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ST. PAUL, Minn. (WCCO) An expensive office building for lawmakers at the Capitol is facing new scrutiny

The four-story glass, steel and stone complex would sit across the street from the Capitol, and include offices for 45 of Minnesotas 67 state senators.

But the cost and design are raising eyebrows, even from supporters like Gov. Mark Dayton, who called the project overly lavish.

If you ask me does there need to be a building, I would say Yes, Dayton said. I think the one thats portrayed now with the glass facing and some of the other design features is un-Minnesotan.

The plans call for a quick build schedule during a three-year State Capitol renovation. It will add more offices and hearing rooms near the Capitol, where open spaces are crowded and public lines often stretch down the hallways.

But critics, including GOP gubernatorial candidate Marty Seifert, say it was all hidden inside a major tax bill last year, and its now a major campaign issue in the 2014 governors race.

So now were going to put a $90-million building together for 40 some senators? It makes absolutely no sense, Seifert said.

The original design of the building included a fitness center and reflecting pool, but they were eliminated after a public outcry.

Read the rest here:
New Senate Office Building Sparks Controversy

Richardson, TX (PRWEB) March 20, 2014

On Wednesday morning, March 19, a Topping Out Ceremony was held at the site of the new Forest Park Medical Center Southlake Medical Office Building, signifying that the final height of the new building has been reached.

The project, developed by LandPlan Development and Neal Richards Group, is situated on a 2.645 acre site, adjoining the existing Forest Park Medical Center in Southlake.

The medical office building is a 4-story, 88,159 square foot building, including a grand entrance atrium, elevator core, and shell space for future clinic tenants. The new medical office building was designed by GSR Andrade to maximize the aesthetic balance of the campus by utilizing a stone veneer which matches the existing hospitals exterior finish (see attached rendering).

A two-story enclosed connector joins the new MOB with the existing Forest Park Medical Center Southlake hospital, completed by Adolfson & Peterson (A&P) in April 2013.

LandPlan Developments Director Reed Williams helped to provide the context for this event: Everything that we build here today is a lasting monument to healing that is going to touch and impact the lives of patients for generations to come. This isnt a 10 year or 20 year building; this is a 50 or 100 year building thats made to last.

With the construction of the Southlake MOB facility, A&P proudly continues its strong partnership with Forest Park Medical Center, LandPlan Development Corporation, and Neal Richards Group. Over the past six years, A&P has partnered with Forest Park Medical Center on multiple projects including Forest Park Medical Center Dallas, Forest Park Medical Center Southlake and Forest Park Medical Center Austin. In all, A&P has partnered with FPMC to build nearly one million square feet of hospitals and medical office space throughout Texas.

The FPMC Southlake MOB project is scheduled to be completed in August of 2014.

About Adolfson & Peterson Construction

Adolfson & Peterson Construction is a U.S.-based, privately held firm that is consistently ranked among the top 50 construction management companies in the nation. Founded in 1946, the company has built longstanding commitments to the regions in which it operates and is known nationally for its innovative and collaborative approaches within the building industry. A&P serves the education, multifamily, healthcare, energy, commercial, municipal, and senior living market segments from its offices in the Atlantic, Gulf States, Midwest, Mountain States, Pacific Northwest, Southwest, and West Coast regions. For more information, visit http://www.a-p.com and follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.

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A&P Celebrates Topping Out of Forest Park Medical Center Southlake Medical Office Building

by Sharon Kong, sharonkong@theborneopost.com. Posted on March 21, 2014, Friday

KUCHING: The occupancy rate for the office sector in Kuching remains stable and high, says CH William Talhar Wong & Yeo Sdn Bhd (WTWY), thanks to government monitoring.

WTWY in its Sarawak Property Bulletin said the supply of offices in Kuching has always been well monitored by the state government, leading occupancy rate for this sector to remain generally stable and high at above 90 per cent.

Most vacant spaces are being occupied by the government and its subsidiaries, it highlighted. In fact, it is mostly government-linked entities who have been more active in Kuchings private commercial office buildings sector.

WTWY pointed out two buildings known as Gateway Towers were simultaneously launched in August 2013 to house the headquarters for the Sarawak Economic Development Corporation (SEDC) and the Land Custody and Development Authority (LCDA), both government-linked entities.

Another government-linked building, called Baitul Makmur 2, is now being planned as a second building to be annexed to the existing Baitul Makmur at Bukit Siol area in Petra Jaya and is expected to be constructed in the near future.

Apart from these, WTWY believed there was no other known private commercial office building coming up in Kuching for the next year or so.

Office sector development is not a popular foray for local developers who prefer to stick to the mainstream sector of residential and commercial sale of large commercial space is doubtful since most large corporations are based in the peninsula and rentals are low and stagnant, it explained.

Speaking of rental yields, WTWY noted that it remains low at five to six per cent per annum with rental rates stagnated at about RM2.80 to RM3.00 per square foot (psf) or so.

As in the previous year, there was no purpose-built office building being transacted for 2013, it added.

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Occupancy rate for Kuchings office sector remains stable WTWY

VANCOUVER In 1910, the Dominion Building at 207 West Hastings opened as Vancouvers first commercial highrise, and its still functioning as an office building today. It was the tallest building in the British Empire at the time.

Many similar early office buildings, a few stories high, built around the turn of the 20th century, have come down to make way for taller ones. But others remain, granted extended life by heritage status and major upgrades, and by tenants who prefer the unique working atmosphere those buildings offer.

If you are working in a nice wood-and-brick building with large windows, says Eugen Klein, a commercial real estate broker and principal of the Klein Group at Royal LePage, it feels soft. You have this sensation of being in a building that is sort of a staple. When your customers come in, they feel the longevity of the business, they feel these human touches.

Some of those old brick office buildings in Gastown, in Yaletown, have excellent life in them, he says. If you go to other parts of the world London, Vienna their buildings are 400 years old, with old brick and solid construction. Those are still very functional.

Because Vancouvers mid-size older office buildings are cheaper to lease than their newer highrise neighbours, they serve an important function in the economy of downtown, says Lonnie Neufeld, an appraiser and consultant at Burgess, Cawley, Sullivan and Associates.

If those smaller office buildings came down, he says, those tenants cant be in the downtown core any more. For example, the Vancouver Block on Granville they have things like physiotherapists in there, they have a hair salon, a lot of small mining firms.

At the low end, tenants in those buildings might pay between $15 and $25 per square foot plus operational costs, whereas space in a newer tower can cost up to $70.

But at the same time those older, smaller buildings are sitting on prime development property, so owners and developers have to weigh all the costs and benefits of demolition and re-construction, including the state of the office space market and whether the site would run afoul of one of the 18 city-designated view corridors that criss-cross downtown Vancouver.

Klein says the next generation of office buildings, taller towers built in the 1960s, 70s, and 80s, tend to have a lower standard of construction.

They were not built to the same level. They are very cookie-cutter, the spaces feel very plastic, its just a box. They are harder to rent. Tenants dont want to spend money on those, and so they can only compete by cheapening the rent.

See the rest here:
Vancouver office buildings share their storied past with a dynamic present

Gov. Mark Dayton's first public appearance since hip surgery

Gov. Mark Dayton makes his first public appearance in more than a month on Tuesday, March 18, 2014. His second body cast since a Feb. 10 hip surgery was removed this week and he used his first news conference to blast fellow Democratic Senate leaders for holding up a tax bill until they got a new Senate building approved. (Forum News Service photo by Don Davis)

ST. PAUL Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton on Tuesday used his first public appearance since Feb. 8 to accuse fellow Democrats who lead the Senate of stalling a tax-cut bill until they won approval for a new Senate office building.

An hour and a half later, Senate Majority Leader Tom Bakk of Cook and Tax Chairman Rod Skoe of Clearbrook showed off a tax bill they hope senators pass Thursday, without a building agreement. They denied that Daytons comments changed their plans.

Dayton, who has been in a body cast since Feb. 10 hip surgery, walked to a podium aided by crutches Tuesday afternoon and began to rip Bakk for telling him and House Democratic leaders that he would not allow a tax bill to pass until the House rules committee approves a new Senate building.

Im very, very, very disappointed they would not pass a bill, Dayton said.

The House passed a $500 million tax cut March 6. It would stop three sales taxes businesses pay as well as conform to federal tax laws.

Dayton and Revenue Commissioner Myron Frans said that tax cuts needed to be finished by today or Minnesotans would struggle to get tax breaks that come from matching state and federal laws.

Skoe had been saying that senators wanted more time to investigate implications of various tax provisions, and they would wrap up a bill by months end.

Democratic and Republicans senators must agree to suspend Senate rules before the Thursday vote will occur.

See the rest here:
Minnesota Senate tax bill arrives after Dayton accuses fellow Democrats of stalling

Share ! Waterfront Artisan Incubator and Technology Centre project complete

LITTLE CURRENTThe Northeast Town municipal office officially moved into its new location in the Little Current Post Office building on Water Street earlier this week as the renovations to the office concluded along with the new Waterfront Artisan Incubator and Technology Centre.

We are very pleased with how the building has been developed, town CAO Dave Williamson told The Expositor on Monday. We are now occupying the space, but there are still a few things to finish off and we are still moving things over from the old office.

Though the project was slated for completion three months ago, Mr. Williamson said that staff is still pleased, despite the delays, at the overall look of the new facilities and that the delays did not come with any increased costs.

The employees are adjusting to the new officeeveryone is very happy having more space, said Mr. Williamson, noting that all town managers now have their own individual offices.

As for the Waterfront Artisan Incubator and Technology Centre, the new space will serve a double purpose, as both the centre and the Northeast Towns new council chambers (council meetings were formerly held in the Lions Den at the Northeast Town recreation centre).

The focus of the project was really the artisan incubator and technology centre, explained Mr. Williamson. It is a beautiful gallery space with lots of natural light, track lighting and a gallery hanging system.

The centre also features its own entrance (separate from the town offices), washroom and kitchenette.

It will provide a venue to the Island community to stay connected with the world interactively through DSL Internet, smart boards and an interactive business space, while also serving as an open space for the Islands artistic community to showcase work, hold shows and workshops.

There will be limited costs for artists wanting to utilize the space initially, continued Mr. Williamson. We really want to develop the space and promote and foster local art. From an economic development angle, we are really working towards developing that sector, not just for Little Current, but for artists from all across Manitoulin and the region.

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Northeast Town municipal office moves into Little Current Post Office

Almost exactly a year after the laying of the foundation stone, PwC Hungary has moved into its new office located in Budapests impressive Eiffel Palace. As a result of the 2013 renovation, the facade has been restored according to the original plans from 1893. The buildings interior structure has been redesigned according to the highest 21st-century technical and sustainability requirements. The office building meets both the BREEAM and LEED international standards for the design and operation of green buildings with excellent results.

"We have left our Wesselnyi utca office after fifteen years, and moved into a new high-quality headquarters in the Eiffel Palace at 78 Bajcsy-Zsilinszky t, which meets todays environmental aspirations. The buildings impressive history and innovative redesign are perfectly in line with PwCs values: it represents a balance between tradition and modernity, and serves as an outstanding example of responsible and sustainable business, says Nick Ks, PwC Hungarys Country Managing Partner.

A building reborn

As a result of the 2013 renovation, the facade has been restored according to the original plans from 1893. The buildings internal structure has been created according to the highest 21st-century technical and sustainability requirements based on the designs of Ybl prize-winning architect Andrs Gelesz.

Real-estate development firm Horizon Development has devoted a great deal of attention to restoring elements of special architectural significance and aesthetic value, while preserving the original grandeur and integrity of the building. In addition to the facade, the breathtaking wrought iron structures of the internal court yard and the main staircase originally planned by Gustav Eiffels architectural office have also been rebuilt in their original form and location, and serve as the jewel in the crown of the building.

The foundation stone of the Eiffel Palace was laid in March 2013. Construction, carried out by DVM Group, was completed by the end of last year. The Eiffel Palace is the first office development project in Eastern Central Europe to meet the strict requirements of both the BREEAM and LEED environmental standards with excellent results.

Previous attempts at making use of this well-situated property have not been successful. By restoring the building to its former glory downtown Budapest has been enriched with a modern, eco-friendly office building. We are proud to be able to come to work at this historic building every day, and of the contribution this project has made to enriching the city and the neighborhood, Nick Ks added.

About the Eiffel Palace

The five-story building, situated at 78 Bajcsy-Zsilinszky t, whose facade overlooks three streets, was built in 1893 based on the plans of Flris Korb and Klmn Giergl on behalf of the Lgrdy brothers to house the editorial offices and printing house of Pesti Hrlap, one of Budapests most important daily newspapers. The stories above the editorial offices and the printing house were used for residential purposes, creating a functional complexity that made the building different from all other buildings of a similar size in Budapest. Its significance was also marked by its ornamental appearance; its sizeable and richly embellished facade topped with a high tower formed a prominent corner of the area in front of Nyugati Railway Station. Unfortunately, the corner tower was destroyed during the last century, leaving the roof structure featureless.

Thanks to the extraordinary renovation work, the exterior of the building has regained its original look; however, its interiors and technical structure were designed according to the highest standards. The special details of unique architectural and aesthetic value have been completely restored.

Continue reading here:
PwC moves into new office building

VALPARAISO | Porter CountyPlan Commission Executive Director Robert Thompson said his office is unable to locate the original permits issued for the construction of Porter Regional Hospital and the nearby medical office building.

He declined comment, cited the ongoing FBI investigation into county government. His office hadreleased at least two different replacement versions of the permit for the medical office building, each with a different owners listed.

The earlier of the two versions, issued Jan. 31, 2012, lists the owner of the building as Porter Hospital.A copy provided by the office last week lists the owner as TST Porter. Both copies have the same permit number and issue date of Sept. 27, 2011, but the copy identifying TST as owners adds a completion date of Sept. 4, 2012.

The address listed on the latter permit for TST matches that of The Sanders Trust, a realty firm in Birmingham, Ala., identified recently by Porter County Councilman Jim Biggs, R-1st, as the owner of the building.

He and Council President Dan Whitten, D-at large, have said they believe a 10-year tax abatement granted by the County Council in 2009 should not be extended to the medical office building because it is not owned by hospital.

The building permit for the medical offices and the nearby hospital were the focus of recent by the FBI, Thompson previously said. Agents showed up March 7 and March 10 seeking copies of the building permits in question, he said.

Hospital officials declined comment. Porter County Assessor Jon Snyder also declined comment.

While there has been a lot of attention on the hospital not owning the medical office building, that information should have come as no revelation to county officials.

Jonathan Nalli, who stepped down recently as chief executive officer at Porter Health Care System, told the County Council when asked in July 2011 he did not consider the office building as part of the tax abatement granted to the hospital.

"That's actually not a project of Porter Health System," he said at the time, according to the meeting minutes. "We are leasing the grounds to a development company that we're working closely with for that project."

Read more from the original source:
Original hospital building permits are missing

Originally Published: March 16, 2014 8:00 AMModified: March 16, 2014 8:47 PM

COURTESY OF ETKIN LLC

Etkin LLC plans to build Victor East along I-275.

Large office/flex real estate projects in the western suburbs of Wayne and Oakland counties:

100,000 square feet for a University of Michigan outpatient care facility on the northeast corner of Seven Mile and Haggerty roads in Northville Township Developer: Schostak Bros. & Co., Livonia. Cost: $39 million. Status: Under construction, opening in July

54,000 square feet of office/flex space at Seven Mile Road and Victor Parkway at Victor East in Livonia. Developer: Etkin LLC, Southfield. Cost: $8.5 million. Status: Seeking tenants

Two buildings, one of 50,000 square feet of flex space and one of 60,000 square feet of flex space at Beck and West roads in the Beck North Corporate Park in Novi. Developer: Amson Dembs Development Inc., Novi Cost: Part of $25 million in development at Beck North between 2013 and 2014. Status: Project ground-breaking by May for smaller building; construction by the end of summer for larger one.

54,000 square feet of office/flex space north of 13 Mile Road, west of Haggerty Road in the Haggerty Corridor Corporate Park in Novi. Developer: Northern Equities Group, Farmington Hills. Cost: $5.5 million. Status: Construction to begin by June

Sources: CoStar Group Inc.; Schostak Bros. & Co.; Etkin LLC; Northern Equities Group; Amson Dembs Development Inc.

Very low vacancy for specific types of modern flexible or office spaces in western Wayne and Oakland counties is tipping off a wave of new construction.

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Demand drives office/flex construction in west suburbs

City finances View Larger The Daily Briefing Buckeye Forum Podcast

The Dispatchpublic affairs team talks politics and tackles state and federal government issues in the Buckeye Forum podcast.

Columbus will spend up to $80 million to improve the City Hall campus Downtown under a plan to be announced this week.

A 94-year-old building just north of City Hall will be torn down and replaced with a 135,000-square-foot office building that could rise up to eight stories. The building would be under construction by summer 2015 and completed by early 2017.

The city also is negotiating to acquire nearby land that could be used for a 600-vehicle parking garage to serve the new building.

Demolished to make way for the project would be 109 N. Front St., a 94-year-old building that is valued by the Franklin County auditor at just under $4 million. The city bought the four-story, 76,000-square-foot building in 1983 from Columbia Gas for $2.6 million.

Under the plan, three other city buildings would be vacated and sold, including one the city tried to unload in 1983 to help pay for the Columbia Gas building but which had no bidders.

The city plans to announce this week that about $57million will be included for the project in the upcoming capital budget, said Paul Rakosky, the Columbus director of finance and management. The city council has been kept in the loop and supports the project, which also will include a small park between the new building and City Hall, officials said.

Its part of the transformation of Downtown that includes a renovated Scioto riverfront and improvements to Gay Street, said John Ivanic, spokesman for city council President Andrew J. Ginther. Its an important part of the overall vision.

The plan makes more sense than spending tens of millions of dollars to upgrade the current buildings and follows a 2006 master plan for the City Hall campus, Rakosky said. This will really complete the plan.

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$80M plan for Columbus' City Hall campus