Banff Refreshing Project – 2008
Project Background
January 2007, negotiations began between Standard General and the Town of Banff for a $17 million complete revitalization of one of Canada’s main tourist attractions. Thus began a very successful partnership and project. This project entailed gutting three blocks of main street in the heart of the business community and replacing everything from deep utilities to the final lift of asphalt to the top of the fancy lamp posts. With tourism being the main revenue, hundreds of shop keepers are up in arms with legitimate concern about heavy equipment rumbling in front of their windows for two years. Standard General stepped up to the challenge and proposed compressing the schedule from two to one year but with complete shut down of the road except pedestrian accesses. Regardless, Standard General was still public enemy number one before the work even started.
Best Practice Applied
Notwithstanding the numerous technical and logistic challenges with this project, one of the main focuses was the management of public relations and optics. A strategy equivalent to a community block-watch concept was implemented. The business owners would designate a block representative, six in total, who are invited to the regular site meetings in order to address their issues promptly, to get progress update, and to ‘be’ part of the team from day one. Throughout the construction period, public perceptions began to warm up to SG as we accomplished what was said in those meetings and showed progress toward final completion. An unexpected bonus was that the construction process actually became a major tourist attraction. SG not only cared for the businesses but also entertained thousands from around the world by showcasing who we are, what we do, and how we do it.
From 100 years old pipes to organized chaos, the work was completed on time and on budget and minimized disruption to the businesses within the work area. The project was recognized by the Alberta Construction Magazine as one of the Top Projects of 2007, and it also received the Construction Engineers Award of Merit in 2008. The overall sentiment from the business community and the municipality afterward, is that a major multi-disciplinary company saved the day and was given the key to the town.
Project Highlights
- Removal of over 6,000 m2 of sidewalks and median and over 12000 m2 of asphalt roads
- Replaced over 2.6 km of sanitary, storm, and water pipes of various sizes
- Placed over 17,600 tonnes of gravel
- Paved over 2,500 tonnes of asphalt
- Poured over 1,000 m3 of concrete curb & gutter, sidewalk, and median
- Installed all new street lights/ signal poles and the electrical system
- Installed all landscaping items – trees, shrubs, rocks, paver stones and irrigation system
- Temporary measures to ensure the safety and access of hundreds of businesses and thousands of tourists