St. Louis, Missouri (PRWEB) January 13, 2014

Starrcos modular office systems are the perfect solution for organizations and companies that need flexibility in their office structures. There are many different options for add-on accessories that add to the top reasons to choose a Starrco modular office.

All of Starrcos modular office systems arrive on-site completely finished. With a wide variety of materials, finishes and colors available, Starrco modular offices are sure to be a visually appealing addition to any existing structure. Because organizational decision makers, along with architects and contractors have full control over the entire modular office system the final product can be a unique structure. The final modular office product is one of high quality, visual appeal, will stand the tests of time and will be a great use of facility space.

Available in all Starrco modular office structures are a variety of customizable accessories. Custom windows that meet all structurally applicable standards are available. Also, the option for commercial grade steel or wood doors is available for all modular offices.

Additional accessories include a corrugated steel deck and drop ceiling system including lighting, a standard or pre-wired modular electrical system, and a variety of other options to maximize the functionality and appearance of any facility or building. The modular office professionals at Starrco can answer any specific questions on available accessories and options.

Another wonderful feature of Starrco modular offices is that room dividers can be easily added to most systems. The Starrco modular office systems that can have room dividers includes administrative offices, shipping and receiving offices, cafeteria and break rooms, conference rooms, sound, paint and dust enclosures, plant foremans office, computer and engineering labs, and two-story offices.

Because modular offices can be completely dismantled, relocated and reassembled, modular office systems can be depreciated over 7 years as opposed to 39 years required with permanent construction. This difference results in an immediate reduction in taxes and saves Starrco customers money.

About Starrco Starrco has been providing modular office solutions since 1965. The success and growth of Starrco is built upon the steadfast commitment to quality, innovation and Starrcos unparalleled customer service.

Starrco offers a wide variety of modular office systems - from single user offices to two-story multiple modular office complexes. Modular office systems are manufactured to precisely fit the client's application and install in a fraction of the time of conventional construction. Modular office materials come completely finished and require no sanding or painting.

Starrco offers a wide variety of materials, finishes and colors that allow customers the freedom to design systems that meet specific needs and personal style.

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Winter Construction is Simple with Starrco’s Modular Office Systems

BUILDING PERMITS

Building construction permits over $10,000 in value that were approved in Boulder between Oct. 21 and Oct. 27, 2013. Listed below are: the case number; address; total project valuation; owner name; contractor (if applicable); and description.

PMT2013-03245 3019 Jefferson St.; $508,097.51; LLC Jefferson; Agr Building, Inc; New 2 story 4,787 square feet. single family home which includes 5 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms and 448 square feet. attached garage. Includes MEP. Reference HIS2013-00086.

PMT2013-05523 990 7th St.; $1,200,000.00; 7th 990; Field West Construction, LLC; Construction on new single family dwelling. Includes 2,231 square feet mail level, 1,740 square feet upper level, 922 square feet finished basement, a 680 square feet detached garage, and 1,178 square feet of porches. Includes associated MEPs.

PMT2013-06611 4990 Moorhead Ave.; $157,028.00; of City; Deneuve Construction Services; High Mar-"Carport clusters A,B,C,D,E"-Construction of detached carport structures for residential parking. Reference ADR2013-00221. Solar panels to be under a separate permit.

PMT2013-06613 990 7th St.; $24,973.41; 7th 990; Field West Construction, LLC; New 680 square feet detached garage associated with new single family dwelling permitted under PMT2013-05523

PMT2013-06970 4747 Arapahoe Ave.; $369,000.00; Community Boulder; Wyatt Construction Co, Inc; D wing, second floor Interior remodel of existing hospital wing. Remodel to include minor rehabilitation of each patient room, replacement of existing tubs with showers in three patient rooms, and remodel of office core. Total remodel of 15,948 square feet. Includes associated MEP.

PMT2013-06996 1815 Bluebell Ave.; $6,600.00; Rafael Piestun and Cecilia Piestun; Carl Welker Construction; Replacement of flat roof section on single family dwelling with new trussed pitched roof.

PMT2013-06998 1815 Bluebell Ave.; $19,835.34; Rafael Piestun and Cecilia Piestun; Carl Welker Construction; Construction of detached one story garage on alley of single family dwelling. Upgraded electrical service will be located on garage and house power will be fed underground from garage.

PMT2013-07084 1275 Alpine Ave.; $2,107.25; Land Noralp; Engineered Structures, Inc; Installation of new roof top heating and cooling unit. To include structural modifications to existing roof structure. Unit to be 11.5 EER.

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Boulder building permits: Jan. 13, 2014

Tom Sines | Dispatch file photo A fire burned the Old Taft Hotel in Newark in 1981. Fred Shannon | Dispatch file photo Six street-level stores and second-story apartments were destroyed on South Court street in Athens in 1984. AP file photo Six street-level stores and second-story apartments were destroyed on South Court street in Athens in 1984. Mike Munden | Dispatch file photo Workers remove rubble from the site of what used to be a Huntington Bank across the street from the Union County courthouse in Marysville, April, 2000. Frank Hinchey | Dispatch file photo Firefighters put water on the front of Bun's Restaurant in downtown Delaware, a local landmark since 1889. Tim Revell | Dispatch file photo Bun's restaurant burns in Delaware, March 4, 2002. Eric Albrecht | Dispatch file photo A fire in downtown Newark destroyed two stores in 2002. James D. DeCamp | Dispatch file photo The landmark Carlisle Building in downtown Chillicothe is vacant, April, 2007. The building was gutted by fire in 2003. Alan Miller | Dispatch file photo In 2005 Coshocton firefighters pour water on the smoldering Park Hotel, directly across the street from the Coshocton County Courthouse. Neal C. Lauron | Dispatch file photo A firefighter catches his breath while battling a fire in the Historic District of Chillicothe, July 17, 2006. Fred Squillante | Dispatch file photo While tearing down buildings around the Majestic Theatre in Chillicothe after a huge fire in 2006, an old Mail Pouch Tobacco mural was discovered. Kirk Irwin | Dispatch file photo Firefighters work to put out a fire in downtown Lancaster, September 11, 2007. Kirk Irwin | Dispatch file photo Deb Connel, manager of Art & Clay on Main, and Becky Hajost, owner, hug as firefighters continue to fight a fire next to their store in downtown Lancaster, September 11, 2007. Shari Lewis | Dispatch file photo One of the owners of Mason's Furniture building in downtown Circleville stands amongst the rubble left behind from a fire, Sept., 2008. Shari Lewis | Dispatch file photo The Mason's Furniture building in downtown Circleville was eventually torn down after a 2008 fire. Adam Cairns | Dispatch photo The Emmitt House in Waverly was built in 1861 as a hotel by entrepreneur James Emmitt. It was gutted on Jan. 6, 2014. Adam Cairns | Dispatch photo Emmitt House owner Pam Ison tears up while looking at the still-smoldering remains of her restaurant on Jan. 7, 2014. Adam Cairns | Dispatch photo Waverly residents gaze at the ice-blanketed remains of the Emmitt House, a fixture in the town since 1861. View Slideshow Dispatch file photos Chillicothe: The Carlisle Building was heavily damaged in a fire on April 25, 2003. A developer plans to rehabilitate it and lease office and apartment space to Adena Health System. Downtown damage

Some other notable fires that destroyed or damaged buildings in historic downtown business districts:

Emmitt House in Waverly was destroyed by fire on Jan. 6.

The Majestic Performing Arts Centers ticket and administrative offices were destroyed in a fire that consumed two buildings in Chillicothe on July 17, 2006. The historic Majestic Theatre survived.

Buns Restaurant and Bakery in Delaware was destroyed by a fire on March 4, 2002. The owner reopened Buns in an adjacent building in 2004.

The Huntington National Bank building in Marysville was destroyed by a fire on April 30, 2000. The bank company rebuilt on the site.

Source: Dispatch archives

Chillicothes signature Carlisle Building overlooking the historic downtown business district has sat vacant since a fire a decade ago, but it is about to be restored under plans announced last week.

A developer is to rehabilitate the building and lease it to Adena Health System for office space and apartments for medical residents and staff members.

In Circleville, the empty space where the old American Hotel building stood until a fire consumed it five years ago is to be developed this year as a park.

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Cities across state hit with landmark downtown losses

A proposal to demolish Citrus Heights civic center complex to make way for a medical office building is touted by city officials as a good business deal that would help fund a new City Hall building better suited to the needs of employees and the community.

But the project has drawn fire from some residents who say it would destroy the vestiges of Fountain Square, a cherished venue with a prize-winning rose garden. They also are wary of plans for relocating and funding construction of a new city hall.

There are large gaps in information, and nobody seems to want to step up to fill in the gaps, said Susan Howell, who lives in Binet Estates, a neighborhood west of the civic center. An informational meeting the city held in August, she said, raised more questions than it answered.

The city last summer announced that Panattoni Development Co. had submitted a plan for a three-story, 66,465-square-foot building at Greenback Lane and Fountain Square Drive on property that is part of Citrus Heights civic center. To make way for the project, all buildings on the civic center campus except the Police Department building would be torn down. The initial proposal called for constructing a new, two-story city hall in Fountain Square, north of the current buildings.

But after hearing from residents during the August meeting that they didnt want two large office buildings on the site, City Manager Henry Tingle said staff members decided to pursue an alternate location for the city hall and proceed with the proposal for only the medical office building on the Fountain Square property.

We can only do this once, Tingle said. Looking at an alternate location for city hall gives us an opportunity to be more creative and provide more amenities.

The city has scheduled another informational meeting for 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Citrus Heights Community Center, 6300 Fountain Square Drive, to present the latest proposal. Notices of the meeting were mailed to property owners within 1,000 feet of the Fountain Square site, exceeding the 500-foot requirement for a development project, city officials said. But project opponents argue that notices should have been sent to all Citrus Heights residents, because demolishing the current civic center and constructing a new city hall has ramifications for all the citys taxpayers.

Becky Furtado, communications director for Dignity Health, said the proposed medical building would house 50 new health care providers with the Mercy Medical Group as well as 120 support staff. These would be new providers, not transfers from other sites, and would be in addition to the approximately 50 providers housed in facilities on Coyle Avenue in Carmichael, near Mercy San Juan Medical Center. The new facility would help meet the growing demand for medical services expected to accompany implementation of the Affordable Care Act, and would serve Citrus Heights and Dignity Healths northern Sacramento market.

The Fountain Square site is an ideal location because of its proximity to Mercy San Juan Medical Center, convenient access off a major arterial Greenback Lane and available parking, Furtado said. If the project is approved, Dignity Health plans to open the facility by the end of 2015.

The medical facility, Tingle said, would help diversify Citrus Heights economic base, bring higher-end jobs to the community and provide medical services at a convenient location for residents. Constructing the facility on city-owned property also would fund an estimated 50 percent to 60 percent of the cost of building a new city hall, he said.

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Proposal to replace Citrus Heights’ civic center with medical building draws fire from residents who cherish Fountain ...

On a steep hillside on the edge of Haiti's capital, Pacha Jeudy slaps soupy cement onto jagged cinderblocks and stacks them into a wobbly wall. The home looks likely to collapse in a big earthquake, just as his neighbors' houses did in the January 2010 temblor.

Less than a mile down the hill, construction workers are adding two floors to a three-story office building. The owners couldn't be located to explain their plans for the structure, but steel reinforcing bars extending toward the sky suggest that yet another floor beyond those five is in the works.

"That building kind of gives you the willies," said Dany Tremblay, a licensed structural engineer from Utah who has designed and inspected hundreds of buildings in Haiti since the quake. "I would be surprised that, by adding those levels, the building is still structurally sound."

Four years later after the 7.0-magnitude quake that toppled around 190,000 buildings and killed about 300,000 people, construction practices in the Caribbean country have improved overall, with better materials being used for many larger projects. A building code now exists and many big, well-funded projects including more than a dozen hotels, supermarkets and schools are being built to international seismic standards.

But construction of smaller commercial buildings and homes is more haphazard, in large part because most people in the impoverished nation don't have the money to do things by the book. Neighborhoods in the capital of 3 million are filled with precariously rebuilt one- and two-story homes no more secure than the ones they replaced.

Experts like Tremblay, who runs a private engineering firm here, fear that if crews don't start building homes and other structures to much higher standards, another huge earthquake could kill many people and cause widespread damage.

Located on the Enriquillo fault system with the neighboring Dominican Republic, Haiti is always at risk of another powerful quake.

As much as 90 percent of Haiti's construction is done without an architect or engineer, and much of it on unstable soil, according to a study last year by the Canadian Journal of Civil Engineering. "Seismic hazards maps are now available for the design of new buildings," it said. "Unfortunately, few engineers in Haiti are very familiar with seismic design principles and dynamics of structures."

Jeudy, a construction worker who is helping enlarge the home of his neighbor, a widow with two school-aged children, said he was taught by a foreign engineering group how to mix concrete and water to ensure blocks are strong enough to withstand major shakes. But he said tight budgets mean that the ratio of water to cement in many construction projects can fall short. "There isn't enough money," Jeudy said.

In a dusty courtyard down the street, construction site manager Paul Gaston shouted above the roar of a machine making cinderblocks far sturdier than the ones that crumbled in 2010. He said more of Haiti's smaller builders now use better materials, but safety is still often considered a luxury.

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Haiti Builds Stronger After Quake, Gaps Remain

Proposed Legislative Office Building to be built next to the State Capitol. (Image courtesy of Minnesota Department of Administration)

Gov. Mark Dayton favors construction of a new Senate office building across the street from the state Capitol but hopes to lower the price tag on the controversial $63 million project.

"I think modest is appropriate when you're spending taxpayers' money," Dayton said Friday during a Capitol news conference.

Republican lawmakers have criticized what they consider lavish spending on the office building and an adjacent $27 million parking ramp, and a former GOP legislator has sued the state to block the project.

Dayton said new office space is needed for senators who will be displaced during and after the $272 million renovation of the Capitol now underway. That building will lose office space to make room for new elevators, stairways, mechanical equipment and life-safety upgrades.

The project is out of Dayton's hands; the Senate and House rules committees have the final say on the project.

But Dayton said he plans to meet with Senate Majority Leader Tom Bakk and House Speaker Paul Thissen -- all three from the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party -- in the next three weeks to encourage them to shave the price of the new building. He said Thissen has asked the Department of Administration to propose cost-cutting options.

-- Bill Salisbury

Follow him at twitter.com/bsalisbury and facebook.com/PioneerPressPolitics.

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Dayton supports new Senate office building but wants lower price tag

Google is taking more than 50,000 square feet at the Porta Nuova, mixed-use development managed by Hines Italia SGR.

MILANGoogle is taking more than 50,000 square feet (5,000 square meters), for its Italian offices at the Porta Nuova, mixed-use development managed by Hines Italia SGR.

Google will consolidate its Italian operation in the Porta Nuova Isola building, an 11-story, 10,000-square-meter (107,600-square-foot) office building that is part of Porta Nuova, one of the largest urban redevelopments in Europe.

With the signing of the Google lease, the office building at Porta Nuova Isola is now 80% leased to Google and Pandora Jewelry.

Following the recent partnership in Porta Nuova with sovereign fund Qatar Holding, Googles relocation of its Italian headquarters to Porta Nuova confirms the unique and innovative character of this major urban redevelopment project, said Manfredi Catella, CEO of Hines Italia. The area is quickly emerging as a new vital hub for Italys economy and future.

Joe Borrett, director of real estate and construction (EMEA) for Google, said, We are excited that this move to Porta Nuova will enable us to locate all our Milan team in a single office.

Designed by William McDonough + Partners, the office building optimizes the workplace environment through efficient floor plates and core layout, natural ventilation, access to the outdoors through a series of exterior terraces, and a high-performance window glazing system that maximizes views and transparency while minimizing heat gain. The building envelope is expected to achieve LEED Gold certification, while the office spaces will comply with the guidelines for LEED Commercial Interiors.

Googles corporate culture of environmental sensitivity and social responsibility fits perfectly with the philosophy of the project and the history of the surrounding neighborhoods, the developers said in a release announcing the deal.

Hines is a leading independent manager of real estate investment funds on behalf of Italian and international institutional investors. Porta Nuova is a mixed-use development containing 360,000 square meters (3.8 million square feet) including office, residential, retail and cultural venues.

Originally posted here:
Google Consolidating Italian HQ

BUCKS COUNTY, Pa. -

A construction worker is airlifted to a hospital but escapes with cuts and bruises after being trapped under a Bucks County building that collapsed. It happened in Buckingham Township in the Heritage Center Development. Officials say the worker was caught in the rubble for about an hour.

FOX 29's Thalia Perez spoke to a co-worker and has the story.

Anthony Cordero shares with us this cell phone video showing the rescue of his friend who goes by "Eddie" after he became trapped in the wooden trusses.

"He was framing the top of the roof when one of the walls started giving in. And that's when it started shifting," Cordero said.

Workers say it was like a domino effect. When of those trusses came down all of the others came down on top of the victim. Officials say it happened around 8:45 Thursday morning as Eddie was securing the roof trusses on Building 200 at 2325 Heritage Center Drive.

"We had to secure the building first so we didn't have further collapse and then remove the victim from the building down a ladder," Fire Chief Lingohocken Fire Dept Greg Jakubowski said.

Workers tell us they jumped into action using this fork lift to secure the wall and building from further collapse. Fire officials say it took about an hour to free.

Eddie, who was trapped from the waist down, was rushed by medevac to Temple University Hospital

"When you have a situation like this you wanna take your time removing pressure from where ever he is crushed. and in this case mid-section and lower extremities," Central Bucks Ambulance Chief Charles Pressler said.

Continued here:
Construction Worker Airlifted To Hospital After Building Collapse

VOL. 7 | NO. 3 | Saturday, January 11, 2014

The two new restaurants being built at the Crescent Center office building in East Memphis will open during the next 30 days.

Seasons 52 will open at 6085 Poplar Ave. on Jan. 30, while The Capital Grille will open at 6065 Poplar Ave. on Feb. 3.

The Darden Restaurants Inc. restaurants are located on the grounds of Highwoods Properties Inc.s Crescent Center, at Poplar Avenue and Ridgeway Road.

Seasons 52 offers healthy meals with menus that change with the seasons, while The Capital Grille specializes in steak and seafood. Each restaurant will be the first of its kind in Tennessee.

The world-famous Harlem Globetrotters will take fan interaction to new heights when the 2014 Fans Rule Tour comes to FedExForum Saturday, Jan. 11, at 7 p.m.

The Globetrotters will let fans vote on rules, and this year the tour includes hot hand jerseys that the Globetrotters and the opposing team can pass among themselves. Whichever player one on each team is wearing a hot hand jersey receives double points on made baskets.

There are other wacky rules up for consideration, and online voting is open at harlemglobetrotters.com/rule, where fans can choose the game-changing rules they want to see in their hometown. The Globetrotters have showcased their unique talents in 122 countries and territories.

Tickets start at $21 and are available at through Ticketmaster locations, the FedExForum box office, by phone at 800-745-3000 and at harlemglobetrotters.com.

This summer, Visible Music College is introducing Visible Music Week a weeklong program for students in middle school and above that will be held at Visibles Memphis and Chicago campuses.

More here:
East Memphis Restaurants Set Opening Dates

In an effort to keep our construction cost information up to date on our site, it is time for an update on the construction cost per square foot for one of our most popular project types: Office Buildings

Below are a series of charts, excerpted from RSMeans construction cost data, our go-to source on construction cost information. All graph images are courtesy of RSMeans Construction Cost Data. Data source: Reed Construction Data RSMeans/Charts: Reed Construction Data CanaData.

For the most common office building size, two to four stories tall, the range is from just over $140 per square foot in Winston-Salem to over $240 per square foot in New York Note that this is over $10 per square foot more than last year. The spread here is largely due to the local cost of labor and regulations that allowvarious construction types that are allowed in low rise construction. For example, in some cases wherewood frame construction is still allowed, depending on location and occupancy,this would help tokeep costs lower. In areas that are restricted to non-flammable construction, price per square foot will go up.

By taking advantage of savings provided by vertical construction, you will see approximately a 4% savings in cost per square footby increasing the stories to between five and ten stories. While one might expect a larger savings for that economy of scale, several new requirements come with the mid-rise building that are often not dealt with on the low rise buildings. For example, elevator shafts and service corridors get more complicated as well as HVAC systems.

The geographic spread in cost per square foot is identical to the low-rise data and the increase from last year is approximately $6-$11 per square foot depending on region. This is still principally driven by local factors such as labor costs and local regulatory requirements.

Finally, the high rise buildings see the most economic cost per square foot. For buildings between eleven and twenty stories tall, there is approximately an 11% savings over the mid rise buildings and 15% over low rise. this is largely due to the fact that similar elevator, HVAC and service equipment requirements are required for mid and high rise, resulting in more economy of scale for going up.

The data for this year indicates a $15-$30 per square foot or approximately 13% increase in construction cost over last year, depending on region. Note that over twenty stories starts getting into more unique building characteristics that will drive costs in various ways. For more information on estimating the cost of your office building during the early planning stages, contact any of us here at EVstudio and we can help scope the right size project for your pro forma.

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Construction Cost per Square Foot for Office Buildings ...