WJE PROJECTS

Four Winds South Bend

 
CLIENT
Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians
LOCATION
South Bend, IN

Third-Party Code Enforcement

WJE was engaged by the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians to serve as the third-party code enforcement officer for the new casino project, starting in 2015. WJE had a master agreement with the Pokagon Band to provide third-party code enforcement services for all new construction and renovation work performed at the Four Winds sites. In particular, WJE was responsible for the construction plan review, shop drawing review, and on-site construction inspections required by the adopted codes.


BACKGROUND

Four Winds South Bend is a casino complex with an attached parking garage. The one-story, 175,000-square-foot casino includes a large gaming floor, seven restaurants and bars, retail space, and a five-story open parking garage. The project also includes a central plant and warehouse building. Four Winds South Bend is the fourth casino property for the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians, with other casinos in New Buffalo, Hartford, and Dowagiac, Michigan.

SOLUTION

In addition to fire protection, the scope of services provided by WJE included disciplines of building, structural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, elevators, and civil. The project responsibilities included peer review of design drawings at major milestones during the design process to provide code-related comments. WJE was also engaged as a full-time, on-site presence during construction to review construction work and attend project meetings with a goal of identifying code-related issues as soon as possible in an effort to avoid major issues at the end of the project that could delay the opening date.

WJE reviewed test reports performed by the materials testing company for concrete, steel, soil, and spray-applied fireproofing. WJE also worked closely with the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians’ local government team—including a health inspector—and the Four Winds Casino management and construction teams during the course of the project. Additionally, WJE participated in periodic site visits with the local fire department.