Collaborative project delivery methods such as Progressive Design-Build (PDB) and Construction Manager-at-Risk (CMAR) are increasingly favored by water and sewer utilities for large, complex infrastructure projects due to these models’ proven track record in cost predictability, condensed schedules, and higher construction quality compared to design-bid-build. In 2023, the City of Chattanooga launched its first collaborative delivery effort—Phase 1 of the Environmental and Economic Infrastructure Improvements (e2i2) SSO Abatement Program— South Lee Highway (10 MG) and West Chickamauga (30 MG) Equalization Stations by selecting the Brasfield & Gorrie/Gresham Smith PDB team, with Jacobs Engineering Group (JEG) serving as Clear Chattanooga Program Manager and Owner’s Advisor. The City chose PDB to navigate COVID-era construction cost inflation, supply chain volatility, and limited bidder availability, while securing a highly qualified team and minimizing changes and claims. Project construction commenced in January 2025 and is projected to complete ahead of the spring 2027 deadline and under the $153 million contract amount. The presentation details how the PDB team, City, and JEG executed the design and preconstruction phases through an unprecedented level of collaboration and transparency. Key elements included: a kickoff and partnering workshop at the onset of the project to establish delivery parameters and “pull-plan” the critical path; a discipline-based “cluster” model (process, civil, electrical/I&C, and more) uniting City and JEG staff with designers and builders in weekly working sessions to align schedule, permitting, standards, and design decisions; and focused workshops on alternatives analysis, basis of design, permitting, early procurement, and design milestones. Integration of stakeholders—including Hamilton County Water and Wastewater Treatment Authority (WWTA), regulatory agencies, and the public —and sustained open-book cost estimating enabled on-schedule completion of design with full stakeholder endorsement and compliance with regulatory and permitting requirements. Attendees will gain a brief overview of the Clear Chattanooga consent decree program; the Owner’s rationale for selecting PDB and the procurement methodology used; the team’s approach to collaboration and decision-making during the design/preconstruction phase; and lessons learned from the progressive design-builder perspective. The session features broad viewpoints from Brasfield & Gorrie - a large general contractor with extensive traditional and collaborative delivery experience across municipal water/sewer, transportation, industrial, federal, commercial, and healthcare markets; and Gresham Smith - a medium-size A/E design firm with collaborative delivery experience across municipal and private water/sewer, healthcare, industrial, aviation, and transportation sectors. The content is tailored to owners, contractors, and design professionals with limited PDB experience and demonstrates how collaborative delivery can successfully mitigate challenging market conditions and project complexity; provide early and ongoing cost, schedule, and quality control, facilitate owner involvement, efficiently integrate owner in decisions to insure the design and selections align with the owner’s needs and best interest, and elevate design and construction quality to maximize value to the project Owner.