Courtesy of FHDA The Foothill-De Anza Community College District plans to consolidate administrative staff in a single building.

Regular visitors to the Foothill College campus over the past few years are familiar with dust, work crews and sidewalk detours, a bustling construction boom due in large part to Measure C a $491 million bond local voters passed in 2006 to fund construction, equipment and technology in the Foothill-De Anza Community College District.

In addition to the new Physical Sciences & Engineering Center, improvements have included classroom modernization, photovoltaic system installation and circulation upgrades across the campus. One additional building, a 24,000-square-foot administrative office near parking Lot 7, is scheduled to break ground in December 2015.

The original Measure C project list included a remodel of the aging District Office Building. Upon evaluating the plan at a meeting last year, senior officials determined that it would be more cost-effective and sustainable to locate all district staff in a new building. Human resources, business services, purchasing and district foundation staff are currently dispersed in modular buildings and other locations across campus.

The high cost of fixing structural and mechanical issues in the existing District Office Building also made starting fresh a prudent option. Measure C proposed a new data center for Education Technology Services staff, but diminishing data storage needs since 2006 made moving the current ETS staff to the District Office Building a more sensible plan.

We determined that we no longer needed to build a new data center. The old District Office Building was the right size for ETS staff, said Kevin McElroy, vice chancellor of business services for the Foothill-De Anza Community College District. What weve ultimately done is flip-flopped the two projects.

McElroy noted that the new space would accommodate district and foundation needs better than the old office building and would provide a boardroom that is more accessible to the public.

According to McElroy, the district examined more than six locations on the Foothill campus before settling on Lot 7 for the new administrative building. Unlike other campus sites, the location requires limited grading, electrical and plumbing work, and is close to campus access points along Moody Road.

The Foothill-De Anza Community College District Board of Trustees authorized district staff to conduct a preliminary study in April and amended the bond project list in May. At a study session Aug. 25, the board received a series of program diagrams, building plans and conceptual renderings.

We wanted to make sure they were comfortable with our design direction, McElroy said.

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New building added to Foothill's Measure C project list

Opening Date for New Taumarunui Library Confirmed

The end is in sight for the Taumarunui library to relocate from its current Hakiaha St location to Ruapehu District Councils (RDC) head office building on Huia St.

For the past three months builders have been working at the Huia St office relocating customer services and other staff from one side of the building to the other and constructing the new library location.

RDC Community Librarian, Fiona Thomas, said that the builders have confirmed a target date of Saturday 11 October for the construction work to be finished.

After the builders move out the book shelving, desks and other things of that nature need to be installed, she said.

Last but not least all the books and computers need to be moved across which is a huge logistical challenge.

To enable this the Hakiaha St library will close for the last time on Saturday 18 October and re-open in its brand new Huia St location after Labour Day on Tuesday 28 October.

Mrs Thomas said that the relocation of the library has allowed council to have a complete re-think of how the library will operate and develop a purpose built space in a modern building.

The Hakiaha St site has certainly reached the end of its useful life as a library with the building getting very old and suffering from old building problems.

The new Huia St location will enable us to embrace new opportunities and make necessary changes in order to continue to deliver value to Ruapehu communities in the future, she said.

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Opening Date for New Taumarunui Library Confirmed

FRANKFORT Construction will begin this fall for a new two-story retail and office building in downtown Frankfort.

The Sangmeister office building will be razed to construct a new 13,166-square-foot building at 28 Kansas St., according to a news release. About 6,000 square feet will be devoted to retail and restaurants on the first floor. The same amount of space will be used for offices on the second floor.

Village board members approved details for the downtown building at a meeting Monday.

Village officials said in a news release the project will benefit Frankforts historic downtown by bringing in more quality shopping, dining and office activity.

The Francescas Restaurant Group, which is developing the building's restaurant space, plans a Mexican-themed restaurant in the building. The project's expected completion is spring 2015, with restaurant and retail shops opening in the summer.

Frankforts 1890s theme committee, plan commission and board approved project plans unanimously last spring. The villages economic development committee recommended approval of an economic incentive program, with incentives capped at $220,000.

Richard Wright of Rowhouse, Ltd, will construct the building and the Linden Group will serve as its architect.

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Construction to begin on downtown Frankfort development

80 participants to put up stalls in the exhibition for display of products

Coimbatore, September 16:

For those looking for the latest in building material, architecture and interiors, there will be no better opportunity than The Hindu Business Line-Construction, Architecture & Interiors 2014 show to be held in Coimbatore from September 19 to 21.

With growing affluence and awareness about the latest trends in construction not only within but outside India, people look for trendy and premium material and the exhibition seeks to satiate the thirst for product info among the discerning public.

The three day event, to be held at the Codissia Trade Fair Complex here, will have stalls by about 80 participants displaying products ranging from architectural materials, cement, steel, TMT bars, safety and security equipments, flooring and bathroom fittings, doors and windows, electrical products, furniture and interior products. The objective of the exhibition is to benefitprofessionals, distributors of products, architecture students and the general public.

JSW Cement Ltd, which has production capacity of about 6 million tonnes, is the title sponsor. The company takes pride in being one of the most eco-friendly cement producers in the country and says that its slag-based cement provides better strength, has lesser corrosion, is heat and water-resistant and has higher longevity.

For anybody who looks for safe-keeping of valuables, the name that comes up immediately is Godrej. Godrej Locking Solutions & Systems is one of the co-sponsors of the event. The strength of any building rests on the strength of the steel used and Kamachi Sponge & Power Corporation, known for its TMT bars used in building construction, is another co-sponsor.

With growing affordability and the urge to give the best look to ones lifetime investment which is ones own residence people are splurging money on products to make their homes the envy of others. Event co-sponsor Splendid Interior & Exterior seeks to convert this dream into reality as it deals with a wide range of imported products to deck up the entire home.

Zazzy Doors & Interiors, another co-sponsor, specialises in doors for every home or office and also offers products like furniture and modular kitchen.

K-LITE Industries, the lighting partner for the show, has a range of products for indoor/outdoor lighting that not only provide light but improve the aesthetics of the area by their sheer design elegance. The event is being organised by iads & events.

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Construction fair in Coimbatore from Friday

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Architect, builder and developer Knight Seavey is pulling a bold move in one of the softest office markets in Albuquerque metro area history by constructing an office building thats only about half pre-leased.

The 8,780-square-foot building under construction at 5110 Masthead NE in the Journal Center area has one tenant lined up, physician Robert Cutchens Albuquerque Vein & Laser Institute currently located a few blocks away.

The 4,404 square feet of vacant space in the building is marketed for lease by Martha Carpenter of Colliers International, a commercial real estate services firm.

Close to a quarter of the metros office market either was vacant or available as of the second quarter, according to Colliers. There hasnt been a new office building with spec space, or space that wasnt pre-leased, open in the metro since the first quarter of 2009, Colliers Ken Schaefer reported.

The two buildings that opened then Aperture Center at Mesa del Sol and the Fountain Hills Professional Office Buildings on the West Side have remained largely empty since hitting the market in early 2009 and are now both for sale, he said.

Seavey is optimistic about the potential lease-up of his new building, called Conejos Common, for two reasons. First is the location between Jefferson and the Interstate 25 frontage road, which he says provides excellent access. The second is its office product type.

Its going to be a more boutique project with high-quality space, he said. Were trying to deploy a new concept for office space. We can react to smaller tenants. Its a finer, more focused view. We think theres a place in the market for that.

From the outside, the buildings centerpiece is a courtyard entrance with a fountain that Seavey described as a gracious entry to get you off the parking lot and into a more protected area.

An application has been made for platinum certification through the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program. The green elements include high-performance wall and roof systems, triple-paned windows that tilt and turn, and a 25-kilowatt solar array that doubles as covered parking.

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Journal Center office gambit

Photos by Erin Roll/staff photographer

John Fromhold, CEO of HackensackUMC Mountainside, speaks to an audience of local residents, hospital staff and town officials during a community meeting Wednesday night in the hospital auditorium.

HackensackUMC Mountainside hosted a meeting with Glen Ridge residents Wednesday night to discuss the planned construction of a new medical office building.

It was the first community meeting for Glen Ridge residents on the proposed expansion, which is part of a series of capital projects that the hospital plans to carry out over the next two years.

About 40 to 50 residents were in attendance at the meeting, along with hospital staff members and town officials: Borough Administrator Michael Rohal and council members Dan Murphy and Paul Lisovicz were present.

The intention is to demolish the existing School of Nursing building, which is across Bay Avenue from the main hospital, and build a 60,000-square foot, three-story building with office space for 50 doctors in its place.

Middle - Roswell Terrace resident Genny Dunn asks a question during the meeting's question-and-answer section. Above- Glen Ridge Councilman Dan Murphy addresses the audience.

The plans are preliminary ones at this stage, hospital CEO John Fromhold said; the hospital is still working on choosing developers and working out design plans for the building, among other preparations.

Fromhold said that the new buildings and parking areas would be a source of tax revenue for Montclair and Glen Ridge. The hospital is expected to pay about $2.5 million in property taxes in 2014, he said, up from $686,725 in 2013.

"I'm leading you to the point of why a medical office building is so important here," he said.

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Glen Ridge residents hear hospital's building plans

Construction of the new Senate office building in St. Paul is moving along pretty much as planned, even as project critics pounce on it as an unwise use of taxpayer money and seek to make it an issue in the fall elections.

The city of St. Paul late last week issued two building permits for the four-story structure, which will house 67 senators and their staff members.

The permits issued to Golden Valley-based Mortenson Construction have a combined value of $9 million, including $3.5 million for site prep, shoring and utilities, and $5.5 million for footings and foundations.

Mortenson is teaming with St. Paul-based BWBR Architects on the project, which is being constructed on a former surface parking lot just north of the Capitol. The site is framed by University Avenue, Park Street, Sherburne Avenue and Capitol Boulevard.

Last month, the Minnesota Management & Budget Office announced the completion of an $85.38 million bond sale to support predesign, design and construction of the building.

The new building will provide swing space for senators while the State Capitol is undergoing a $272 million restoration. Longer term, it will house senate offices and larger rooms for legislative hearings.

Project backers say the building is necessary because of overcrowding in the Capitol; critics say its a waste of money and that other projects should take priority.

Those criticisms have made their way into political ads. GOP gubernatorial candidate Jeff Johnson, who is challenging DFL Gov. Mark Dayton this fall, has raised it as an issue in the governors race.

Funding for the project was also controversial; the project was funded as a late insert in the 2013 omnibus tax bill, which rubbed some people the wrong way.

Jim Knoblach, a former Republican state legislator, sued late last year to stop the project, saying the approval process violated the states constitution. The legal challenge ended in June when the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled that Knoblach would need to post an $11 million bond to continue the lawsuit.

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New permits issued for Senate office building project

A new Uptown office tower has landed an important business tenant.

An international family investment firm has leased the top floor of the new Frost Tower, which is being built on McKinnon Street near the south entrance to the Dallas North Tollway.

The Rochon Family Office has rented almost 9,500 square feet on the 22nd floor of the new high-rise, which will open next spring. The tenant also has an option to take additional space.

Rochon joins Frost Bank as the first tenants in the 167,000-square-foot office project being built by developer Harwood International.

John Rochon Jr. said the new Uptown location will support the family firms long-term growth. Its office is now located in Plano.

Our world headquarters is going to reflect not only what we have built over the last 25 years, but even more importantly what we are in the process of building now and for generations to come, Rochon said. We want our company to attract the very finest professional talent, especially in specialized areas such as finance and accounting.

We know that having our headquarters located in the heart of the city is tremendously appealing.

The privately held Rochon firm has holdings in multiple business interests and operates in the international market. The family is best known for Richmont Holdings and CVSL.

The company also has primary business interests based in Lucerne, Switzerland.

Rochon looked at multiple locations before picking Frost Tower.

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New Dallas office tower lands prime tenant for top floor

12th September, 2014

KOTA KINABALU: The Ministry of Finances value assessment management lab has successfully reduced the construction cost of the proposed new customs administrative building and its housing project in Sepanggar.

Deputy Finance Minister Datuk Chua Tee Yong (pictured) said The cost of the new customs building has now been slashed from RM76.6 million to RM75.9 million after being assessed by the lab.

Similarly, we have also reduced the original estimation of the housing project with three blocks of building from RM69.9 million to RM63.9 million.

The construction of the new building will start in October next month and is expected to be ready by early 2017, whilst the housing project with construction began in July this year will be ready in 2016.

The construction of the new customs building is an important project because now their office is located in a shopping complex in Tanjung Aru, he pointed out.

So in the long term, the new building will provide a conducive working environment for the customs staff, said Chua who is here on a one-day working visit and to monitor the implementation of the customs housing project and the soon to be carry out customs building.

The new housing project was carried out after the old quarters were declared unsafe and demolished, so the Ministry of Finance approved this plan to make sure the staff have a proper place to stay, said Chua.

He assured that the reduced cost would not affect the specification of the plan and the contractors also who briefed him during the visit had also given their assurance that the project would be ready on time.

As of now, the construction of the housing project had been carried out smoothly and we have achieved 6.15 per cent of the work which is ahead of schedule compared to 4.36 per cent that had been forecasted, he added.

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Ministry reduces Customs admin building construction costs

The Gutierrez Company has begun construction on a four-story office building at 4 Burlington Woods. COURTESY/ARTISTS' RENDITION

Sun staff photos can be ordered by visiting our SmugMug site.

BURLINGTON -- The Gutierrez Co. announced that it has begun construction on 4 Burlington Woods, a new 100,000-square-foot LEED-certified, first-class office building next to the Boston Marriott Burlington.

JLL has been assigned as the exclusive leasing agent for the project, which is being built on spec.

"We are confident that top-quality new construction in amenity-rich areas that allow employers to retain and attract talent will prosper. 4 Burlington Woods will be just that type of development." said Doug Fainelli, vice president of operations at The Gutierrez Company, which is also based in Burlington.

The new building will feature interconnecting stairways, floor-to-ceiling windows along the main faade, high ceilings, and energy-efficient systems. It will also 350 parking spots, including some covered parking.

The development is scheduled for completion in the first quarter 2015.

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Gutierrez begins construction of four-story building