The HR Green Project of the Year Awards celebrate outstanding internal project teams whose work embodies our mission: Building Communities. Improving Lives. These awards recognize projects that demonstrate innovation, collaboration, exceptional client service, and strong financial performance.
Each business unit—Broadband, Construction, Land Development, Municipal Services, Transportation, and Water—submits one project per region for consideration. An internal committee then evaluates the submissions and selects a top project for each business unit. From these finalists, one is chosen as the Ultimate HR Green Project of the Year.
In the coming weeks, we’ll spotlight each winning project and the teams behind them, culminating in the announcement of the year’s top honor.
Congratulations to all the teams recognized. Your work exemplifies the impact and quality we strive to deliver every day.
Land Development Project of the Year
Congratulations to the Flying Horse Master Planning project team for receiving the 2025 Land Development Project of the Year.
Flying Horse East Phase 1 is a major mixed-use community planned near Schriever Space Force Base in El Paso County, Colorado. HR Green led the planning and engineering for the approved Sketch Plan, establishing the framework for land use, utilities, transportation, parks, open space, stormwater infrastructure, and future amenities. The project is intended to help address housing demand while bringing residential and commercial development closer to key employment centers.
The entitlement process required extensive coordination with utility providers, metropolitan districts, neighboring communities, and military stakeholders. After the project was initially recommended for denial, HR Green helped refine the application and successfully advance it to final approval by the Board of County Commissioners. The approved plan positions one of the county’s largest master-planned communities for future growth, supported by HR Green’s multidisciplinary expertise in planning, engineering, landscape architecture, and water/wastewater infrastructure.
Impressive performance by everyone involved in the project: Foysol Mahmud, Justin Green, Will Lynn, Blaine Perkins, and Richie Lyon.
Water Project of the Year
Congratulations to the Sioux Falls WRF Improvements and Expansion project team for receiving the 2025 Water Project of the Year.
The Sioux Falls Water Reclamation Facility Improvements and Expansion project is one of South Dakota’s largest public infrastructure investments, modernizing a 40-year-old facility while maintaining uninterrupted wastewater treatment service for more than 200,000 customers. The $215 million program increased treatment capacity from 21 to 30 million gallons per day through major facility expansions, process upgrades, and system modernization. HR Green provided construction observation services as part of the CMAR team, helping keep the plant fully operational throughout construction.
A key challenge was maintaining continuous operations while completing complex improvements. The team coordinated more than 130 maintenance-of-operations plans and numerous process shutdowns to safely execute the work. The project also included a major electrical system upgrade that improved reliability and resilience. The completed improvements provide capacity for future growth, protect water quality in the Big Sioux River, and strengthen critical infrastructure for Sioux Falls and surrounding communities.
Congratulations to the project team: Greg Hannestad, Terry Schlotterback, Tony Schnetter, Keith Carruthers, Jed Reimnitz, Dawn Hull, and Sam Cotter.
Municipal Services Project of the Year
Congratulations to the City of Denton project team for receiving the 2025 Municipal Services Project of the Year.
Since 2018, HR Green has supported the City of Denton with onsite facilitation and engineering review services, helping the City manage increasing development activity despite staffing and resource constraints. What began as engineering plan reviews has expanded into a staff augmentation program that now includes Fire and Solid Waste reviews, allowing the City to maintain timely, compliant review processes while meeting all statutory deadlines.
Built on a long-term partnership and a flexible service model, the program has evolved to meet changing City needs while recovering more than 90 percent of costs through applicant-paid fees. HR Green’s support includes annual joint workshops that strengthen collaboration between City and consultant staff. With expanded services, strong client satisfaction, and a financially sustainable approach, the program demonstrates how HR Green can help communities grow responsibly and efficiently.
Outstanding work by the project team: Dan Deeter, Derrik Mills, Israel Gaona, Hamid Darbandi-Fard, Shaila Avatapalli, and Karen Crowe.
Construction Project of the Year
Congratulations to the IL-59 Interchange Reconstruction at 1-55 project team for receiving the 2025 Construction Project of the Year.
The IL-59 Interchange Reconstruction at I-55 is a high-profile IDOT project that improves safety, mobility, and access in one of Illinois’ busiest corridors while supporting economic growth around the Rock Run Collection development in Joliet. HR Green provided Phase III engineering services for roadway, ramp, and interchange improvements, including conversion to a diverging diamond interchange, increasing capacity and enhancing travel for residents, commuters, and freight traffic.
Delivered on a compressed schedule, the project required extensive coordination among IDOT, contractors, utilities, public safety agencies, and local governments to maintain traffic and meet key milestones. Additional improvements included a shared-use path, noise walls, upgraded lighting and traffic signals, camera systems, safety enhancements, and landscaping. The completed interchange opened on schedule and now serves as a gateway to new residential, retail, hospitality, and economic development opportunities in Will County.
Outstanding effort from the entire project team: Kevin Berry, Michael Jereb, Mike Liszka, Mohammed Khan, Tyler Hartman, Reed Pezanoski, and Matt Janz.
Broadband Project of the Year
Congratulations to the Underline Infrastructure project team for receiving the Broadband Project of the Year.
Underline Infrastructure selected Colorado Springs for its first U.S. open-access fiber network, bringing high-speed internet to homes, businesses, and public agencies. HR Green supported Phase 2 with fiber network planning and design, GIS workflows, jurisdictional coordination, and data-driven processes that accelerated delivery and helped maintain an aggressive construction schedule.
The project also advanced HR Green’s Design Model approach by using automation and GIS-based tools to improve accuracy, reduce manual effort, and meet strict data requirements. Through close collaboration with Underline and its construction partner, HR Green established quality standards, supported right-of-way compliance, and helped build a scalable network that is delivering reliable gigabit-plus fiber service to tens of thousands of households and businesses across Colorado.
