Sometimes it's nice to get a pat on the back.

Especially when it comes from the owners at Compuware, sponsors of one of the largest single construction projects in the state in the last few years and the centerpiece structure for the hoped-for revival of downtown Detroit.

"Your people were great during construction," said Larry Fees, Compuware's vice president of facilities and administration, who headed up the company's construction team. "The people at (construction manager) Walbridge-Aldinger were always talking about how great the job was going. The safety record was wonderful and the work has been wonderful. You have some great people working for you. They weren't our employees, but I'm proud of the work they did."

The 16-story, $350 million Compuware headquarters building is substantially complete, although 200-300 Hardhats will continue to work on the premises through the end of the year, working mainly at night. At peak employment, up to 1,200 construction workers toiled on the project, which began in early 2001.

Compuware employees have fully occupied all the floors, even though some areas are unfinished. Eventually, 4,100 Compuware employees will work in the building.

The 1.1 million square-foot building includes a theatre for training, a day-care facility, a cafeteria, and of course offices - lots and lots of beautifully appointed office space.

"It was a fast-track project, and everybody was cranking for months," Fees said. "Now that we're taking occupancy, the construction workers are in areas that had a low priority."

Fees said the construction and occupancy went so fast that there was little time to test the heating and electrical systems. The building creates a minimal amount of mechanical heat - much of the interior space is heated by the extensive electronic equipment in the building - so a proper balance is being found. He compared the current situation in the building to the "shakedown cruise" of a ship, as part of the process of working the bugs out.

He said there are similarities between software development - Compuware's primary business concern - and constructing a building. "There's a certain amount of solitary work that's required in software development, but you need a team of people to get the product finished," Fees said.

Greater Detroit Building Trades Council Secretary-Treasurer Patrick Devlin said the increased planning and communication between the "three-legged stool" of owners, contractors and labor creates a better construction process for everyone.

"The people at Compuware were deeply involved with the design, planning and construction process of their building," Devlin said. "That's not always the case with a lot of owners, but it's happening more and more, and I can't help but believe it's a positive thing. Compuware now has an understanding of what our tradespeople do and what contractors like Walbridge-Aldinger go through in order to get the job done.

"And as the job nears completion, it's no surprise that they're happy with the result. We have a lot of talented craftspeople."

The Compuware headquarters building.