Large-Scale, High-Profile Project Construction Impact Mitigation and Team Building

In 2010, Luz left healthcare management and dove deep into the field of construction head first onto the myriad of intricacies, geotechnical and construction impact challenges of this first of its kind innovative underground transportation project that shaped this space in Florida. Luz successfully led all external and internal communications for the nearly 1,000 direct hires of the design-build contractor Bouygues Construction, its hundreds of sub-contractors and their thousands of employees, and the numerous public and private sector project stakeholders impacted by this historic project's numerous construction activites, not the least of which was the arrival, transport, assembly and launching of its 400-ft long, 4-stories tall Tunnel Boring Machine, Harriett. The 3/4-mile underwater tunnel construction also included 5 emergency cross passages, a historic Formation Grouting program along its alignment, expansion of the MacArthur Causeway Bridge, and realignment of the entire roadway system on the Port island (Dodge). This project created nearly 7,000 jobs for the South Florida economy during its 5-year design-build, and Luz was intimately involved in the team building efforts necessary for project's timely delivery. On August 3, 2014, the team delivered Port Miami's cargo and cruise industries with the direct access in and out of the port island from the Miami highway system that community leaders first envisioned as a vital transportation need back in 1979. Read all about it by visiting Luz's Port Miami Tunnel Book at the link below.

The Fed's Miami Branch Vault Modernization Project will position this critical branch of the U.S. Economy as the largest cash operation in North America. The cash system's $200M overhaul's technical intricacies and its numerous supporting activities across the 12-acre site require an A-team.  The Fed contracted Luz to provide her strategic project development and team building expertise in developing a Project Partnering Program that creates and maintains that ideal A-team throughout the project timeline.

The City of Aventura secured the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP)'s "Resilient Florida" VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT GRANT, which aims to effectively address the impacts of flooding and sea level rise in the state.  The Planning Grant allows the City to identify and prepare to address risks of flooding by completing a Vulnerability Assessment. Managed and hosted by the City's Public Works Department, the grant requires heavy Public Outreach, the creation and management of a Steering Committee to lend expertise and feedback on the development of the assessment, and a Public Information Campaign. The City contracted Luz to develop and lead this project’s mandated Public Outreach, Steering Committee and Public Information campaign, which was launched in August 2024 and aims to be completed in 2026.  

The City of Aventura secured a grant with the U.S. Department of Transportation's Bipartisan Infracstructure Law (BIL) SAFE STREETS FOR ALL Initiative. Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) aims to prevent deaths and serious injuries on the nation's roadways. Over 1400 communities are participating in this $2.7B grant in all 50 states and P.R. covering 73% of the U.S. population.The program will make roads safe for drivers, pedestrians, byciclists and anyone using transit over the next few years, aiming for zero deaths--VISION ZERO.  The grant comprises a hefty Public Information Campaign and the development of a VISION ZERO Steering Committee. Aventura contracted Luz to develop, lead and manage this critical project’s Phase I mandated Public Outreach, Steering Committee and Public Information campaign, which was launched in 2024 and shall be completed in 2026. 

Seritage Growth Properties' South Florida portfolio included the former Sears sites of Hialeah, Doral and Aventura, and the former K-Mart site in North Miami. Since 2017, Luz has provided Seritage with successful, value-add construction impact mitigation strategies for each of these Miami-Dade county sites. Most notably, Luz has spent the bulk of her project development services on the high-profile, 6-buildings and 2 levels of underground parking across a 12-acre site, luxury outdoor retail and entertainment experience: Esplanade at Aventura, slated to open 2023.

The first shopping center in the U.S. to host only luxury brands when it opened in 1965, The Bal Harbour Shops has since maintained its own brand as the most iconic luxury shopping center destination in the U.S., attracting the majority of the world’s high-end labels.  The latest $550 million expansion plan will see the shopping center double in size, adding nearly 250,000 square feet to the open-air shopping experience. Luz is engaged with the expansion development team to mitigate underground utilities' construction.

Located in the heart of downtown Miami, the 9.1-acre, $1B Brickell City Centre (BCC) project was -at the time- the largest mixed-use development on the east coast: 2 residential towers, 2 office buildings, 1 hotel, 2 levels of underground parking and 3 levels of outdoor retail and entertainment covered by a $50M environmental "Climate Ribbon" roof that was first of its kind in the USA. BCC was Bouygues Construction building division's inaugural project in the USA, and Luz was proud to lead all internal and external communications, construction activities' impact mitigation and team building for the hundreds of subs and thousands of workers. This large-scale, high-profile, high-impact, project demanded Luz provide her strategic collaboration and joint traffic maintenance operations' skills with the many neighboring projects' contractors, permitting agencies and numerous stakeholders across the Brickell area to achieve its successful delivery to Swire Properties.  

Luz is providing this historic Virigina Department of Transportation bridge-tunnel expansion project with an Internal Branding and Team Building Project Campaign, which covers end to end development and execution of “The Connectors” - a newsletter, marketing, branding, recruitment, and retention campaign - and the Safety Sense safety campgin - to deliver smooth and timely completion of $3.8B Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel Expansion Project in VA.

Having gathered data and generated the typically 60-page monthly consturction progress report of the 5-year design-build Port Miami Tunnel Project, Luz was contracted by the Peace River Hydro Partners joint venture to provide strategic technical reviews and improvement on the monthly progress report of the massive $2B Site C Clean Energy Project located in Fort St. John, British Columbia, Canada. Recruitment and retention being a challenge on the remote site, Luz was also contracted to develop a team building program and safety campaign for the project that she dubbed "I'm Dam Safe" Campaign, which populated the entire 6,430-acre job site across the various construction activities' stations. Luz trained the Site C project managers on the campaign, and developed successful site-specific team building exercises designed to build a cohesive team across the 3-way joint venture. 

The brand new 40,000 square foot S.T.E.M. building at the iconic Ransom Everglades Preparatory School in Coconut Grove was the work of numerous construction workers, project managers, school leaders and project consultants, like Luz. Luz was contracted for and delivered upon project schedule and project budget impact mitigation strategies that ensured project success.