ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) A Minnesota Senate committee approved plans Wednesday for a new legislative office building thats become entangled in partisan politics.

The $63 million building is intended to house offices for state senators and their staff, and it will include adjacent parking facilities totaling another $27 million. The building is to open in 2015 and be located directly north of the Capitol building across University Avenue.

The full Legislature authorized the construction last spring, but the state Department of Administration cannot proceed with the planning until rules committees in both the Senate and House sign off on preliminary designs and cost estimates. The Senate Rules Committee approved those Wednesday on a party-line vote, with majority Democrats in support, but the House Rules Committee still needs to do so.

Republican committee members complained the project has moved forward without proper scrutiny. Legislation enabling its construction was included in a tax bill, not the usual route for approving state building projects.

There was no bill on it and there was no hearing on it, said Sen. Scott Newman, R-Hutchinson. I think we ought to have a committee hearing on this project.

Republican interest groups have criticized the project, saying it shows arrogance by senators looking to spend taxpayer funds on elaborate new offices.

Democrats said the new building is a necessary part of an ongoing, large-scale renovation of the Capitol building. By next year, that project will force Democratic senators and other Senate offices out of the Capitol. And once the renovation is complete, the Senate wont likely be able to count on retaining major portions of the space it now occupies under the dome.

Senate Majority Leader Tom Bakk, DFL-Cook, said the Senate stands to lose up to 23,000 square feet of space in the renovated Capitol. The two projects are very closely linked together, Bakk said.

The construction timelines are also closely linked, and that could pose a challenge for planners as Republicans seek to delay or derail the new buildings construction. Jim Knoblach, a former GOP state representative, has sued to block its construction, arguing it was improper to authorize construction bonds for the project in the tax bill.

Wayne Waslaski, the Department of Administration official overseeing the project, said the state cannot sell the construction bonds until the lawsuit is resolved. A court hearing is scheduled for next week. But the current plan is for construction to get going as early as next month, and Waslaski said delays would immediately add to the projects cost.

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Senate Committee Backs Controversial Building Plan

In the past 120 years, the Gov. Wolf Building in Easton has been a school, an office building and a target of a failed redevelopment pitch. Now it adds apartment building to its resume.

Developer Mark Mulligan, who agreed to buy the building from Northampton County last year for $1.9 million, unveiled his vision for the colossal property fronting on North Second Street 50 apartments across the building's five floors. Easton's Planning Commission gave unanimous approval to the project Wednesday night.

Mulligan said this project is the easiest he has tackled in Easton so far, and construction should start by May or June. The building's features, big hallways, a spiral staircase, an antiquated gymnasium, never made sense in an office building, Mulligan said, though the county uses it to house its Human Services division.

"It just never worked as an office building," Mulligan said.

Along with partner Bill Vogt, Mulligan has rehabbed the former Pomeroy building downtown, is working on the Silk project on North 13th Street, and closed late last year on the sale of the city's tallest building, the Alpha Building on Centre Square.

Mulligan said some of the momentum he has helped create with popular apartments in the Pomeroy project made an apartment conversion of the Gov. Wolf Building that much more attractive. He said demand at Pomeroy and its sister building, Pine Street Lofts, will bump rents for Gov. Wolf's 50 units a little bit higher.

Mulligan expects prices slightly higher than Pomeroy's and Pine Street's, where rents for single-bedroom apartments range from $900 to $950, and two-bedrooms from $1,200 to $1,400. He added that inclusion in the state's latest Keystone Opportunity Zone has already drawn interest from prospective renters, because the zone affords residents a 10-year tax abatement from local and state levies.

The 50 units are spread across the five floors, with a high number of single-bedroom apartments on the third and fourth floors. The fifth floor will be unique, with a single one-bedroom unit and 11 two-bedrooms that will use the attic space as a loft, Mulligan said. Skylights will also be added on the rear of the building for those fifth-floor apartments.

The old gym, the original structure on the property, will be converted into three floors of one-bedroom apartments.

Just before the recent recession, the building and its 3.4-acre lot were proposed as the site of Riverwalk, planned as a seven-story tower of condominiums over a five-story parking deck and bus terminal. The deal evaporated when the Easton Area School District refused tax breaks on the site. The federal money pledged for the bus terminal portion of Riverwalk was funneled into the plans for the city's new City Hall and intermodal center.

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Gov. Wolf Building to become 50 high-end apartments

This is a rendering of the proposed Legislative Office Building, to be built next to the Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul. (Courtesy of Minnesota Department of Administration)

The Minnesota Senate Rules committee Wednesday approved a preliminary design and budget for a new $90 million state office building project to be built north of the Capitol.

The project still requires approval by the House Rules panel, which has not scheduled a meeting.

The new building has drawn fire from Republicans as too expensive and unnecessary. After the vote, Senate Majority Leader Tom Bakk, DFL-Cook, said Gov. Mark Dayton has asked him to consider cutting about $14 million from the project by putting off construction of a parking ramp west of the new building.

But given Sears Holdings Corp.'s plans to redevelop land near the Capitol where the state leases more than 600 parking spaces, at some point, "you're going to have unmet parking need," said Wayne Waslaski, senior director of real estate and construction services for the state Administration Department. The new parking site would have about 500 spaces, he said.

As for the cost of constructing the new building, it would be comparable to similar structures at $268 per square foot, Waslaski said. The recent Andersen and Freeman state buildings were constructed for $233 and $257 per square foot, respectively, he said.

Republicans on the committee attempted Wednesday to have the matter referred to a separate committee or tabled, but those efforts failed. The building plan was approved on a voice vote.

Senate Minority Leader David Hann, R-Eden Prairie, said it was "imprudent" to approve the project while a lawsuit that contends the authorization process was unconstitutional is unresolved. A hearing on that suit is set for next week.

But Bakk argued it might take a while to get a decision from the court, which then could be appealed. "How long are we going to wait?" he asked.

And restoration work underway at the Capitol depends on the new building being constructed to house senators displaced during and after the work is done, Bakk said.

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New legislative office gets Minnesota Senate panel's OK

As the Joint Committee on State Building Construction prepared to meet Thursday, a slew of Topeka power brokers descended on the Statehouse to hear a proposal to raze the Docking State Office Building.

There were familiar Statehouse faces like Rep. Annie Kuether, D-Topeka, and committee members like Sen. Laura Kelly, D-Topeka, and Rep. John Alcala, D-Topeka.

But the standing-room-only audience also included Topeka Mayor Larry Wolgast, City Councilwoman Karen Hiller, city manager Jim Colson and Shawnee County counselor Rich Eckert.

Wolgast said the city is in a unique position, with the Capitol Complex just a block off a key drag, S. Kansas Avenue, and a downtown revitalization project in the works.

"Anything that's done here, it just affects us considerably," Wolgast said.

Kansas Department of Administration officials say there are currently no plans to relocate 4,000-some state workers out of the downtown area. But the Kansas Department of Agriculture's impending move to Manhattan was announced last year, and Department of Administration Secretary Jim Clark has plans for a major shakeup of downtown property ownership.

Wolgast and the others heard a presentation Thursday from administration department officials who said years of neglected maintenance have left the Docking building, at S.W. 10th and Topeka Boulevard, in such disrepair that the state's best option is to tear it down and disperse its employees to privately owned office space.

Mark McGivern, director of the Department of Administration's Office of Facilities Management and Procurement, said the seven-story building needs between $75 million and $100 million worth of deferred maintenance and is only about 75 percent full.

"Like those before us we can kick this can down the road and do nothing, or we can make a very reasonably priced investment that pays for itself," McGivern said.

Department officials plan to introduce a bill this session that will include razing Docking, a move McGivern says will pay for itself within 10 years.

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Docking demolition? Topeka leaders wonder about effect on city

Posted: 4:15 pm Tue, January 14, 2014 By BrianJohnson Finance and Commerce Tags: AMEC, Minnesota Public Utilities Commission, Prairie Island Indian Community, Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant, Red Wing, RSP Architects, Shaw-Lundquist, Xcel Energy 4:15 pm Tue, January 14, 2014

Xcel Energy plans to begin construction next month on a new building to accommodate more than 300 workers at the Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant in Red Wing. (File photo: Bill Klotz)

Xcel Energy plans to start construction next month on a $22.6 million office building at its Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant site in Red Wing.

The three-story, 77,000-square-foot building on plant property would house more than 300 employees and eliminate the need for temporary office trailers currently in use, according to Xcel Energy officials.

Tom Hoen, an Xcel Energy spokesman in Minneapolis, said in an email that the project will break ground in February and the new building will be ready for service in December.

Minneapolis-based Shaw-Lundquist is the building contractor. Minneapolis-based RSP Architects has design duties, and AMEC, a London engineering and project management company with offices in the Twin Cities, is the engineering firm.

Timothy OConnor, Xcels chief nuclear officer, testified before the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission last November that theres not enough capacity in current office buildings at Prairie Island to accommodate projected site staffing levels in 2013 and 2014.

The existing facilities are supplemented by several clusters of temporary office trailers housing various groups, OConnor testified at the Nov. 3 commission meeting.

Xcel also expects to reduce operating costs.

By reducing heating and cooling costs for the trailers and maintaining a single energy-efficient building instead, Xcel expects to save about $22 million over the new buildings lifespan, according to OConnors testimony.

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Xcel plans new office building at Prairie Island

Tishman Internationals A2 office building, a 194,000-square-foot, class A office component of the Sofia Airport Center development, has achieved LEED Gold Certification from the USGBC.

SOFIA, BULGARIA-Tishman Internationals A2 office building, a 194,000-square-foot, class A office component of the Sofia Airport Center development, has achieved LEED Gold Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).

The recently completed building is a key part of Tishman Internationals 2.1-million-square-foot (210,000-square-meter) commercial, mixed-use development project. The A2 office building is the only LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold certified commercial project in Bulgaria, and one of only three office buildings in the Southeastern European region to achieve this level of USGBC certification.

This high level of certification is very rarely achieved in Europe, noted Alan Levy, chairman of Tishman International. Our office building was planned and constructed to meet the requirements of the LEED certification system from the very beginning. Now that it has performed even better and qualified for a higher level of certification than was expected, we are extremely pleased.

The certification has been based on the detailed evaluation of the buildings overall performance and sustainability, including strategies and policies used in planning, construction, operations, and maintenance. Among the many factors considered were energy and water efficiency, interior microclimate, materials and products used in construction, the construction process and waste removal as well as how this information is communicated to building users, and how well the project fits within the local environment.

Among SACs sustainable features are:

* A high-performance, multi-zone VAV heating and cooling system that, combined with a high-performance faade, reduces energy consumption;

* Use of regional and environmentally friendly materials and construction products;

* Use of state-of-the-art energy tracking and analysis technologies that conserve natural resources, provide a healthy, comfortable interior environment, and reduce operating costs;

* Abundant natural daylighting in all tenant areas through open atriums and double-gazed windows;

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Airport Offices Take First LEED Gold in Bulgaria

Harvey Valedictorian Family Harvey Valedictorian Family

Updated: Wednesday, January 15 2014 9:51 AM EST2014-01-15 14:51:32 GMT

Graduation day is coming this weekend for many high school seniors in the region. At Harvey, the class of 2013 is led by Todd Selzler. He's the valedictorian this year. And, as Jim Olson reports, he's

Graduation day is coming this weekend for many high school seniors in the region. At Harvey, the class of 2013 is led by Todd Selzler. He's the valedictorian this year. And, as Jim Olson reports, he's

Updated: Wednesday, January 15 2014 9:49 AM EST2014-01-15 14:49:45 GMT

For many, gardening is a way to put fresh food on the table - and maybe preserve some of the harvest for the coming winter. But for the man you're about to meet, gardening means much more than just that. Photojournalist

For many, gardening is a way to put fresh food on the table - and maybe preserve some of the harvest for the coming winter. But for the man you're about to meet, gardening means much more than just that. Photojournalist

Updated: Tuesday, January 14 2014 10:47 PM EST2014-01-15 03:47:13 GMT

North Dakota oil production soared to another all-time high in November. The state produced just over 973-thousand barrels per day. That's up 28-thousand barrels per day from October. The number of

North Dakota oil production soared to another all-time high in November. The state produced just over 973-thousand barrels per day. That's up 28-thousand barrels per day from October. The number of

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County Library Board Considers Future

A plan to build a four-story office building on Vallejo's waterfront that hit a stone wall of resistance in mid-2012 is back -- with its developer eying new digs.

Waterfront developer Joe Callahan pitched a plan two years ago to build a split 106-space parking garage and office building at Maine Street and Mare Island Way, with designs to compete in a bidding war for a Veterans Administration federal lease.

The Vallejo City Council subsequently voted down the needed city zoning plan changes in August 2012, accompanied by acrimonious public outcry over the proposal.

On Wednesday night, the city Beautification and Design Review Board will get its first look at the project -- now eyeing a site two blocks closer to downtown and current home of the Vallejo Housing Authority building, at Georgia and Santa Clara streets.

This week's meeting will be a study session only, city Senior Planner Michelle Hightower said. City officials want to give the newly constituted board a chance to discuss the project without the pressure of a decision. Any recommendtion would occur at the earliest at the panel's Feb. 13 board meeting, Hightower said.

If this modified project were to move forward, the building now occupied by the Vallejo Housing Authority would be demolished, with that city division relocated to the nearby John F. Kennedy Library, according to a city Planning Division staff report.

In an October interview with the Times-Herald, Callahan said the city's years of legal conflicts with its downtown developer, Triad Downtown Vallejo, had hindered his efforts to move forward, but that he was gearing up for whenever the dispute was resolved.

Triad was suing for alleged breach of contract after the city severed ties with the company in mid-2009. Tonight, the Vallejo City Council will consider approving a settlement with the firm.

With January's seating of a new City Council, Callahan could also be facing a more sympathetic voting majority. Two recently departed council members, Marti Brown and Stephanie Gomes, were fierce opponents of Callahan's during the developer's initial waterfront planning stages -- dating back to 2004, to the point of litigation and a subsequent settlement agreement more two years later.

Callahan did not immediately return a call to his office for comment Monday afternoon.

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Proposed Vallejo four-story office space and parking lot design under review

Richardson, TX (PRWEB) January 13, 2014

Adolfson & Peterson (A&P) recently began construction on a new Medical Office Building at Forest Park Medical Center in Southlake, TX.

This project, developed by LandPlan Development and Neal Richards Group, includes a 4 story, 88,159 square foot medical office complex, as well as a two-story enclosed connector that connects to the existing Forest Park Medical Center Southlake hospital, which was completed by A&P in April 2013.

The new medical office building was designed by GSR Andrade to maximize the aesthetic balance of the two buildings by utilizing a stone veneer which matches the existing hospitals exterior finish.

The project is scheduled for completion during the third quarter 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.

About LandPlan Development LandPlan Development Corp. develops affluent residential communities; state-of-the-art hospital and medical office campuses; and first-class office, retail, and commercial buildings. LandPlan also positions its available land holdings for future development.

About Neal Richards Group Neal Richards Group (NRG) is a privately held, Dallas based, real estate services firm specializing in development, brokerage, and project management consulting for a diverse mix of end-users. Since 2008, NRG has systematically developed over a half a billion dollars of high quality, class A, award-winning, healthcare and mixed-use assets. The firm currently has another half a billion dollars in the development pipeline. During this same period, Neal Richards Group has brokered over $250 million in leasing and sales transactions. Neal Richards Group is currently active in North Texas, San Antonio, and Austin, with growth plans across multiple states, offering diverse real estate opportunities.

Neal Richards Group was co-founded in 2008 by CEO Derrick Evers. Please visit our website http://www.nealrichardsgroup.com

About Forest Park Medical Center Forest Park Medical Center, a physician-owned hospital system, currently operates state-of-the-art medical facilities in Dallas, Frisco and Southlake, Texas focused on providing unsurpassed surgical specialty care. By focusing on specific key areas of surgery and a keen emphasis on the latest and most effective technology in medical care, Forest Park offers cost effective care for patients and their employers and an efficient way of practicing for its physicians. Texas campuses currently in development include Fort Worth, San Antonio and Austin. For more information, please visit http://www.forestparkmedical.com.

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Construction Underway on Forest Park Medical Center MOB in Southlake

By cnews Date posted: January 13, 2014

Doral Park Centre office building opens for tenancy in 2014

Miami-based commercial real estate brokerage and advisory firm Blanca Commercial Real Estate has been tapped as the exclusive leasing agent for the only new office building currently under construction in Miami s Airport West submarket: Doral Park Centre Office Building. Nearing completion, the Class A office building with 60,000 square feet of office space and 20,000 square feet of ground floor retail space will open to tenants in the first quarter of 2014 at Doral Blvd. and N.W. 107 Ave., near the entrance to FloridaTurnpike.

Blanca Commercial Real Estate Executive Vice President Juan Ruiz will lead the marketing and leasing for Doral Park Centre, a 200,000 square foot mixeduse project comprised of one office building, three hotels and one retail building.

Approximately 35,000 square feet of office and retail space has already been leased to tenants including First Bank of Florida, San Ignacio College, PakMail, Flossme Dental Services and Coloring Dreams Day Care.

The mixed-use project is also home to several retailers, including EVO s, Amaize, Orange Theory Fitness, NY Bagel Caf & Deli, Firehouse Subs and Beauty Bar 107 salon. Approximately 50,000 square feet is available for lease in the office tower.

Tenants are within walking distance of the Springhill Suites by Marriot, Best Western Inn & Suites, Baymont Inn Suites, multiple banks and restaurants. A shopping plaza with a Winn Dixie supermarket and a CVS drugstore are located directly across the street.

Doral Park Centre offers tenants flexible, contiguous floor plates divisible from 1,000 square feet to up to 50,000 square feet. Signage opportunities are available to anchor tenants, offering visibility along N.W. 107 Ave. and Doral Blvd. (N.W. 41 St.). For leasing information, contact Juan Ruiz of Blanca Commercial Real Estate at 305-577-8850.

Short URL: http://www.communitynewspapers.com/?p=77345

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Blanca Exclusive Leaser for Doral Park Centre Office Building