State of Tennessee Real Estate Asset Management (STREAM)/ Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC)

Scope: Hospitality Development Programming Support, Hospitality Development Management/Technical Services

Issue: STREAM/TDEC did not possess the hospitality design and project management expertise in house. Given the responsibility to properly manage this $100M investment in the revitalization of Tennessee State Parks, STREAM/TDEC retained the services of CHMGS to support as prime contractor. CHMGS retained additional expertise as required to successfully manage this project on behalf of client(s).

Process/Outcome: CHMGS provided comprehensive project management services for the renovation of the Lodge at Montgomery Bell State Park and the Lodge at Pickwick Landing State Park, as well as the demolition and new build of the Lodge at Fall Creek Falls State Park and the Lodge at Paris Landing State Park. The CHMGS team was responsible for managing four architectural and design (A&E) firms, and two general contractors (GCs) in this process. CHMGS began by developing full lodge programming requirements to support the A&E design, development, and construction drawing and design process. CHMGS provided comprehensive programming in, but not limited to, the following areas:

Guestroom inventory, mix, size, and orientation
Food and beverage outlet location, orientation(s), seat inventory, and theme
Group meeting and conference space square footage, layout, and orientation
Public space layout, size, and orientation
Registration layout, size, configuration, and number of stations
Fitness and recreation space size, location, and orientation
Retail space design, orientation, size, and location
Back of house requirements including office space, loading dock, storage, kitchen design, etc.
Landscaping
Parking and circulation

CHMGS and team employed a comprehensive project management methodology to manage the project. This included weekly meetings/conference calls with the A&E firms and GCs for an 18-month planning and design period. Additionally, at CHMGS and team’s insistence, STREAM/TDEC required the A&E and GCs complete model room design and development. Design and development of a sample guest room for evaluation and critique is a critical step before full production of the guest room inventory and allows for changes to design finishes and furnishings prior to full development. CHMGS also participated in several “Value Management” (VM) meetings and conference calls when the project budget was exceeded. With few exceptions, CHMGS was able to manage the VM meetings to successfully bring the budget back in scope. In the rare instance where this could not be achieved, CHMGS supported the STREAM/TDEC in the preparation of materials seeking additional funding from the State.