Progressive Design-Build (PDB) and Construction Manager-at-Risk (CMAR) are gaining traction for complex utility projects due to benefits like cost predictability, schedule compression, and risk mitigation. However, Tennessee law poses unique challenges for municipalities seeking these methods.  Because Tennessee law does not currently authorize municipalities to procure design-build contracts directly, Chattanooga leveraged its Industrial Development Board (IDB) as a legal pathway.

The City of Chattanooga’s Wastewater Department, a municipality in Tennessee, elected to pursue a design build contracting method through the City’s Industrial Development Board (IDB).  Additionally, a partnership with the Hamilton County Water and Wastewater Treatment Authority (WWTA) encouraged the nexus between wastewater infrastructure and community development, hence the pathway for utilizing the IDB.

The City selected Brasfield & Gorrie/Gresham Smith team to deliver Phase 1 of the Environmental and Economic Infrastructure Improvements (e2i2) Program—Progressive Design-Build of the South Lee Highway and West Chickamauga Equalization Stations. The City and its Program Manager, Jacobs Engineering Group, selected PDB delivery for the benefits listed above and to mitigate challenging market conditions, including inflation and global supply chain disruptions, and to ensure the project would be delivered by a highly qualified and capable team.

As Chattanooga’s first PDB project, lessons learned include increased staff engagement, early procurement planning, and accelerated decision-making—critical differences from traditional delivery.

The presentation will also highlight the Class A POWER Project at Moccasin Bend Environmental Campus, another PDB effort enabled by the IDB. Attendees will gain insights into how Chattanooga and Jacobs partnered with design-build teams to navigate procurement, design, GMP approval, and construction with unprecedented collaboration.

This presentation will showcase how the City of Chattanooga and Jacobs partnered with PDB teams to deliver projects through unprecedented collaboration. It will highlight the development of the PDB model via the Industrial Development Board and walk through key phases—procurement, design, GMP approval, and construction.