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Upstate Cancer Center Completed Projection Fall, 2013

SYRACUSE -- Construction crews are hard at work installing 550 tons of steel beams at thenew Upstate CancerCenter, laying framework for the $50 million dollar project.

When it's complete, the 5-story building will serve adults and children living with cancer, and house out-patient treatments all in one place. There will be a rooftop garden, meditation rooms, and a family resource center --all additions that will help the center better serve Central New York neighbors.

Right now, the center is scattered around campus in different places. The new center will make treatment easier for patients and their doctors.

"We're going to have radiation, chemotherapy, surgical consultation all located in one building, so the doctors can be together to talk to patients, groups of patients about the best way to treat the cancer which all can be done in one location," says Leslie Kaman, Medical Director of the Upstate Cancer Center.

The target date for completion is fall of 2013.

The beams started to arrive on site Monday. Crews will work to continue installing them throughout the summer. This is the second phase of construction.

"Finally, it's going to get more exciting. People are going to begin to see this beautiful new building take shape," says Kohman.

The construction will employ about 300 people.

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Laying the Beams, Building Blocks to Upstate Cancer Center

By Bloomberg News - 2012-06-20T06:04:23Z

China Unicom (Hong Kong) Ltd. (762), the countrys second-biggest wireless carrier, will cut the price of its cheapest smartphones by 30 percent to about $110 in an effort to expand its market share as user growth slows.

China Unicom will introduce smartphones costing less than 700 yuan in China in the near future, after great success with models priced at less than 1,000 yuan ($157), President Lu Yimin told the GSMA Mobile Asia Expo in Shanghai today.

For the mass market we launched a series of promotions with 1,000-renminbi smartphones from 2010 to 2011, Lu said. In 2012, we will continue promotion measures.

China Unicom declined 3.9 percent to HK$10.40 as of 1:52 p.m. in Hong Kong trading, poised for its biggest drop since June 4.

Lu didnt provide a more specific timeframe for selling the cheaper smartphones. China Unicom currently offers handsets from Huawei Technologies Co. and ZTE Corp. (000063) costing less than 1,000 yuan each.

The Beijing-based company has introduced 235 smartphones since starting 3G service in 2009, Lu said.

The carrier added 2.73 million users to its third- generation, or 3G, service last month, China Unicom said yesterday. That was fewer than the 2.92 million additions in April, and was the lowest monthly gain since September.

To contact Bloomberg News staff for this story: Edmond Lococo in Beijing at elococo@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Michael Tighe at mtighe4@bloomberg.net

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China Unicom to Reduce Cheapest Smartphone Prices by 30%

The Molecular Engineering Building will open June 25. Photo by Alex Ho.

Featuring four floors of lab and office space specifically tailored for research needs, the new Molecular Engineering and Sciences building ended up expanding considerably on the original plans for reconstruction.

The building, home to the UW Molecular Engineering and Sciences Institute (MESI), will open its doors June 25.

The UW initially issued a bond to obtain a total of $78.5 million to fund the building. Construction began in fall 2009, at which point two and a half floors were planned to be left unfinished and completed at a later phase of construction. However, construction pricing fell as a result of the 2008 crash of the housing market, and the UW was able to save substantially. The College of Engineering then received a grant to fund the rest of the building.

Within the budget we originally had, we have been able to add a considerable amount of scope, said Steve Tatge, project manager of the UW Capital Projects and general manager of the building process. Thats why it took longer. The budget was established at the end of 2007, so pricing estimates shifted considerably.

Because the construction of laboratories is dependent upon the work done within, many factors had to be considered. The placement and design of each lab space had to meet the labs purpose. Skylights are strategically placed for each lab, and the site was chosen for its low-vibration statistics. Tatge said such features allow more sensitive research to be conducted.

There is also a room completely lined with aluminum to reduce electromagnetic interference for sensitive tests. The construction of such rooms required many tweaks, extending the building timeline. But safety permits were obtained in May, rendering the building open for furniture placement and move-ins.

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A new home for collaboration

Opus Development Corp. said it plans to erect a nine-story office building on Nicollet Mall for Xcel Energy to lease so it can expand its downtown Minneapolis headquarters.

The 212,000-square foot glass and pre-cast stone building will be built on the southeast corner of Fourth Street and Nicollet, directly across the street from Xcel's eight-story headquarters at 414 Nicollet Mall.

Xcel will be the sole tenant and use the new building to relocate about 750 employees now using leased offices about 21/2 blocks away in Marquette Plaza. Their lease expires in 2016, said Judy Poferl, president and CEO of Northern States Power-Minnesota, an Xcel company.

"This serves to get us closer and get us a more campus-like feel," Poferl

Minnetonka-based developer Opus Group announced Tuesday, June 19, 2012, that it plans to build a nine-story office building on Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis across from Xcel Energy Inc. headquarters. (Courtesy to Pioneer Press: Opus Group)

Xcel has a total of about 1,500 employees in downtown Minneapolis, including 750 at 414 Nicollet.

The utility will keep its headquarters and is considering building skyway access to the new building going up across the street.

The new building doesn't mean that Xcel is planning to add to its downtown workforce, but the company has noticed it needed additional workers when it takes on new projects, such as building transmission lines, Poferl said.

The lease for the new building will have minimal impact on the company's finances since it would have had to negotiate a lease for its employees at Marquette Plaza anyway, Poferl said.

"We believe we got favorable pricing," she said.

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New building will expand Xcel Minneapolis headquarters

By Sandy Illian Bosch sbosch@pioneerlocal.com June 19, 2012 1:58PM

Updated: June 19, 2012 5:59PM

School is out, but its a busy summer in the Gower District 62 schools.

Right now, were in the design stage, Superintendent Steve Griesbach said of the building and renovation projects made possible by an April referendum vote, when Gower voters agreed to issue $9 million worth of bonds to pay for improvements to both schools.

And while the School Board searches for the right construction manager to see the project through, other work, including renovation of the Gower West gymnasium, is under way.

We received a grant through Sen. (Jim) Durkins office, which is paying for most of the work, Griesbach said.

The $250,000 grant not only will pay for a new floor, lighting and new paint in the elementary gym, it also will pay for an interactive white board at the middle school and a new sign outside Gower Middle.

The masonry is crumbling on it, Griesbach said. The replacement, which will include an electronic message board, will cost about $30,000.

The remaining $60,000 will be used next summer, he said, to upgrade the wireless networks at both buildings.

Meanwhile, the School Board will begin interviewing potential construction managers on July 2.

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Building work begins in Gower schools

Last Updated: June 19, 2012 11:22pm ET

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The office will be across from the HQ and next to Nicollet Residences.

MINNEAPOLIS-Xcel Energy has hired Opus Development Corp. to build a new office building to hold a consolidation of spread-out employees. The energy firm has agreed to a long-term lease on the proposed 212,000-square-foot building, to be built at the southeast corner of Fourth Street and the Nicollet Mall.

The company has about 1,500 employees at its headquarters at 414 Nicollet. The new office will be built across from the HQ over a private parking ramp. Ben Fowke, chairman, president and CEO of Xcel, said in a statement that the new building will improve operating efficiency. Leasing space in this new building is a prudent, cost-effective way to consolidate our operations, meet our future space requirements and create a great environment for our employees, he said.

Opus hasnt released the cost of the build-to-suit project. The company is about to start building the 33-story Nicollet Residences apartment building next door, over the site of the former Powers Department Store. A source tells GlobeSt.com that the entire one-block project is expected to cost Opus more than $160 million to build. The company has already said the apartment tower will cost about $108 million.

Dave Menke, SVP and general manager with Opus, tells GlobeSt.com that the company will begin the new office construction in 2014 and will finish in 2016, to align with current Xcel lease expirations at smaller locations. The new building will be owned by Opus Group. Nelson Tietz & Hoye represented Xcel in the lease deal.

Menke says the Minneapolis area isnt seeing much new office development besides build-to-suit for efficiency. Most of the Minneapolis markets still need substantial fundamental improvements before we start seeing speculative development, he said. The Minneapolis office market is at about 17.5% vacant.

Categories: Midwest, Office, Development, Leasing, Minneapolis

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Xcel Signs for New Nine-Story BTS Office

Last Updated: June 20, 2012 07:19am ET

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Hines' River Point is the only large spec office in Chicago today.

CHICAGO-New construction is late. This is now the third year of the US economic recovery, and new non-residential development is traditionally supposed to trail a recovery by 18-24 months. The construction industry is still dragging feet, with only about a third of the expected jobs by this time in a recovery cycle.

There is some movement multifamily, taking advantage of the switch from home owning to renting, is seeing a lot of new starts. Theres also cranes in the air for office in the core markets of New York City, Washington, DC, San Francisco, Houston and even Seattle. But for the rest of the country, companies are still holding back on agreements to start new office buildings.

According to experts, many large markets, such as Chicago, today have the large block demand for around four new office buildings, but are seeing one building announced or nothing. In Chicago, only Hines $300 million River Point project in the River North area is moving forward, having finally closed financing with partner Ivanhoe Cambridge after a few failed starts since 2008.

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Is it Time to Start Building Office Yet?

MINNEAPOLIS, June 19, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Opus Development Corporation today announced plans to construct a nine-story, 212,000-square-foot office building on the southeast corner of Fourth Street and the Nicollet Mall. Xcel Energy, whose corporate headquarters are immediately across the street from the new building site on Nicollet Mall, will be the building's sole tenant as the company consolidates office space into a two-building downtown campus. Construction will begin in 2014, pending all necessary approvals, with occupancy in 2016.

Ben Fowke, chairman, president and CEO of Xcel Energy, said the new building will improve operating efficiency for company employees who work downtown and enhance the vitality of the downtown area. About 1,500 Xcel Energy employees are currently based at the company's 414 Nicollet headquarters and in other leased space downtown. "Downtown Minneapolis is our headquarters, and we plan to remain here for the long-term," Fowke said. "Leasing space in this new building is a prudent, cost-effective way to consolidate our operations, meet our future space requirements, and create a great environment for our employees. It also underscores our commitment to our partnership with the city and its business and community leaders to revitalize downtown Minneapolis."

"We are delighted to be working with Xcel Energy and the City of Minneapolis on this exciting development project, which will be instrumental in the continuing vitality of downtown Minneapolis and the redevelopment of the north end of the Nicollet Mall," said Dave Menke, senior vice president and general manager, Opus Development Corporation.

"The investments in transit and other amenities that we have made in downtown Minneapolis help employers attract and retain talent here, which in turn helps grow the economic engine of Minnesota," said Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak. "I thank Xcel Energy for their vote of confidence in downtown, congratulate Opus on the opportunity to redevelop this important site, and look forward to even more vitality in downtown Minneapolis."

The planned Xcel Energy office building is adjacent to the Nicollet Residences, a new high-rise apartment building that Opus Development Corporation is also developing on the adjacent site. Opus expects to begin construction on this project later this year. The new Xcel Energy site is currently a private parking ramp that was constructed in the 1960s.

Nelson Tietz & Hoye represented Xcel Energy on the lease negotiations.

Opus Design Build will be responsible for construction, and Opus AE Group will be the architect of record. The building will be owned by an affiliate of The Opus Group.

About The Opus GroupThe Opus Group is a family of national commercial real estate companies headquartered in Minneapolis, with expertise in development, project management and construction, architecture and engineering, finance, sales and leasing. The Opus Group includes Opus Holding, L.L.C. and Opus Holding, Inc. and their operating subsidiaries, Opus Development Corporation, Opus Design Build, L.L.C. and Opus AE Group, Inc. Specializing in office, industrial, retail, residential living, institutional and government projects, The Opus Group has broad capabilities, deep experience and a proven design-build model that delivers solutions for customers on time and on budget. For more information, visit http://www.opus-group.com.

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The Opus Group® Plans to Construct New Office Building on Nicollet Mall

18-06-2012 18:56 Adding a CHEAP sunroom on your home and how the home looks before, during and after. A cheap sunroom is going to look exactly like what you paid for. Here's what to expect when adding a room on your home and it is done right. All sunrooms are not built the same. Four Seasons Sunrooms are built to never leak and be comfortable year round. Extreme cold and heat but these rooms are still comforatble. Great year round living in a glass room addition. These pictures show how easy it is to add on if the project is engineered right. Looking to add a game room, family room or a home office, gym or just a room for tea, these are the rooms to add. Sun Boss has been building room additions in southern California since 1947. Sun Boss handles all phases of planning, design, drawings, engineering, permitting all the way to final construction. If you want to build a room that looks like it was always on the home check these out. A contractor that designs and builds what they design on time and on budget. Four Seasons glass additions are a great way to live outdoors....indoors. SunRoom additions and how they look on actual homes. These rooms are very sexy on the house and great for resale. If you are looking to add a room that adds and returns on investment buy a Four seasons Sunroom. Building a deck and seeking to enclose the upper deck to enjoy the views, add a four seasons Sunroom. Second story additions are a specialty of Sun Boss. San Diego homes that enjoy great views are showed ...

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Adding a CHEAP Sun Room; these aren't,but here is before during and after pics on SoCal homes. - Video

(KUTV) A Provo man is behind bars after crashing into a liquor store and his own garage.

Officers say 42-year-old Noah Rewis crashed his car into a retaining wall Monday at the State Liquor Store located at 166 South Freedom Blvd. The crash caused significant damage to both the retaining wall and Rewis vehicle. Rewis fled the scene.

Provo Officers were able to follow skid marks from the suspects vehicle to a home in the area of 400 North and 1000 West where they found that the same driver had driven up over the sidewalk and into the backyard of the home.

Officers determined the suspect drove into the backyard where he struck a tree and then drove into the front yard, where he drove over a rose bush.

The driver again fled the scene before police arrived.

After speaking with nearby construction workers who saw the suspects car, police were able to track down Rewis to his home a few blocks away.

They found the vehicle sticking out of the garage Rewis had apparently attempted to drive into the garage while the door was down.

Police arrested Rewis and charged him with leaving the scene of an accident and driving under the influence.

(Copyright 2012 Sinclair Broadcasting Group.) Provo Man Drives Into Liquor Store Wall, Backyard, And Garage

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Provo Man Drives Into Liquor Store Wall, Backyard, And Garage