Collaborative Effort Delivers Successful Opening Day
Stanley Consultants provided program management for the huge stadium project at Camelback Ranch, which sped from design and construction to opening day in just 19 months.
Baseball has been an international pastime since the 1700s, so when the City of Phoenix and the City of Glendale began sharing ideas for the future of an adjacent plot of land, a stadium that honored the tradition of the sport seemed a perfect fit. Camelback Ranch at Glendale was born from the collaboration of two cities with a common goal – to produce a state-of-the-art training facility, aesthetically pleasing and fan friendly with a strong tribute to the growth of baseball in Arizona.
Stanley Consultants provided program management for the massive project, which sped from design and construction to opening day in just 19 months. Engineers used BIM to identify, correct, or minimize potential design and field conflict prior to start of construction. But the truly innovative element that shaped the character of Camelback Ranch at Glendale was the unique mix of people the project brought together. In the era of email and blackberries, face-to-face communication is often lacking, making professionalism and communication skills scarce. Collaborating as a team with a common goal encouraged individuals to lower their guard, accept suggestions and criticisms of others, and unite to complete the job on schedule, in a safe manner, with an overall sense of pride and accomplishment.
Safety was a priority during construction. Two safety managers were on-site at all times, and a mandatory stretch and bend session was held prior to the start of each shift.
At the end of the day, the project was a great success. Glendale's City Engineer Craig Johnson felt Stanley Consultants broke the mold when they created this stadium. "It is easy to become overwhelmed with such a fast-paced project, but that didn't happen," said Johnson. They stayed well organized and pulled it off. "
An overwhelming approval from the fans also proves the success of Camelback Ranch at Glendale. The Cactus League broke its single game attendance record twice within the first five days the stadium was open, attracting 13,046 fans – more than filling their 13,000 person capacity!