Client: 

PSG (Prime contractor for Seattle Convention Center)

Sector: 

CM/TPA Infrastructure / Public Works

Challenge:

The $2 billion addition to the Seattle Convention Center (SCC)—a 1.5 million-square-foot expansion in downtown Seattle—required far more than traditional project management. As a large, high-profile public infrastructure investment, the project carried ambitious goals for workforce inclusion, apprenticeship utilization, and equitable contracting with women- and minority-owned business enterprises (WMBEs). Meeting these targets while navigating multiple stakeholders, trades, and contractor tiers posed significant operational and compliance challenges.

IP’s Role:

As the third-party PLA administrator for the Seattle Convention Center Addition (SCCA), Intelligent Partnerships played a pivotal role in both field-level implementation and strategic oversight. IP’s responsibilities included:

• Providing advisory services in the design of the Project Labor Agreement (PLA)
• Delivering education and support to prime and subcontractors on meeting workforce and WMBE goals
• Creating and managing compliance reporting systems to track outcomes
• Engaging job readiness programs and community partners to expand access to construction careers
• Supporting boardroom-level accountability through performance reporting and stakeholder alignment

Pillars Delivered:

• Advisory Services: PLA policy design, stakeholder education, contractor support
• Compliance Delivery: Real-time tracking of WMBE and apprenticeship targets, audit-ready documentation

Outcomes:

The project not only achieved its goals—it surpassed them:

• 34% of apprentice hours performed by minority workers (goal: 15%)
• 12% of apprentice hours performed by women (goal: 8%)
• Over 1 million hours of registered apprenticeship utilization validated
• Ongoing community and contractor engagement aligned to equity targets

This success set a new regional benchmark for how labor agreements and infrastructure investments can drive meaningful equity outcomes when backed by strong compliance systems and third-party expertise.

How Others Can Use This:

Public agencies and large developers can replicate this model to integrate labor equity goals into major capital projects through strategic third-party PLA administration.