Auburn University Selects HPM as Construction Manager for First-of-its-Kind Culinary Science Center

6/11/20

Firm draws on prior education, hospitality experience as innovative facility pursues rare AAA Five Diamond certification

HPM recently announced that Auburn University has selected the firm to serve as the construction manager for the Tony and Libba Rane Culinary Science Center, a groundbreaking, dual-purpose building that will house a learning environment blended with a luxury boutique hotel, restaurant and food hall. In this role, HPM will provide project management support for Auburn’s Facilities Management Administration in the ongoing construction of the world-class educational and hospitality facility, drawing on its years of experience leading hotel and higher education projects across the U.S.

Located at the corner of East Thach Avenue and South College Street in downtown Auburn, the Tony and Libba Rane Culinary Science Center is a 142,000-square-foot complex that will facilitate hands-on, immersive learning experiences for students pursuing careers in hospitality and culinary sciences. Through the addition of classrooms, demonstration and food production laboratories, a brewing science center, and new teaching restaurant on the property, students will be able to train alongside some of the world’s leading chefs and hospitality experts. Those rare opportunities will play an invaluable role in equipping students with vital skills that will help position them as future leaders in the culinary and hospitality industries.

The luxury hotel portion of the project is seeking to achieve the AAA Five Diamond certification, an extremely elusive title that is given to less than half of one percent of the 27,000 hotels evaluated annually. The ability for students to learn in a hands-on culinary facility and work in a Five Diamond hotel is an experience that no other institution in the country currently offers. HPM previously served as the owner’s representative during construction of a $35 million AAA Five Diamond Hotel in Houston, Texas, which has provided the university with unique insight on the high-caliber design and quality execution that is required to achieve the coveted honor.

Since joining the project, HPM scoped out and managed the bidding of a separate utility and enabling works package for the building contractor, helping to bypass time-intensive utility relocations and keep the overall project schedule on track. The firm’s dedication to collaborative pre-planning and ability to deploy best practices gleaned from managing other complex projects in higher education and hospitality have enabled project partners to maintain budget efficiency and create additional value for the university.

“Our previous history in providing project management leadership on other high-profile hospitality and higher education initiatives made this an ideal fit for HPM,” said HPM President Mike Lanier. “We are honored to partner with Auburn University on building this one-of-a-kind facility, which serves as a forerunner that will inspire a new breed of food and beverage as well as hospitality-focused learning centers at college campuses across America. With so many moving parts and a variety of different work cultures, it’s imperative to have a seasoned owner’s representative that can quickly create and implement processes to keep things moving while maintaining cost efficiency for the university. We’re making steady progress on all fronts and look forward to the completion of construction next year.”

Construction on The Tony and Libba Rane Culinary Science Center began in April 2020. Auburn alumnus and Board of Trustees member Jimmy Rane helped kickstart the project with a $12 million gift dedicated to the building’s construction. The board later approved naming the facility in honor of his parents, Tony and Libba Rane.

With a presence throughout the US and with a total management portfolio value annually of $1+ billion, HPM has established itself as one of the industry’s leading program managers and owner’s representative companies. The firm’s recent notable clients and accounts include a program management contract for Airbus’ campus including the A320 and A220 assembly lines in Mobile, Alabama; an assignment to lead the site selection process, planning, design and construction of Boom Supersonic’s first manufacturing facility; project management services for several new minor league baseball ballparks and major league spring training facilities in Florida; a preconstruction services and construction administration contract for facilities owned by Regions Financial Corporation; and program management services for multiple K-12 school districts and higher education institutions throughout the South.

For more information on HPM and its services, click here.

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