The Rutland AFRC was initially advertised as a design-build project opportunity. However, environmental studies showed that the proposed site was not feasible, forcing the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to relocate the project nearby. As a result, the project was re-advertised with a highly constrained project schedule of 410 days, instead of the original 630 days.

The project’s revised schedule posed a major challenge.

Only congressional intervention could extend the timeline. Knowing this, SMMA took the unusual step of starting the design immediately after submitting the proposal—a decision that later proved beneficial.

Once awarded the job, the design-build team of SMMA and J&J Contractors had less than 18 months to design and construct the Center and secure state and local permits. Adding to the difficulty was the rigorous review process inherent to complex government projects, coupled with the sheer number of players involved: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Army Reserve, Vermont National Guard, and Office of the Assistant Chief of Staff for Installation Management. The only way to ensure a successful outcome was to work together—complete, transparent collaboration.

The team soon realized the amount of overlap in meeting the deadline.

To visualize the construction, design, permitting, and review process, the team created an internal working schedule with all requirements and milestones. The hand-drawn schedule was intended as a quick guideline for how to organize and prioritize work. Unexpectedly, it became a vitally important document upon which the team would rely throughout the project to track progress.