By Seth Daniel
There are few things that would have brought long-time construction manager Peter Campot out of retirement, but one of them was the chance to work on the Wynn Boston Harbor building.
The longtime health care and sciences construction manager at William A. Barry & Son – who also participated in the master planning for the Boston 2024 Olympic bid – has now assumed an extended role of director of construction with the Wynn team. While he came on the project out of retirement in 2015, the departure of Chris Gordon for Wynn Las Vegas projects overseas has given him an opportunity to take control of the construction site in Everett.
He assumed his expanded role at the Wynn Boston Harbor site this spring.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” he said as to why he came out of retirement to work for Wynn. “It’s truly a unique project and the challenge of it was enticing. It’s not just the size of the project; it’s the quality of construction we’re building and the time frame. The logistics are incredible. Deep down, I’m a planner and this project is all about planning.”
Part of that challenge is that there have been few projects like Wynn Boston Harbor in the Greater Boston area. The environmental work, he said, is like something he’s never seen. The construction pace is a marvel and the quality expected by the Wynn organization is unparalleled in this market. All of that adds up to a busy day every day.
With 30 or 40 major trades on site, planning and coordination is something Campot said is job one.
“You’re really making sure every player on the project has what they need to succeed,” he said. “What’s really big is to be able to adapt to a quickly changing environment. The reason planning is so important is if you have a high-quality plan, you can adapt it as needed. In our business, you have to adapt every day.”
Part of being ready for anything, he said, is by starting every day with a walk-around of the site at 6:30 a.m.
“The number one thing I’m looking for is safety,” he said. “The number two is trying to make sure work is progressing as it need to. Number three is looking for any potential problem areas.”
The former Marine said they now have 800 workers on site, and need to have 1,000 on site by the end of the year to keep on track. Right now, they spend about $2 million per day on the project, but that number – like the workers – has to increase to $3 million per day.
“We are right on schedule,” he said. “Some items might be ahead, and some might be a little behind, but we are on schedule. I do wake up, and look forward to coming to work every day. It’s exciting. You never get tired of it. It goes so fast and the pace is incredible. Progress is tangible every single day.”