Location Duluth, MN
Client Essentia Health
Services Estimating & Cost Management, Program Management
Project Value $900 million
Hill provided Owner’s Representative services to Essentia Health for the construction and renovation of its medical campus in downtown Duluth reporting directly to the system COO. The Vision Northland project created 942,000 SF of new space and renovation of approximately 120,000 SF of existing facilities. The project provides state-of-the-art medical facilities with advanced technologies to meet patients’ needs and now helps boost Northern Minnesota’s economy, enhances the patient and staff experience, and creates an environment that attracts and retains top talent.
Hill was initially engaged to identify the areas of greatest cost impact and opportunities for reducing the construction cost of the project. Additionally, Hill reviewed extensive documentation from the design and construction firms. Based on these documents, we developed recommendations to lower construction costs and increase value. A final report summarizing the analysis and recommendations was drafted, and a plan and budget to implement the recommendations was accepted by Essentia Health.
After the initial consultation, Hill was asked to provide an Owner’s Representative candidate to provide leadership to the entire project enterprise (leadership of the Owner’s team, planning, design, construction, medical equipment planning, insurance and risk, and contracts negotiation.).
Hill’s work on Vision Northland as Owner’s Representative has allowed for Essentia’s system leadership and Board to have greater confidence in this extraordinary level of investment. The client needed a leader to provide shape to the in-house team, in addition to the extensive team of designers and builders.
The project completed on time and on budget. Both factors made equally remarkable in that the project was executed before, during and after the COVID pandemic. Due to the team’s excellent stewardship of project funding, the Owner was enabled to add $11 million of scope to the project that will serve to enhance the capabilities of the facility and add to the patient and staff experience.
Hill’s success on the Vision Northland project has resulted in additional engagements for the management of other system facilities as well as acting as Construction Manager for the demolition of the legacy St. Mary’s Medical Center.
