Portfolio
Serving public and private clients across Texas
Parra & Co was engaged by HEB to perform the Engineering Design of their Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) for the upcoming Austin 33 store. This includes providing a Preliminary Engineering Report and Irrigation Field Design related services.
During Phase I of this project, the Parra & Co team researched the site with the intent of providing a conceptual sizing of the drip field for a 14,000 gpd
on site WWTP that will serve the new HEB store and produce our Preliminary Engineering Report (PER). This PER included a comparison between a conventional activated sludge system and a secuence match reactor that complies with the existing Texas Land Application Permit. (TLAP)
During phase II, Parra & Co is providing the performance specifications and Construction Documents for the WWTP system and irrigation field. Moreover, our team will provide assistance with permitting, construction inspection, startup, and post-construction/warranty.
Parra & Co received approval of the system from TCEQ in October 2021.
A sustainable project that consisted of transforming the old 19th hole officers’ air force base lounge into a 4,000+ sq ft restaurant and bar at the Greenlinepark of Brooks.
Parra & Co provided Project Management services, along with Civil Engineering, Permitting, and Construction Administration for the Urbanika Group. The Architect was Gomez Vazquez International (GVI) Within Civil Engineering we provided: Tree & Topographic survey, utility plan, fire protection site plan, grading & drainage plan, rezoning process, as well as mechanical, electric, and plumbing services.
The team focused on providing sustainable solutions within the project’s budget, incorporating a low impact development throughout the design, including bioswales and rainwater harvesting tanks. The project is also connected to the recycled water network of the San Antonio Water System for Sustainable irrigation. Parra & Co continues to provide construction observation as the project further develops.
Aster Development created their first project in San Antonio as four town homes in the historic Tobin Hills neighborhood. The Architect was Architectura SA. Our Parra & Co team from brief research noticed that the property had a very old plat that needed to be checked with the City, since it might be deemed antiquated.
The project consisted of developing four townhomes in the Tobin Hill Historic Neighborhood and was approved as a 3-story multifamily structure. Our team received survey, site plan and Geotech report from the architects.
Parra & Co provided Site Civil Construction Documents (SWMP, Traffic Impact Analysis [TIA] worksheet, Site Utility Plan, Site Plan, Grading Plan, Drainage Plan, Fire Protection Plan, Pavement Plan and SWPPP), CPS Coordination, Stormwater Management Plan/Drainage Report and Construction Phase services.
Per request of the historical commission, this project featured a pervious pavement driveway.
Parra & Co in collaboration with Able City and the Diocese of Laredo assisted on the rehabilitation and plaza improvements as part of the San Agustin Plaza Masterplan.
In 2014, the team began to assess, restore, rehabilitate, and improve Laredo’s most recognizable historic structure, which was built in 1872. The focus on the building itself was broadened to include the transitional spaces or plazas to the west and south of the tower. These plazas play a critical role in the experience of the Cathedral’s visitors, and to the urban life playing out in the city around it.
Our design balances the public nature of the plaza and gardens with the need to provide contemplative spaces for religions functions. Civil Engineering was completed in 2020 and the construction was finalized in 2021.
Project MEND is a San Antonio based non-profit that for nearly 30 years has focused on transforming lives of those living with disabilities and illness by providing donated, refurbished medical equipment and assistive technology to those unable to obtain it on their own. Currently customers need to see their caseworkers in Project MEND’S office, then travel (usually in public transportation) to the warehouse to pick up the equipment. To continue its mission with improved customer access, Project MEND has constructed a new headquarters and fulfillment center that co-locates the warehouse and offices together, improving the client experience, and creating the largest medical equipment re-use facility in Texas.
With a total of 15,000 sqft the new facility is composed of 4,000 sqft of office and conference rooms, and 11,000 sqft of warehouse. The building also supports significant outdoor seating and activity areas that are symbolic of Project MEND’s desire to welcome community and clients in. This project used the traditional design-bid-build method. The project was funded by an array of generous donors in San Antonio, TX, as well as CDBG funding through the City of San Antonio and Bexar County. The Parra & Co team acts as the owner’s representative, an external third party under Project MEND to help guide the successful delivery of the project. Our goal has been to help plan, monitor, and control the overall project while serving as a liaison between Project MEND, Overland Partners (Architect), and the contractor.
Parra & Co co-developed an over-arching Project Management Plan (PMP) with the Architect and the Owner that provides budget and schedule management, progress monitoring, and quality program compliance. It also forms the basis for formal reporting of project progress and status to Project MEND. As such, even on Task Orders of limited scale and complexity, the PMP forms the basis for monitoring and managing the work. Our primary goal from the start has been to assist the owner in delivering a project that is within scope, budget and on schedule, while creating a harmonious experience for all of the project team members. This effort concludes with a ribbon cutting and grand opening ceremony on March 2nd, 2022.
Engaged by the land/project owner for the Qubes Student Residences, Parra & Co acts as the owner’s Advisor and Construction Administrator for this $4M
project.
The eco-friendly project, currently under construction, consists of 42 units made of 40 ft shipping containers, in a series of three-story buildings. A steel structure
provides connection to the student’s common area. This is the only project of iits kind around the University of Texas’ campus, expected to provide one unit per student at an incredibly competitive cost for the usual shared apartment.
Parra & Co is the liaison between the owner, project team, and contractor (Comma Underground). Our team has advised the owner to maintain the same design team for the construction phase. Parra & Co also secured the necessary permits from the City of San Antonio, SAWS and CPS for the owner.
Parra & Co’s scope of work included:
- Monthly construction progress report for the owner and bank
- Create / Administer the project schedule
- Serve as liaison between the contractor, owner, and design team
- Daily job site construction inspection
- Special construction visits when concrete is scheduled to be poured
- Permitting assistance (City of San Antonio, SAWS, and CPS)
The Rural Economic Assistance League (REAL) currently provides bus service encompassing the counties of Aransas, Jim Wells, Brooks, Live Oak, Duval, Refugio, San Patricio, and Bee in South Texas. Real has a ridership of over 200,000 passengers per year, with a fleet of 66 vehicles. Current facilities are udated, and with the continued growth, they have become out of capacity. REAL is planning a new Multimodal Facility in Alice, TX, replacing the current one.
Parra & Co, after a successful completion of the project’s Phase 1 (Proposed Masterplan review), was engaged by Able City once more to provide Civil Engineering services for Phase 2 of the project, as now the funds for the facility have been secured.
The proposed facility includes a 16,964 sq ft Administration Building and a 11,589 sq ft Maintenance Building. The facility will include parking for 120 vehicles, 82 busses, and 22 bicycles.
Parra & Co received the Conceptual Design for the Proposed Facility from the Architect (Able City), and prepared the Site Civil Construction Documents, Stormwater Management Plan, and a Hydrology Report, including the detention basin design. For the Utility Plan, Parra & Co is designing a water line extension.
Parra & Co was engaged by the City of Laredo to prepare a TIGER Grant Application ($12.75M) to be used towards the development of the new Operations & Maintenance Facility of El Metro ($25.7M), located at the intersection of Jacaman and Barlett. Our team prepared a Conceptual Phasing Plan, dividing the proposed facility into 2 phases, as well as potential Cost Reduction and created a Phasing Plan for the overall facility in order to lower costs of phase 1. Using the data provided by El Metro, we obtained a projected cost estimate for the following year. (2017)
Parra & Co wrote the TIGER application on behalf of the City of Laredo and El Metro and tied the application into the City’s comprehensive plan and its coming updates. While this application was not funded, the package was re-purposed and submitted under the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) 5339(b) Discretionary Grant Program in FY16. This submission yielded a $9,875,083 FTA grant award for the construction of the new facility.
As the City was concerned the cash from the grant award may not be readily available, a revised facility plan needed to be considered in order to accommodate a reduced total project budget. The Parra & Co team prepared a scope of work to assist the City in the execution of the grant within the TrAMS system to include concurrence from FTA Region VI in a manner that projected all local investment in the project and maximized the use of the federal funding available.
This project allowed the adjustment of the City’s application according to the reduced amount received by the FTA, the potential land value increase for the facility, and the available matching funds from the City to obtain preliminary approval from FTA to move forward.
Parra & Co provided Project Management and direction between the City of Laredo, El Metro Transit, Google, and the sub-consultant team. Along with the team, Parra & Co provided data creation and formatting services to prepare the GTFS files submitted to Google. Formatting was provided in accordance with Google’s GTFS specifications.
El Metro Transit provides bus service in the City of Laredo, TX. The goal was to have all 22 El Metro Transit Laredo routes schedules available in Google Transit. (Google maps and navigation apps.)
For final delivery, Parra & Co visited with El Metro Transit staff to collect current routes/stops, prepared the schedule, and stops data (GTFS format), and assisted in communications and submittal to Google.
Parra & Co, in collaboration with the City of Laredo and the South Laredo Wastewater Treatment Plant staff, developed an Operations & Maintenance Manual that fulfilled the requirements listed on the Texas Administrative Code Title 30, Part 1 Chapter 217, Sub-chapter A, Rule §217.16.
Based on the background information provided by the City of Laredo, (Preliminary Engineering Report, equipment manufacturer’s manuals, SCADA manual, Emergency Response Plan, Risk Management Plan, Hazardous Mitigation plans, as-built drawings, applicable change orders, applicable communication letters, and any other necessary information) Parra & Co segmented the process into logical sub-units.
Examples of these sub-units being the normal start-up, routine, emergency, and shutdown procedures for the aeration basins (including the basins themselves); the diffusers, blowers, and power control systems, along with the hydraulic, air valves and piping associated with the basins. Similarly, the procedures for the
clarifiers would include the RAS, WAS and scum pumps associated with the clarifiers along with any instruments, power, and controls.
These manuals were also delivered in a searchable pdf format for ease of use for the operators. Further, the Parra & Co team was comprised of engineers and operators, creating a final product that was technically accurate and easy to use.
As the City of Mercedes had been engaging the services of a third-party operator to run the Water Treatment Plant, the City wanted to understand what level of effort was required for them to take on that responsibility. The first step for that was to perform a Due Diligence Study that analyzed where the City was at in that moment, what gaps existed, and what impact it would have on the City to transfer the duties to a City-run Utilities Department.
Parra & Co was engaged to perform the Due Diligence Study, as a sub-consultant to RGBE. Our team started with a 2–3-day site visits to obtain a proper inventory assessment of: list of all fixed assets for the utility, Water Treatment Plant data (stats, figures, records, etc.), Wastewater Treatment Plant information, collect any/all assessments and analysis performed to date, current Chart of Accounts, amount of payments for Utility Operations for the last three years, record of Lift Stations, record of all vehicles, all designated equipment, miscellaneous equipment & machinery, and all technical components (computers, laptops, communication equipment, etc.)
Our team also requested utility bills (electricity, water, gas, phone, internet, etc.), copy of any maintenance / operations agreement separate from the Main Operations Contract (already provided) paid directly by the city, and current job classifications, job descriptions and pay ranges. Parra & Co’s Due Diligence Study provided recommendations on: Estimate number of staff needed to run current facilities, Conceptual Chart of Accounts, Draft Organizational Chart for Utilities,
necessary Minimum Qualifications for new staff, commentary on the need of a separate Department of Utilities or a Combined Public Works/Utilities Department, Proposed Implementation Timeline, Conceptual Budget, Commentary on Levels of Operation & Quality Control, and Commentary on Assumed Risk.
Parra & Co also assisted a Workshop with the City of Mercedes to go over additional questions/changes to the report and found potential estimated savings in the order of $300,000 per year without increasing the city’s risk
Brooks is a 1,300-acre mixed use community in San Antonio, TX. It is owned and managed by the Brooks Development Authority (BDA) as a public-private partnership to redevelop the former Brooks Air Force Base.
Parra & Co, as a sub-consultant of Overland Partners (Lead Architect / Master planner) partook on creating the new Masterplan that would establish in detail the sustainable development of Brooks. Parra & Co served as the Project Manager for this master plan.
The main goal for this project was to find the highest and best use for each parcel of land, while establishing connectivity and promoting low impact development for the area.
Scope of work for Parra & Co included:
- Providing single point-of-contact for the client
- Minority goal tracking and consideration
- Integrating a cross-functional group of consultants and sub-consultants
- Development and tracking of schedule and milestone list
- Providing meeting agendas and minutes
- Briefing BDS
- Assist in developing a project baseline that may be used for subsequent project evaluations
- Integrated change control
- Coordination with City of San Antonio, San Antonio River Authority, as well as other stakeholders and partnering agencies
- Research and comment on Smart Cities Guidelines applicable to Brooks
- Research and comment on Sustainability Design Guidelines to serve as a base for development
Engaged by a private developer, Parra & Co is in charge of the Civil Engineering, Project Management and Construction Administration of a 50-acre parcel near
Tomball, TX in Harris County.
A project that presents itself with two constraints: an active fault line and two gas pipeline easements, but nothing our team cannot handle. Parra & Co designed the master plan and preliminary engineering for one public street, water supply and wastewater connection, a detention pond, and a storm sewer in the main road.
Our team is also prepared the property’s plat and further subdividing it into macro-lots. The site is master planned as a mixed-use community with a boutique hotel, retail & office space, multi-family, and single-family development.
Parra & Co also worked on Platting, Site Plan, Master Grading plan, Utility plan, Drainage Mitigation plan, Stormwater Lift Station plan, Fire Lane, Utility Extensions, Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP), Stormwater Quality Management Plant (SWQMP), Agency Coordination (TxDOT, Harris County, Two easement owners).