CLEVELAND, Ohio Cuyahoga Community College's administration building appears marooned amid a sea of construction equipment and dirt at the corner of Carnegie Avenue and Ontario Street.

Just south of the brick building, hard-hatted workers are constructing an on-ramp and approach road to the new Inner Belt Bridge. To the west, a contractor is building a parking garage for Tri-C to replace spots taken by the Ohio Department of Transportation for the bridge. Nearby, ODOT is reconstructing the intersection of Ontario and Carnegie and relocating a freeway on-ramp.

"As a kid I loved to play with Tonka toys so I love this," said Peter MacEwan, vice president of facilities development and operations, as he looked out of the windows of his third-floor office as excavators and other heavy equipment moved dirt for the bridge project. MacEwan, an engineer who oversees all construction for the college, also is fascinated by the project itself.

But he still worries about future noise and vibration from traffic once the road is complete in 2013.

The college had baseline vibration measurements taken at the administration building, which has double-pane windows, before construction began. And the college will take more readings when the project is done, he said.

Tri-C officials had little recourse when ODOT said it had to realign the on-ramp from Carnegie Avenue at the east end of the building and widen the Interstate 90 lanes in the approach to the bridge. The state bought a quarter acre and is building a 25-foot tall retaining wall behind the building.

Tri-C lost 60 of its 127 parking spots and will spend $5 million to $6 million to build a four-story parking garage for 200 vehicles. It received $3.6 million from ODOT for the land, which included compensation for about $250,000 in lost parking revenue from events at nearby Progressive Field and Quicken Loans Arena, MacEwan said.

Tri-C built its administration building on Carnegie Avenue in 1973 as the central location for the school's downtown, Parma and Highland Hills campuses. But over the two decades following the opening, the neighborhood grew more crowded, primarily from the construction of Progressive Field and The Q. In 2001, as more space was needed, a third floor was added to the building. Parking was always a challenge.

The new garage, scheduled to open in January, will ease that problem. Until then, employees are parking a few blocks away in a lot rented from Peterson Nut.

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Cuyahoga Community College administration employees have front row view of Inner Belt Bridge construction

DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES - One of the most notorious blight spots in Downtown may not only be getting a new federal courthouse in a few years. There could also be a second building coming to the hole in the ground at the southwest corner of First Street and Broadway.

Officials with Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allards office announced on Friday afternoon that the General Services Administration plans to transfer ownership of the Spring Street Courthouse, which is set to be vacated, to a developer.

The developer, in exchange, would be required to build a new federal office building with a similar value to the Spring Street courthouse on the First and Broadway site.

I applaud GSA Acting Administrator Dan Tangherlini for finding an innovative,practical, and fiscally responsible solution to meet our judiciary and federal workspace needs in downtown LA, said Roybal-Allard in a statement.

According to a spokesman for Roybal-Allards office who did not want to be identified, the 1938 building at 312 N. Spring St. is valued at $53 million. That means a developer would have to build an approximately 150,000 to 175,000-square-foot building on the 3.6 acre site that will also house a $400 million federal courthouse set for completion in 2017.

Once the new federal office building is completed, the developer would then be the new owner of the Spring Street Courthouse building. If the plan comes through, it could be a stunning turnaround for a Civic Center property that has been a vacant blight for years.

Congress had long ago appropriated $400 million to build a 41-room courthouse on the site immediately west of the Los Angeles Times headquarters.

Since then, the General Services Administration, which acts as a landlord for federal agencies, spent $16.9 million to acquire and prepare the site, and another $16.3 million on designs for a 41-room courthouse. The project hit a wall in 2008 when due to delays and design changes, estimated costs tripled, making a 41-room courthouse impossible to build.

The Downtown community was surprised when in January Roybal-Allards office announced that that project was back on track with plans to build a smaller, $400-million federal courthouse with 110 parking spots, 24 courtrooms and 32 judges chambers.

As part of the new federal courthouse plan the 1938 Spring Street Courthouse, which along with the 1992 Roybal Federal Building currently house federal courthouse operations, would be vacated with all its operations relocated to the new courthouse.

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New Federal Office Building Planned at Civic Center Site

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Posted on June 22, 2012 at 10:46 AM

WASHINGTON A new building for the coroner's office and help shoring up some buildings on Tulane's campus will all come from $7.9 million in federal funding, it was announced by U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu and U.S. Rep. Cedric Richmond Friday.

The money is for hurricane recovery efforts in Louisiana with the grants being provided by FEMA.

A news release from Landrieu detailed the money to be spent, including:

- $1.9 million to the administrators of the Tulane Educational Fund for measures to protect the Wilson Athletic Center Facility, located on Tulanes campus, from future flood damage. The grant will fund the hardening of the facilitys exterior walls, implement self-activating vehicular and personnel flood gates, and add pumps that will work to remove any water accumulation due to leakage or rainfall.

- $3.3 million to the city of New Orleans for flood damage to the Orleans Parish Courthouse building. The money allocated from the grant will go toward the relocation and construction of a new Coroners Office and Morgue, which will be situated at a higher elevation. The Coroners Office and Morgue was located on the first and second floors of the courthouse and suffered flood damage during Hurricane Katrina. The vacated areas of the courthouse will serve as open space once stabilized.

- $2.7 million to the administrators of the Tulane Educational Fund to repair the power plant located on Tulanes campus that sustained up to two feet of floodwater destruction during Hurricane Katrina. The power plant is the source of electrical power distribution, emergency power generation and temperature control for Tulanes facilities.

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FEMA grant to help build new coroner's office building in N.O.

The regional office of Cornish & Carey Commercial Newmark Knight Frank has sold a long-vacant, bank-owned Roseville office building at 400 Sunrise Ave. along the eastbound lanes of Interstate 80, just south of Douglas Boulevard.

The buyer, Mourier Land Investment Corp. in Roseville, paid $2.75 million.

The three-story building has 53,000 square feet of available office space. Construction on the building ceased three and a half years ago.

Despite the prolonged vacancy, eight offers were received when marketing began on May 2, according to Brian Barnes, the Cornish & Carey senior vice president who brokered the deal.

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Call The Bees Mark Glover, (916) 321-1184.

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Roseville buyer for long-vacant office building

WOLFE ISLAND, ONTARIO, June 22, 2012 Volunteer paramedics on Wolfe Island can now enjoy a brand new accommodations building, which provides them with the amenities of home while on duty.

WolfeIslands volunteer paramedic service is one of only six of its kind in Ontarioand provides essential services to the local community. The new building includes sleeping space, washrooms, a small kitchen and a common room, and will provide off-island volunteers with a dedicated space to prepare meals and rest during prolonged shifts.

Volunteer paramedics provide a vital service to local residents and thanks to Canadas Economic Plan, Wolfe Island volunteers now have a comfortable, safe and secure space to call their own, said Gord Brown, Member of Parliament for Leeds-Grenville, on behalf of the Honourable Denis Lebel, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities. Our Government is proud to invest in infrastructure projects that contribute to the local economy and promote to the health and safety of families in this region.

The Government of Ontario is committed to investing in infrastructure projects that build stronger communities, strengthen Ontarios economy, and create jobs, said John Gerretsen, Member of Provincial Parliament for Kingston and the Islands. The new ambulance accommodations building will help our volunteer paramedics, support the community and keep residents safe and healthy.

The ambulance accommodations building has improved the quality of life for Wolfe Island volunteer paramedics and in turn has made it easier to attract quality volunteer paramedics to the service, said Janet Gutowski, Warden of Frontenac County. The project has improved the community ofWolfeIslandand is a great example of successful collaboration between the three levels of government.

The governments of Canada and Ontario each contributed $34,000 through the Infrastructure Stimulus Fund toward eligible project costs. The County of Frontenac contributed the balance of the total project cost of $236,402.

As part ofCanadas Economic Action Plan, the Infrastructure Stimulus Fund supported more than 4,100 projects across the country, including over 2,000 key infrastructure projects inOntario.

Investing in infrastructure is a key part of the Government of Canadas plan to create jobs, generate economic growth and ensure long-term prosperity. Over the course of the summer, the Government of Canada will be engaging provinces, territories and stakeholders in a series of roundtables to develop a new long-term infrastructure plan. This plan will focus on investments that support job creation and economic growth, while building strong, prosperous communities across the country. In addition, the Government of Canada will hold a roundtable with national stakeholders and representatives of the private sector at the end of the summer. Working together to develop this plan will provide new opportunities for all orders of government and the private sector to build partnerships to improve public infrastructure inCanada.

This project also supports Building Together, the Government of Ontarios long-term infrastructure plan to repair, rebuild and renew the provinces roads and highways, bridges, public transit, schools and postsecondary institutions, hospitals and courthouses.Ontariois investing $12.8 billion in infrastructure projects in 2011-12, bringing the governments total infrastructure investments since 2003 to $75 billion. Building modern, efficient infrastructure has created or preserved close to 100,000 jobs each year, on average, makingOntarios economy more productive and improving quality of life, now and in the future.

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Construction Complete on Wolfe Island's New Ambulance Accommodations Building

Last Updated: June 21, 2012 05:01pm ET

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The 150,000-SF Reserve at Sierra Pines now belongs to CapLease.

THE WOODLANDS, TX-Three years after Stream Realty Partners LP delivered the 175,000-square-foot Reserve at Sierra Pines to market, CapLease Inc. acquired the class A office building for $40.5 million. Based on the success of the commercial real estate asset's lease-up and sale, Stream Realty Partners is readying to break ground on a second office building on an adjacent 20-acre site.

Though Stream Realty sold Sierra Pines, the company will continue to serve as management and leasing provider for the office building at 1585 Sawdust Rd. Trent Agnew and Dan Miller with Holiday Fenoglio Fowler LP represented Stream Realty in the transaction. The building is 100% leased with Praxiar occupying most of the project.

"We had a couple of different opportunities with the site," explains Paul Coonrod, a managing director with Stream Realty. "We bought 35 acres several years ago, and Sierra Pines was built on the southern 15 acres." Coonrod goes on to say that Stream Realty was flexible in marketing the asset; it could have sold just the building alone or sold the building with the adjacent land. "The group we sold it to is a triple-net buyer interested in leased assets," Coonrod says. "So we have plans to break ground on a second building very soon."

Coonrod tells GlobeSt.com that the second office building will be approximately 150,000 square feet with a parking garage, and Stream Realty is working through whether it will be spec or preleased. Though speculative construction on office buildings isn't common, even in a hot market like Houston, The Woodlands' single-digit vacancy rates doesn't mean it's out of the question.

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Stream Realty Sells 175,000-SF Office Building

ST. PAUL, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

For the past several years the commercial construction environment has been challenging. However, Retail Construction Services, Inc. (RCS), a leading and award winning general contractor, has continued to do well. Founded in 1984, RCS has built over 9,000 major projects, and over 30,000 store refreshes, retrofits and other Facilities Management work in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands and Canada, representing over $1.2 Billion in company revenue.

Its been a harsh market out there for everyone and we understand that a successful project is about more than the structure created. While we have built thousands of projects, more important are the lasting relationships we have built, says company Founder and CEO, Steve Bachman. Understanding and reaching the clients vision has allowed RCS to build on its reputation as a reliable client-focused contractor.

Retails outstanding General Contractor and Construction Management track record across the national construction market is built on: national resources which gives them superior market leverage, specialist market knowledge, flexibility with tight turn-over time frames, and a one-stop-shop for Value Engineering, General Contracting, Construction Management and Facilities Management. In bringing together all these assets in one team, we are able to offer an integrated approach to everything from the simple to the most demanding projects our clients bring to the table, says Bachman.

Retail Construction Services began focusing on retail build-outs for national retailers but has since evolved into a full service construction company. In addition to being a perennial leader in retail store construction; RCS also focuses on the ground-up construction of restaurants, banks/financial facilities, business offices, medical offices, and clubhouses. Every new market or new business direction we have taken, whether it was entering the golf clubhouse construction market or the financial services arena, we simply followed our core values and business practices and forged ahead, added Bachman.

RCSs Facilities Management division was launched in 1997 and is now an established Facilities Management contender averaging over 750 projects annually. The division is geared to handle client capital improvement, retrofits, re-branding, or remodeling roll-out programs as a one-stop-shop. We are results-focused and our systematic, customer-centric approach gives our clients the absolute assurance that their maintenance, refreshes and roll out activities are in the safe hands of our experienced project managers and our service professionals throughout the US and Canada, says Director of Facilities Management, Mary Gilbertson. We have a proven track record of recruiting from outside the industry to ensure our clients benefit from the right balance of knowledge, support and expertise.

Over the past several years, Retail Construction Services has developed its own customized proprietary software system, Databahn, that is unlike anything in the current marketplace. This system was designed to streamline and ensure maximum efficiency in management of subcontractors, estimating, project management, taxes, client specific information, licensing, permitting, and construction documents. While this revolutionary software system makes our life easier, it is an ultimate benefit to our clients. Over the years, we have had numerous clients call us up in somewhat of a panic because they were going through a sales and use tax audit and didnt understand the ramifications, Retail Construction Services CFO, Gerry Kuntz recalls. We received a call from a major national client saying that after they received our detailed backup reports, they had a clean audit with respect to RCS work and as a result of our accounting practices. They further expressed a wish that all of their contractors were as well prepared and as organized as Retail Construction Services. Our clients are faced with project costs that do not stop with their contractors. However, it is our practice to ensure that our costs to our client end when the job is turned over, giving our clients confidence that the budget is the budget, said Kuntz.

In 2006 we began working on construction projects that are designed, built, renovated, operated, or reused in an ecological and resource-efficient manner to reduce their overall impact to the environment, says company COO, Joni Fletty. Holding close to values in creating sustainable, healthy, lively communities and environments, this General Contractor cares about its impact on quality, safety, durability, and doing more with less. RCS, a member of the USGBC, unites with clients sustainability goals, resulting in a productive partnership that complements their deep rooted beliefs. The outcome is their exceptional history of successful collaborations in this highly dynamic forefront. From design throughout construction, RCS catalyzes the process of sustainability into our core value to Do the Right Thing and to build a more sustainable community for future generations, says Fletty.

Our contribution to protecting both the environment and climate begins within thewalls of this company. The sustainable management of the environment and use of natural resources is a crucial constituent of RCS. Against this backdrop,we pursued a comprehensive, sustainable renewable energy concept that places emphasis on energy efficiency and the use of renewable energy sources, says Fletty. In 2010 RCSbegan workingwith Able Energy Co. on a solar project to bring renewable energy to its corporate office. Solar equipment fromPatriot Solar Groupwas proposed, and, this past summer, a 10.0 kW High-End Fixed Horizontal PV System was installed along the perimeter of our Giving Garden. Since 2011 they have been publicly monitoring their energy usage vs. our energy generation on their corporate web site.

As a further commitment to social responsibility within the community, RCS turned 6,000 sq. ft. of corporate turf into a Giving Garden in 2009. Over the past three years the company has donated almost 7,400 lbs of fresh produce to the local food shelves. The program has expanded to include teaching, mentoring and giving programs with students from various schools, high schools, church programs and corporate partners. This garden has taken on a life of its own and it is a joy to watch a community come together, says Fletty. To read more about the RCS Giving Garden, visit: http://www.rcsgivinggarden.blogspot.com.

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Retail Construction Services' Success Based On Building Solid Relationships and Commitment to Corporate Social ...

IRVINE A construction mistake that ruptured an underground gas line early Wednesday forced the evacuation of an office building and shut down a nearby road.

The Gas Company pinched off the leaking natural gas and repaired the broken plastic pipe several hours after people first reported hearing the hiss of escaping gas. Workers were let back into the building at 3101 Michelson Drive before noon, after waiting for the area to air out.

Workers wait as gas company welders go to work. Irvine officers had shut down traffic on Carlson Avenue after evacuating a nearby building due to a gas leak near the Shops at Park Place.

KEN STEINHARDT, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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A construction company doing work in the area hit and ruptured the two-inch underground gas line, said Angela Fentiman, a SoCal Gas spokeswoman. Firefighters responding to a call about a hissing noise in a nearby parking lot discovered the leak around 7:30 a.m.

Carlson Avenue was closed while firefighters waited for crews to shut off gas to the area, said Capt. Marc Stone of the Orange County Fire Authority. The U.S. Bank office building and the adjacent parking structure were also evacuated.

A work crew repaired the pipe shortly before 11 a.m., but officials waited for the natural gas in the air to dissipate before letting workers return to the building. The evacuation was lifted before noon.

The gas leak is still under investigation. But Fentiman said it's a good reminder that workers both professionals and do-it-yourselfers -- should call 811 before they dig so utility companies can mark underground lines.

Contact the writer: shernandez@ocregister.com or 949-454-7361

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Irvine building re-opens after gas leak

COLUMBUS, Ohio, June 20, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Mark Corna, president of Corna Kokosing, announced winning the contract for the new $20 million parking structure at Easton Town Center.

Corna said the Gramercy parking garage in Columbus, which will be fully completed in 2013, remains on schedule to partially open before the end of 2012.

"Easton is such a success that it is crowded all the time," said Mark Corna of Corna Kokosing. "This new parking structure will provide shoppers access to parking closer to where they want to shop."

Corna added the new garage will have 1,050 spaces, an increase of 600, plus a walking bridge connecting shoppers to Macy's. To accommodate customers and project plans, Corna said his team, based in Columbus, incorporated creative scheduling.

"We begin our concrete pours at 4:30 a.m. to avoid competing with the traffic from the people who are coming to visit Easton," Corna said.

Mike Girouard, estimator for Corna Kokosing's Gramercy parking garage project, added, "I think we bring an understanding of what it takes to work in this environment, minimizing the impact to the retail business, avoiding disruption to their operations."

Corna Kokosing was one of three contractors involved in constructing the original Easton Town Center back in 1998, and Corna is honored to be back for this newest addition to Columbus and central Ohio.

"Our relationship with Easton goes all the way back to the beginning, and we are really delighted to be involved now with the new parking garage and to continue to serve that ownership," Corna said.

About Corna Kokosing Construction Company: Corna Kokosing Construction Company, a division of The Kokosing Group, is a full-service construction manager/general contractor specializing in healthcare, education, manufacturing, office and retail markets. The Kokosing Group employs more than 3,500 associates throughout central Ohio, with annual revenues of $800 million.

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Corna Kokosing Construction Building Easton's New $20 Million Parking Garage in Columbus

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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A new home for collaboration