The $400M cleanup of the Sydney Tar Ponds and Coke Ovens gave Sydney, Nova Scotia, a showcase community greenspace downtown. The project, executed by multiple contractors and consultants, left a recreational area that honored the historic steelmaking endeavours that existed there and provided areas to attract new light industry. Managing performance in the field, through collaboration and employing local and external expertise, was key to the design of sustainable user spaces for community and industry. Improvements in contractor/consultant performance are discussed using one major sub-project - the solidification and stabilization of the Tar Ponds as an example. There were two major portions of the work: stabilization of impacted sediments and implementing a future site use design. The Contractor for the first portion worked under a performance-based contract with his own quality control to demonstrate contractual compliance with the regulatory and construction requirements. Stakeholders included the Owners, technical and financial auditors, the Design Engineer, the environmental regulators and the community. For portions of the contract, 100% test result passes of performance criteria are a mandatory regulatory requirement. Once stabilized, the second portion involved separate consultants to design an end-use master plan and implement a final use design that involved community input reflecting local history and culture. Costs and risks, schedule, and informed real-time decision-making were closely managed during construction to achieve the final results. Lessons learned are highlighted to provide practical insight and guidance to others in managing large heavy civil engineering and environmental remediation contracts.
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