety professionals, schedulers, VDC and QA, sustainability, energy, accounting, and information technology. Basically, it takes similar resources as a small office operation takes to effectively run something this large. Throughout the project’s lifecycle, I’ve found team building sessions – not just fun activities, but programs run by specialized third parties – create a true team culture. This in turn creates a mutual respect among the team and positions each person to execute their individual task to the best of their ability.
What tools and technologies are essential to construct mega projects?
Mega projects, especially those for clients in highly advanced fields, demand technological advancements and expertise from general contractors and trade partners. Buildots, AutoCAD, LaserScanning, and GPS point shooting allow JE Dunn to work smarter, not harder, and meet this demand. When the technology is paired with our best-in-class experts who run these tools, we can help the Owner and project team make confident decisions quickly.
Brian Setley, Project Executive
When data showed sustained growth in Advanced Industries, Mission Critical, and Industrial & Manufacturing over the last five years, JE Dunn formed an Advanced Facilities Group to best support our clients while driving innovation. As a project executive for the group, Brian Setley is currently putting his expertise to work at the $800 million Temple Data Center.
Have you found any effective strategies for managing large projects?
For me, officing on site 95% of the time made a world of difference in my ability and efficiency as a leader on this project. Your general contractor must be deeply ingrained and proactive from the earliest phases of a mega project. Project executives and general superintendents should be involved with all aspects of preconstruction to develop an early mobilization and logistics plan.
Are there any interesting programs or construction methods to consider for large projects?
JE Dunn is seeing more Owner Furnished Contractor Installed (OFCI) equipment on mega projects, which typically entails MEP equipment mounted to skids or prefabrication of entire “houses” of MEP systems. Additionally, many mega projects take place in more remote and rural areas, so we are seeing a need to enhance the craft experience on the job site. A great culture on-site serves to attract and retain the best labor in the industry. Basically, we set aside a portion of our budget to create the best working conditions for our craft workers. For example, dedicated break structures with heating and cooling, microwave ovens, televisions, food trucks on site, restroom trailers that are heated and cooled, bussing to and from lighted and paved parking lots, as well as fun celebrations for
safety and completion of milestone dates. JE Dunn is paying close attention to the workers’ requests for accommodation and striving to provide the best job site amenities in the industry which has proven to be beneficial to the workers and the project.
David Weatherbie, Project Executive
With more than three decades of construction experience, David Weatherbie has worked on mega projects for major corporate campuses, airports, and semiconductor manufacturing facilities. His most recent project was a 126-acre site in North Austin for a multi-phased corporate campus with office buildings, parking garages, a central utility plant and massive site excavation and utilities.
How do you structure the staff on a mega project for maximum success?
Mega jobs require mega staff. Structuring them is not much different than how you would structure a business unit but running them requires in-depth knowledge and experience in project management. It also requires advanced people skills and expert planning abilities. Even with these traits, some nuances must be exercised to ensure success. Trust in and the support of your team is at the top of that list. How you respond to unforeseen issues and the ability to forecast possible outcomes will determine how you best position the project for success.
Is the approach to scheduling different for mega projects?
The common thread in mega projects – no matter the product type or client – is speed to market. JE Dunn’s team of technical builders who excel in tight timelines and massive project scale achieves this with several methodologies. The most frequently utilized and oldest in the industry is to fast-track the work. Essentially, the design team releases design packages to the construction team in phases, all while continuing to design future phases of the work. We also use a rolling GMP, or a component GMP, which means we are contracted first for the initial design package and usually a larger portion of the general requirements and conditions of the project. Then, amendments are made to the contract for subsequently issued design packages or “components” of the work. This benefits both the project schedule and budget.
Chris Peck, Dallas Office Leader
With more than three decades of building experience, Chris Peck has led JE Dunn’s Dallas team through multiple mega projects. Most recently, his team successfully delivered the Loews Arlington Hotel & Convention Center – a $550 million, 21-story resort boasting 888 guest rooms, five food and beverage outlets, and indoor and outdoor convention space.
How does project data management play into the success of large projects?
The administrative demands of managing a mega project are immense. You need a dedicated project administrative team at the project level, including project accounting, to manage the tremendous volume of data generated. In many ways, a “mega” project is its own business and requires all the ancillary project support that you traditionally receive from the home office to be located at the job site.
What does a successful preconstruction phase look like on a mega project?
Mega projects are incredibly demanding on a preconstruction team. Often “co-location” with the design team and owner’s project management staff is required to ensure that everyone stays aligned. It also is critical to have your key operations project team members assigned very early in the preconstruction phase and committed throughout the preconstruction period. The volume of information and knowledge behind key decisions during this time is vital for the operations leadership to obtain. Because preconstruction periods for mega projects can extend for two or more years, it is important for the builder to be able to recall why decisions were made.
