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112 COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION — JULY : AUGUST 2016 FEDERAL CONSTRUCTION • OPERATION HEALING AND PEACE Joined forces Partners in the project's dynamic meld- ing of ideas, expectations and numbers crunching included the Department of Veterans Affairs; Childress Klein Properties and Cambridge Development Group, form- ing Childress Klein-Cambridge Healthcare Solutions; general contractor JE Dunn Construction, Charlotte office; and architect RPA Design of Charlotte. Childress Klein-Cambridge was formed to design, build and manage the building, which it owns and leases to the VA. The health center's development was complex. Success with budgeting, scheduling and owner/user satisfaction revolved around an intense process of designing and pricing – Price, Evaluate, Enhance, Build. JE Dunn Construction consulted historical building cost data, tapped its large pool of subcontractors, manufacturers and suppliers, and called on the company's in-house experts to support the design team and owner, ensuring that design documents aligned with the project's budget and ambitious work scope. "JE Dunn was able to offer us a very competitive price on a highly complex job early in the process, with limited design information," says Tom Coyle, a partner with Childress Klein. Throughout the job, in line with JE Dunn's lean culture of continuous improve- ment, the general contractor, the design team and the building owner continued to explore ways to enhance the project. Work- ing with this team not only on planning and coordinating, but also on adding value to the project, was quite a rewarding experience for the JE team. A fascinating and atypical element of the project was the imperative to accom- modate two distinct, yet joined-at-the-hip clients – the developer and the VA. With that, came the need for JE Dunn to provide split pricing. For example, an area of the building that called for, say, five electrical outlets might require billing the VA for three units and the developer for two, based on each party's unique budget, building performance needs, regulatory mandates (local, state, federal), and other singular considerations. "Sears Contract Inc. has worked on three separate, but similar VA medical centers for three separate contractors," The impressive six-story, brick and glass complex stands with a commanding presence on 35 acres near the Charlotte Douglas International Airport. Project features are specific to the unique needs of Veterans, including extra handicap and motorcycle parking and an extended three-vehicle canopy for simultaneous loading and unloading of patients. Colorful wall murals of familiar places can be seen throughout the VA HCC Charlotte, encouraging an sense of security. Fountains, courtyards and quiet spaces contribute to the atmosphere of wellbeing and peace.