AUSTIN, TX – STV, a professional services firm that plans, designs and manages infrastructure projects across North America, recently received the Notice to Proceed as part of a joint venture to deliver Program Management and Construction Management (PM/CM) services for Austin Independent School District’s (AISD) five-year bond program. The $2.44 billion investment is the largest bond in the AISD’s history, impacting more than 73,000 students.
Unlike traditional academic bond programs, AISD emphasizes an “Equity by Design” approach on this project, with significant scholastic benefits to historically underserved and disadvantaged students and communities. Those benefits include well-maintained facilities that support state-of-the-art instruction, cultural identities, modernization and safety. The proposal was the result of community dialogues throughout 2019 which identified various needs for systemic change in AISD.
“We are proud to work on this project, which will have a generational impact on Austin and help create a better, more equitable community,” said Luis Delgado, MBA, CCM, PMP, president and leader of the firm’s national CM practice. “We’ve strategically expanded our construction management portfolio and experience in Texas and throughout the southwest, so securing this unprecedented bond marks a notable new chapter for our team of talented experts.”
For this 40-school project, STV and its joint venture partner, Vanir are joining AECOM and Jacobs, which secured the previous five-year bond.
To strengthen the “Equity by Design” program, STV is actively engaging with the community, from involvement with the Community Bond Oversight Committee (CBOC) to collaboration with Historically Underutilized Businesses (HUBs) on the projects. STV’s philosophy is to create educational facilities for K-12 clients that enrich the student’s learning experience. The firm provides expert in-house planning, architectural and engineering design, and program/project management services that are critical to the success of educational facilities.
“STV is supporting AISD in its modernization effort with a comprehensive approach that assembles the best talent in the industry, meeting the specific needs of each school project,” said Derek Messier, vice president and territory manager for the Midwest region CM services. “This is the first bond program of its kind, and we’re proud to support AISD’s effort to correct socioeconomic barriers with modern facilities.”
In 2022, STV signed the Equity in Infrastructure Project (EIP) Pledge, becoming one of the first architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) firms to commit to advancing equity in infrastructure. The pledge centers around a goal of increasing the number, size and percentage of historically underutilized businesses (HUBs) growing to prime contractors, participating in joint ventures or becoming equity participants. In addition to taking the EIP pledge, STV holds a seat on the EIP Advisory Council to promote broad industry engagement and commitment.
