Granite Properties is set to break ground on Granite Briarpark Green, a 12-story office building that will boost its Westchase holdings to more than 1 million square feet.

The Dallas-based firm has not yet secured tenants for the 300,000-square-foot building, but Houston's job growth, energy industry and occupancy levels above 90 percent at its other three Westchase properties factored into the decision to move forward.

"Everything is pointed in the right direction," said Scott Martin, executive managing director of Granite Properties. "We feel pretty confident."

The new building at 3141 Briarpark Drive will feature high-quality finishes, joining 2929 Briarpark, Granite Westchase I and Granite Westchase II. It will be on 4.1 acres and will be accessible to Beltway 8 via Westheimer, Meadowglen and Richmond. The Houston Marriott Westchase and Hilton Houston Westchase are nearby.

"You've got a great amenities base with all the restaurants and hotels," Martin said.

Its last building, Granite Westchase II, was also built on a speculative basis but was 70 percent leased during the construction period, Martin said. It was completed in 2008.

PGAL Architects, which owns and designed the neighboring Briarpark Green building, designed the project. Hoar Construction is the general contractor. The building has been pre-certified LEED Gold and will incorporate energy and water conserving features and feature on-site recycling. Construction is expected to begin within 30 days and will take 14 months to complete, Martin said.

Granite Properties entered Houston in 1994 and has a portfolio totaling 2.5 million square feet of Class A office space here. It divested its industrial properties last year to focus on the office sector. Since 1991, the company has acquired or developed more than 20 million square feet of commercial real estate.

katherine.feser@chron.com

See the article here:
Granite to break ground on 12-story building

BUILDING PERMITS

Boulder

Building construction permits over $10,000 in value that were approved in Boulder between March 12 and March 18, 2012. Listed below are: the case number; address; total project valuation; owner name; contractor (if applicable); and description.

PMT2012-00595; 3010 Third St.; $108,055.50; Kathy Squadra; Blue Spruce Design & Construction; Two-story remodel of existing single-family dwelling. To include conversion of existing one-car garage to living space. See ADR2011-00216 for site access variance.

PMT2012-01133; 145 S. 34th St.; $16,000; Keagan Rowley; Compleat Development LLC; Remodel of kitchen in residence including replacement of cabinetry and countertops, open floor plan by removing structural wall, relocate fixtures, associated electrical, mechanical and plumbing.

PMT2012-00637; 3003 Fifth St.; $149,000; Carolyn Young and David Cook; Timberline Builders; Interior remodel of single-family residence including remodel/relocation of bathrooms and kitchen, remodel entire upstairs, replace furnace and windows, add three-quarter bath.

PMT2012-00694; 145 Mohawk Drive; $19,500; Amy Solomon and Matthew Bass; Conali Construction; Addition of a laundry room in rear of house, under existing porch cover.

PMT2012-00732; 1955 28th St.; $772,000; Andre Family; Deneuve Construction Services; Tenant remodel (interior only) for Hazel's Beverage World to include installation of coolers, an ice freezer, new restrooms, new offices, skylights, one new roof top unit and a new roof.

PMT2012-00893; 5660 Sioux Drive; $34,332; City of Boulder; Rincon Development Inc.; Installation of sculpture at East Boulder Community Park.

PMT2012-01039; 32 Pima Court; $12,000; Daniel and Teresa Castor; Bresciani Carpentry; Remove non-bearing walls, door and glass panels from front porch to restore porch to original open configuration with 30-inch rail height per landmarks alteration certificate.

Continued here:
Boulder building permits: March 26, 2012

Azrieli Group Ltd. (TASE: AZRG) today laid the cornerstone of Israel's biggest office building, in terms of office space - the Sarona Tower, in Tel Aviv's South Kirya compound. The 50-storey building will have 110,000 square meters of office space and include an 11,000-square meter three-floor mall. At 200 meters, it will be Israel's second tallest building, after the Moshe Aviv Tower in Ramat Gan. The tower is located only half a block south of Azrieli Group's flagship Azrieli Center project.

David Azrieli said, "You will undoubtedly ask why now, at a time of recession and uncertainty, I am building a project at an investment of NIS 1.5 billion. People who know the history of my company will see that we're building something for the future, and a good future. We believe that when we will complete this project, the downward cycle will have reversed.

"Remember, almost all my projects since 1983 were begun in hard times and completed in good times. The company's optimism is also reflected in its planning. We'll build another building for the glory of the city and for the glory of the State of Israel. Sarona will become the most beautiful park in Israel."

Construction will take four years, and the building's 1,800-space parking lot will probably be opened before then.

Asked by "Globes" about Antitrust Authority director general David Gilo's decision not to allow Azrieli Group to acquire Netanya's Ir Hayamim Mall, Azrieli replied, "It is Gilo's right to do what he thinks is right. We dont agree with his decision, but the law is the law, and he decides. This does not prevent us from building, expanding and doing things in the country."

"Globes": Does Israel need more malls?

Azrieli: "Commercial space per capita in Israel lags far behind the US, but that's not the issue. The main question is how malls are good and successful. If there are unsuccessful and poorly planned and badly managed malls, the market will decide whether they fall. Competition isn't between malls, it's between mall companies. We welcome competition."

Azrieli Group's share price rose 1.1% by mid-afternoon to NIS 91.08, giving a market cap of NIS 10.9 billion.

Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - http://www.globes-online.com - on March 25, 2012

Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd. 2012

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Azrieli lays cornerstone for biggest office building

By Jacob Barker

Sunday, March 25, 2012

Three years after abandoning their former office at 3500 Buttonwood Drive, Putnam's Interiors owners Herman "Ed" Rohlfing and Thomas Detert have sued the building's contractors for faulty construction that they say made them and some of their employees sick.

E&N Holdings, Putnam's Interiors Inc., Rohlfing and Detert filed suit in December against Little Dixie Construction, Timberlake Engineering and Star Heating and Air Conditioning Co., seeking $1.078 million in losses plus damages for personal injuries.

The suit alleges "numerous defects and deficiencies in construction as well as substandard workmanship." As a result, Putnam's was forced to sell its inventory in a "fire sale," lost the building to foreclosure and had to pay deficiencies on loans from Boone County National Bank and the Small Business Administration, its suit says.

The defendants, all local companies, have denied the allegations in court filings. Little Dixie's attorney, Glen Ehrhardt, said in an interview that the building is occupied and the new owners have not reported any issues. "We don't believe there's any merit to the lawsuit. ... We look forward to the opportunity to present this case to a jury going forward," he said.

The other defendants' attorneys did not return calls for comment. Rohlfing and Detert declined to be interviewed, referring questions to their lawyer, Steve Ruprecht of Kansas City.

In 2006, Putnam's, formerly known as Pavilion Inc., moved into its $2.7 million building. In November 2008, the company hastily left. A December 2008 letter from the partners' former attorney Tom Rost referenced in the suit details their complaints with the structure and the damage they say it caused their business.

"The structural issues doom this building for my clients' purposes as it is simply not possible to go back and create a structurally sound building that has not had components subjected to abnormal fatigue," Rost wrote.

The letter accuses Little Dixie of discovering an underground water source below where the foundation was to be poured but not alerting the owners to the potential issue. As a result, cracks formed in columns, doors became unusable as the structure shifted and water penetrated the building, the letter says.

Read more:
Putnam’s owners sue contractors over former building

An office building Shelby County bought and is remodeling has several unexpected problems, which has added some to the costs.

The Northside Courthouse Building at 18 W. Polk St. is the former office of local lawyer Robert Marshall.

The county is in the process of revamping it to take Shelby County Community Corrections out of the cramped, crumbling house it's in now and give the public defenders' office a more professional space.

The county bought the building in March 2011 for $207,500, and the cost to remodel is up to $457,000 and rising, all paid out of the county's racino fund.

"We felt like we could do it a lot cheaper than we could," County Commissioner President Tony Newton said. "It has turned into a more expensive project than anybody ever anticipated."

Costs rose as safety features and different materials were added into the mix. After being awarded the bid at $446,000, the contractor, Runnebohm Construction of Shelbyville, found that the building had several structural issues, including a missing support wall.

"The support system for the building had been removed over time," said Chris King, executive vice president at Runnebohm. "Once we got into the walls, we started finding a lot of unknown conditions."

Another problem was a time-consuming dig through several layers of floor, evidently built on top of each other, to get to a sewer main that had to be replaced.

King said Runnebohm has had success mitigating some of the unexpected costs by reducing costs elsewhere in the project. He said the company employed what they call value engineering to find ways to save money on the project, so that unexpected issues wouldn't derail the project. The fix for the structural projects was $30,000, but that was mitigated by $19,000 in cost savings, such as keeping parts of the sidewalk and modifying the reception desk instead of building new.

That places the cost at $457,000, plus $20,000 added Tuesday at the Shelby County Council meeting to install phone lines, fiber optics and other repairs, adding up to $477,000.

Read the original:
Cost of office rehab rising

Weir Building Company has built its own reputation for quality custom homes and larger-scale remodeling projects since Chris Weir founded the company 12 years ago.

He recently moved his design and management offices to 14261 Torrey Rd., Suite B, in the Lake Fenton Commercial Park. This new location offers Weir an opportunity to meet with clients in a comfortable office setting, where they can work together to refine each projects design, budget, scope of work, etc.

Its accessibility off U.S. 23 makes it a convenient location for Genesee, Livingston and North Oakland county clients.

In addition to building custom homes, Weir is a Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist, trained in construction techniques designed to allow homeowners to remain in their homes comfortably as they age. Less than 1 percent of builders and remodelers nationwide have achieved the CAPS certification. Weir is one of only two contractors in Genesee County to hold this designation. He has also obtained the designation of Certified Graduate Remodeler (CGR).

For more information about Weir Building Company, visit his companys website at http://www.weirbuild.com or call Weir at (810) 629-8400.

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Weir Building Company moves office

RADNOR, Pa., March 22, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Brandywine Realty Trust (NYSE: BDN - News) announced today that it has completed the sale of a 268,240 square foot office building located in Herndon, Virginia for $91.1 million or $340 per square foot. Brandywine completed the development of this property known as South Lake at Dulles Corner in November 2008 and subsequently leased the entire building to Time Warner Cable Inc.The net sale proceeds after customary pro-rations and closing costs will be used by Brandywine for general corporate purposes.

"The sale of this property achieves our objective of maximizing value from our existing portfolio," stated Gerard H. Sweeney, President and Chief Executive Officer of Brandywine Realty Trust. "It strengthens our balance sheet by providing additional liquidity, provides additional capital for our investment activities and demonstrates our commitment to execute key components of our 2012 business plan."

Cassidy Turley marketed the property for sale on behalf of Brandywine. The buyer is Wells Core Office Income REIT.

About Brandywine Realty Trust

Brandywine Realty Trust is one of the largest, publicly traded, full-service, integrated real estate companies in the United States. Organized as a real estate investment trust and operating in select markets, Brandywine owns, develops, manages and has ownership interests in a primarily Class A, suburban and urban office portfolio comprising 305 properties and 34.6 million square feet, including 231 properties and 25.1 million square feet owned on a consolidated basis and 52 properties and 6.5 million square feet in 18 unconsolidated real estate ventures. For more information, please visit http://www.brandywinerealty.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements in this release constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance, achievements or transactions of the Company and its affiliates or industry results to be materially different from any future results, performance, achievements or transactions expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risks, uncertainties and other factors relate to, among others, the Company's ability to lease vacant space and to renew or relet space under expiring leases at expected levels, the potential loss of major tenants, interest rate levels, the availability and terms of debt and equity financing, competition with other real estate companies for tenants and acquisitions, risks of real estate acquisitions, dispositions and developments, including cost overruns and construction delays, unanticipated operating costs and the effects of general and local economic and real estate conditions. Additional information or factors which could impact the Company and the forward-looking statements contained herein are included in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011. The Company assumes no obligation to update or supplement forward-looking statements that become untrue because of subsequent events.

Read the original:
Brandywine Realty Trust Announces $91.1 Million Sale of a Herndon, VA Office Building

Published: Thursday, March 22, 2012 at 11:15 p.m. Last Modified: Thursday, March 22, 2012 at 11:15 p.m.

A sleek, modern design office building is going up in downtown Hendersonville that will be home to several green and computer software businesses, the structure's architect said Thursday.

Biz 611 will be on the site of the old Landmark Annex building on Church Street, said Ken Gaylord, with Blackhawk Construction Co. and Ken Gaylord Architects, a Hendersonville design and construction firm.

There will be 16 individual spaces, ranging in size from a single-person office to an office that can accommodate six to eight people, he said. The 9,000-square-foot, two-story building will contain a shared kitchen and bathrooms, Gaylord added, with enough conference room space for the businesses to hold seminars and workshops. Biz 611 also will feature porches, a rooftop terrace and "living wall" with a vertical garden on the side that faces Church Street.

The structure promises something different architecturally for Hendersonville's downtown, Gaylord explained.

"I think not so much the building, but what it represents, will be a game changer for Hendersonville and contribute significantly to a thriving green economy," he added.

Biz 611 will be environmentally friendly. Design elements include PV solar panels, which will generate electricity, Gaylord said. Materials, including brick and wood recycled from the tear-down of the annex two weeks ago, will be used in the building's construction.

It will take 12 months to complete the project, with construction expected to begin April 2, Gaylord said.

Reach Kelley at 828-694-7871 or leigh.kelley@blueridgenow.com.

Read the original post:
Biz 611 ‘green' building to give city sleek, modern look

Piedmont Henry Hospital President and Chief Executive Officer, Charles F. Scott

Piedmont Henry Hospital has announced that construction on a 60,000-square-foot office building in Stockbridge will begin this summer. The $11 million project will replace an eyesore abandoned building in a prime, highly visible location at the intersection of Eagles Landing Parkway and Rock Quarry Road, according to hospital president and chief executive officer Charles F. Scott.

The endeavor is part of a partnership with Ackerman Medical, an Atlanta-based real estate firm specializing in the medical community. It has been dubbed the Henry Physician Center.

The three-story, Class A building ... will serve as the new gateway to Piedmont Henry Hospital, said Fara Wilson, Ackermans Vice President of Marketing.

Once ground is broken, it is scheduled to open in early 2013, according to Wilson.

Scott said he is excited about bringing the facility to Henry County.

It will ... enable a few physician practices to relocate to this choice location, he said. This will enable their patients to more conveniently access all the services provided at Piedmont Henry Hospital.

Although the project was initiated prior to the hospitals affiliation with Piedmont Healthcare, Scott said Piedmont has supported the center throughout the affiliation talks, and has continued to do so since the affiliation went into effect.

The development of Henry Physician Center, which resulted from the recent merger of Piedmont Healthcare and Henry Medical Center, demonstrates Piedmont Healthcares deep commitment to meeting the expanding medical needs of Henry County residents, Scott said.

Henry Physician Center responds to the demand from growing physician practices seeking to locate on the new Piedmont Henry Hospital campus, said John A. Willig, of Ackerman Medical.

Read the original here:
Piedmont Henry to launch $11 million physician center

Hundreds of office workers will start moving into The Bow building in the next couple of weeks.

The lower floors of the massive office tower downtown are nearly ready so desks and other equipment for employees with Cenovus will be moved in soon.

The huge moving job will happen in stages.

Bill Christensen, of Mathews Development the company responsible for building the Bow said the carpets are in on the lower floors now. Coffee stations, photocopy rooms and washrooms are all ready to go.

The moving trucks will soon start bringing in office furniture and other equipment overnight, a process that will take weeks.

Christensen says up to 23 floors will be ready for employees with oil company Cenovus over the next few months.

Meanwhile, construction continues on the upper floors.

He says 1,000 construction workers are still on site, completing the upper floors for the other tenant, Encana, which wants to be in their new home by the end of the year.

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Office workers to start moving into The Bow building