For project nominations, include detailed information on the project results, any unique aspects of the project, budget information and funding sources, grants, partnerships, schedule data, and high-resolution photos. Attachments such as photos, charts, graphics, are strongly encouraged.
The awards are categorized in line with the equivalent National APWA Project of the Year awards. This award is intended to recognize the managing agency, consultant, architect, engineer, and contractor who, working together, completed the nominated public works projects.
The Project of the Year Award categories having an equivalent National Award include:
- Structures – to include public structure preservation/ rehabilitation, municipal buildings, bridges, facilities, parks, etc.
- Transportation– to include roads, bridges, mass transits, etc.
- Environmental– to include treatment and recycling facilities, landfills reclamation projects, water, sanitary and storm sewer, etc.
- Historical Restoration/Preservation – to include historical restoration, preservation, and adaptive reuse of existing buildings, structures, and facilities that are 75 years or older to qualify as historical.
- Disaster or Emergency Construction / Repair – to include the techniques and timing for safety, community relations, environmental protection, adverse conditions, and additional considerations.
Project of the Year Awards are further divided into these costs categories:
- Projects less than $5 million
- Projects of $5 million, but less than $25 million
- Projects of $25 million, but less than $75 million
- Projects more than $75 million
To be eligible for nomination, a project must have been “substantially completed” and available for public and/or agency use after March 12, 2023 and before the nomination deadline of September 13, 2024. If a project has multiple phases or segments, then “substantially completed” will mean the point when the final phase or segment is 90% completed and available for public and/or agency use. A project may only be nominated once for recognition as “Project of the Year” under any category.
Criteria to be used in the selection process include:
- Use of good construction management techniques and completion of the project on schedule.
- Safety performance and demonstrated awareness of the need for a good overall safety program during construction.
- Community relations as evidence by efforts to minimize public inconvenience due to construction, safety precautions to protect public lives and property, provision of observation areas, guided tours, or other means of improving relations between the agency and the public.
- Demonstrated awareness for the need to protect the environment. This includes any special considerations given to particular environmental concerns raised during the course of the project, as well as climate change and/or resiliency components for long-term community benefit.
- Unusual accomplishments under adverse conditions including, but not limited to age or condition of the facility, adverse weather, soil, or other site conditions over which there is no control.
- Additional conditions deemed of importance to the public works agency such as exceptional efforts to maintain quality control and, if value engineering is used, construction innovations as evidenced by time and/ or money saving techniques developed and/or successfully utilized.
- Use of sustainable infrastructure rating system or the equivalent such as the Envision rating system to ensure the project is sustainable.
Award winners will be forwarded onto National for National Award consideration. Only one award will be transmitted on behalf of the State Chapter, should more than one submittal be submitted for each of these categories.
For submittal to APWA National, please follow the APWA National categories, divisions, and award guidelines. See APWA Awards for additional information on submittal to National.