Explore Our Transformative Ventures
Welcome to our portfolio, where we showcase our expertise and achievements in various impactful projects. With a focus on infrastructure development, disaster recovery funding, and municipal planning, we have been instrumental in driving positive change in communities across different regions.
Through a multi-disciplinary approach and a passion for problem-solving, we have worked on projects that address critical infrastructure needs, facilitate economic growth, and enhance the quality of life for residents. From collaborating with the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey to supporting non-entitlement communities affected by hurricanes in Texas, our portfolio reflects a diverse range of experiences and successful outcomes.
Join us as we take you through the journey of these remarkable projects and demonstrate our commitment to creating lasting positive impact.
Wortham Theater Center
American Public Works honored the Wortham Theater Center's restoration project, recognizing it with the prestigious 2023 Project of the Year Award in the Projects over $75 Million category. The ambitious endeavor, led by Wendorf Beward & Partners in the role of FEMA Reimbursement Expert, was a response to the devastation caused by Hurricane Harvey in August 2017.
Hurricane Harvey's torrential rainfall submerged over 1,000 square miles of Harris County and the City of Houston, resulting in one of the costliest natural disasters in U.S. history. Among the structures severely impacted was the Wortham Theater, a regional fine arts performance facility housing the Houston Ballet, Houston Grand Opera, and hosting various other fine arts performances annually. Built in 1987, the theater had an estimated replacement cost of $500 million, and its accompanying parking garages, dating back to the 1960s and 70s, suffered significant damage. The ground floor of the theater was submerged in two inches of floodwater, while the basements of the garages flooded up to 12.5 feet, impacting all three levels.
The garages, essential in serving facilities within an eight-city block area, provided 3,655 parking spaces and were owned by the City of Houston, managed and operated by Houston First Corporation (HFC). The damage assessment revealed severe impact on various crucial systems, including HVAC operations, elevators and escalators, plumbing, fire protection systems, stage lifts, sound equipment, and more. Prior to commencing repair work, thorough sanitation was required in the affected areas.
The primary objective of the restoration project was to bring both the theater and garages back to their pre-Harvey conditions, and it was essential to leverage FEMA Disaster Recovery Funding Reimbursements. The project timeline aimed to resume performances in the theater by September 2018, while the garages faced more prolonged efforts. A collaborative approach among HFC, the construction firm, designer, project manager, and the FEMA reimbursement expert was instrumental in overcoming challenges encountered during construction. Unforeseen conditions necessitated proper documentation for full reimbursement, and continuous weather monitoring added complexities, considering the potential for flooding near the garages, especially during hurricane weather events or heavy rains.
The project experienced a temporary slowdown when the COVID-19 pandemic emerged in Spring 2020. Subcontractor safety requirements, general sickness, and workplace distancing impacts contributed to the delay. Nevertheless, despite these challenges, the project made significant progress by September 2021, and the remaining critical component, the life safety systems, was successfully completed in April 2022.
The Wortham Theater Center's restoration was not only a testament to engineering expertise and project management but also highlighted the resilience and dedication of the team involved in restoring this iconic Houston landmark. By preserving this vital cultural hub, the project played a vital role in ensuring the continued flourishing of fine arts performances in the region, showcasing the transformative impact of well-executed infrastructure initiatives.
SE Legacy Development
Wendorf Beward & Partners takes pride in its role as the Program Manager for the SE Legacy Development, an ambitious project spanning over 13,000 acres. Currently in the planning and development phases of the Master Development, this endeavor is set to transform the landscape and accommodate a thriving community.
The SE Legacy Development comprises the Legacy Water Supply Corporation (LWSC) and the Legacy Municipal Management District (LMMD), both integral to the project's success. The LWSC and LMMD have been strategically established to provide potable water to the master planned community and selected Colonias, catering to the needs of more than 10,000 residents at full buildout.
With no existing municipal or county water service available in the area, the LWSC has embarked on essential initiatives to ensure a reliable water supply. Consultants have been engaged to oversee the design and construction of 38 water wells, drawing raw, brackish water from the Sparta and Carrizo Wilcox aquifers within Webb County. These wells will be connected to a Regional Water Treatment Plant, where sophisticated Microfiltration and Reverse Osmosis (M R/O) processes will treat the groundwater.
In addition to water-related infrastructure, the SE Legacy Development project encompasses a comprehensive plan for transportation, including roads, sidewalks, bike paths, and trail systems. The development also aims to incorporate essential amenities such as industrial parks, a regional recycled water system, electrical generation and substations, highway and traffic improvements, natural gas enhancements, environmental enhancements, new schools, an airport, and multiple housing areas. As the project moves forward, Wendorf Beward & Partners remains dedicated to the successful realization of the SE Legacy Development, ushering in a new era of community growth and prosperity.
Port Authority of New York & New Jersey
Program consisted of identifying, reviewing, assessing and scoping projects for potential federal disaster recovery funding. The program utilized a multi-disciplinary team who evaluated and reviewed the five business units of the PANYNJ that include tunnels, terminals, airports, trains and the world trade center. This effort resulted in a report of potential funding and financing for needed infrastructure repairs and improvements that could potentially increase the available funding for the PANYNJ from an estimated $2.5 billion to over $5 billion. The agency was led through a process of perspective change to understand how funding could be accessed and applied. The efforts of the program were instrumental in shifting the operational elements perspective to opportunistically pursuing potential funding rather than rigid acceptance of perceived requirements.
Texas Office of Rural Community Affairs (ORCA)
This Program consisted of providing technical support to 167 non entitlement communities in a 29 county area of Texas hardest hit by Hurricane Ike. The goal: to get infrastructure projects for recovery from Hurricane Ike identified, assessed, scoped and estimated as rapidly as possible to accelerate recovery. Due to the unprecedented nature and extent of the damage, ORCA required a new approach to identify and quantify the infrastructure need and recovery requirements. The program provided engineering expertise, public involvement services, preliminary environmental assessment, technology, alternative delivery recommendations, planning, and program management services. This effort put TxORCA 3 months ahead of the previous Hurricane Rita effort that was 10 times smaller than the Ike effort. Federal funding was increased from $1.4 billion to $3.2 billion.
Port Authority of Houston
Initiated Strategic Asset Management Program (SAMP) with the Port of Houston. This eight-stage approach began with a program kickoff workshop with stakeholders to develop the SAMP goals and objectives. Included with the program was an effort to identify Asset Categories, Classes and Components to commence specific work effort. Training was provided concerning Key Performance Indicators, developing and implementing Service Level Agreements and other metrics for measurement.
City of San Antonio
In 2005 the City of San Antonio Department of Public Works under the leadership of the principals of WB&P developed and initiated a 5 year Rolling Infrastructure Management Plan based on condition indexing of multiple infrastructures and compilation into a synergistic model used for operational and capital budget development and execution that has been improved upon and is still in use today.
