The new facility will replace Riviera Beach’s current 63-year-old plant that processes water using outdated technology and is continually challenged to meet the modern demands of Riviera Beach residents and businesses. The new facility design and construction are expected to take 36 months.
“We will be known for the best water in Florida, not just in Palm Beach County,” said KaShamba Miller-Anderson, Vice Chair of the city’s utility special district board of directors. “It’s been a long time coming, and I’m just really happy to be here with the group being able to make this moment happen.”
The new water treatment plant is one component of the city’s “Reimagine Riviera Beach” initiative, through which the city is looking to take significant steps to spur redevelopment of the community, starting with the investment in new municipal facilities. The city council recently gave the green light to build a new city hall.
“Riviera Beach is a growing community that's transforming itself, and the Riviera Beach Water Treatment Plant is a critical project for that transformation,” said Pete Kinsley, President of Haskell’s infrastructure & transportation group. “The Haskell-CDM Smith joint venture with our local partner, Brown Electrical Solutions, will help the city realize that vision and complete this critical project.”
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CDM Smith Associate and Client Service Leader Suzanne Mechler said, “Water is the core to any community and it is essential for growth. The city is committed to its Reimagine Riviera Beach campaign and has recognized that infrastructure is a cornerstone to that success. Being a part of the revitalization and having the opportunity to create a showcase facility that the city truly deserves is very meaningful and exciting to myself and our staff.”
Vincent Brown, Owner of Brown Electrical Solutions, addressed the board on behalf of the JV team, attesting to the commitment Haskell and CDM Smith will make to the community.
“Haskell and CDM Smith share the same vision that I share, which is to build wealth here in Riviera Beach,” Brown said. “The vision is to live, work and play. Brown Electrical Solutions works in Riviera Beach, we live in Riviera Beach, and we play in Riviera Beach. There are 35,000 residents of Riviera Beach. Some of the residents work for me. This is what a Riviera Beach dollar looks like.”
The JV will employ numerous local subcontractors and vendors, focusing on supporting small, minority-owned, and women-owned businesses. To that end, the JV’s commitment includes a pledge to break the project into many smaller bid packages to allow wide distribution among local subcontractors, along with a significant community outreach plan that includes mentor-protégé programs, conducting tours for local youth, and maximizing project awareness through public meetings.
The water treatment plant project will begin with a series of workshops, during which the JV design-build team will meet with city representatives to review alternatives for the new water-treatment process and begin decision making that will allow equipment procurement, a vital issue to the project schedule given widespread supply chain problems.
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“It's going to be a challenging job, but we have assembled the perfect team to deliver this project with excellence,” Kinsley said. The Haskell-CDM Smith JV pledges to create high-quality drinking water that will serve this community for decades.
