BOCA RATON, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Office Depot (NYSE: ODP - News), a leading global provider of office supplies and services that helps customers save time, today announced that its 600,000 square-foot distribution center located in Newville, Pa., received Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) for Commercial Interiors (CI) certification by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). LEED CI is the recognized systemfor certifying high-performance green interiors that are healthy, productive places to work; are less costly to operate and maintain; and have a reduced environmental footprint.

Office Depot is committed to environmental stewardship and the conservation of natural resources, said Ed Costa, Vice President of Construction for Office Depot. We make sustainable choices wherever possible, so when we first leased the Newville facility, achieving LEED CI certification from the USGBC was one of our top priorities. We are immensely proud of all that we accomplished to attain our goal.

Features of Office Depot's LEED CI certified distribution center include:

Over the past five years, Office Depot has consistently built and operated environmentally sustainable stores and facilities. Office Depot opened its first LEED for New Construction (NC) Gold certified store in Austin, Texas, during the summer of 2008, and has since registered 32 LEED for Commercial Interior (CI) stores, of which 15 have been certified. The global headquarters in Boca Raton, Fla., was LEED for Existing Buildings (EB) Gold certified in 2010. In 2012, Office Depot plans to have a LEED CI certified Sales Center and will design and build stores based on the USGBCs LEED CI Retail program.

For more information on Office Depots environmental strategy, please visit http://www.officedepot.com/environment.

About the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC)

The U.S. Green Building Council is committed to a prosperous and sustainable future for our nation through cost-efficient and energy-saving green buildings. With a community comprising 79 local affiliates, nearly 16,000 member organizations, and more than 167,000 LEED Professional Credential holders, USGBC is the driving force of an industry that is projected to contribute $554 billion to the U.S. GDP from 2009-2013. USGBC leads an unlikely diverse constituency of builders and environmentalists, corporations and nonprofit organizations, elected officials and concerned citizens, and teachers and students. For more information, visit http://www.usgbc.org.

About Office Depot

Office Depot, dedicated to helping customers save time and money, provides office supplies and services through 1,677 worldwide retail stores, a dedicated sales force, top-rated catalogs and global e-commerce operations. Office Depot has annual sales of approximately $11.5 billion, and employs about 39,000 associates in 60 countries around the world.

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Office Depot Distribution Center Awarded LEED for Commercial Interiors Certification

100 Years Ago The Treasury Department expects to have the post office building for Mexico ready for bids in about two weeks and construction work will probably begin on or about June 1. The drawings call for a substantial building a story and a half high in the classic style of architecture. The main body of the structure will be of light gray brick with limestone trimmings and resting on a granite base. There will be two main entrances at front and side, respectively, each having a revolving door. 50 Years Ago The 1961-62 basketball season is just about over and theres always a lot of mopping up to do (so writes Joel Vance, Ledger sports editor). Mexicos Bulldogs would have been a winning team with a home gym to play in, but they had to travel, travel, travel until everyone got tired of basketball. Not only that, fan interest has slackened considerably. Next year should be an exciting one for Mexico a new gym, a good crop of returning lettermen, not much height, but the possibility of building a small, fast team that will please the crowds. 25 Years Ago Art work of students of Martin Jones at Mexico Junior High School continues to be displayed in the childrens department at the Mexico-Audrain County Library. The art exhibits are a civic project sponsored by GFWC Mexico Womens Club. ... Now showing at Cinema III: Meatballs III, Outrageous Fortune with Shelley Long and Bette Midler and Over The Top with Sylvester Stallone. ... At its regular meeting Monday afternoon, the Mexico Park Board will receive donations from the Rotary, Kiwanis and Elks clubs to be used for the Lakeview Shelter sidewalk and renovations. 10 Years Ago For some, high school was the best experience they ever had. The others, however, claim they cant even recall their high school years (so observes The Bulldogs Growl). For this years Mexico High School students, the editors of the 2002 Mascot are making it easy to remember the days of the school year with the theme Time to Tell. With a staff of 42 students, the Mascot production is well under way. The cover will be antique gold with faded-in pictures of MHS students, activities and memorable events that go along with the them. Tri-editors are Adrienne Cope, Katie Kriegel and Lane Williams.

The Yesterday In Mexico column is published daily in The Mexico Ledger. An expanded column is published on Fridays. Call the circulation department (573) 581-1111 for subscription information.

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Yesterday In Mexico

NEWARK, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Law firm McCarter & English LLP announced today that it has been awarded LEED Gold and Silver Certifications established by the U.S. Green Building Council and verified by the Green Building Certification Institute for its renovation of the firms Newark office. LEED is the nations preeminent building ratings system for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings.

At McCarter, we strive to lead by example, said Stephen M. Vajtay, Jr., Firmwide Managing Partner. The renovation of our largest office in Newark was the right thing to do for our employees, clients, business partners and the environment in which we live, work and serve. In addition to our new LEED Certifications, we are also very proud to have four attorneys who have been designated by the U.S. Green Building Council as LEED Accredited Professionals and are knowledgeable about Green Building requirements, practices and procedures. We will continue our efforts to maintain a forward-thinking culture at McCarter, part of a philosophy that has contributed to our continued success for over 165 years.

This achievement places McCarter in the forefront of firms that walk the walk with regard to a commitment to green building and sustainability, said Mary Jane Augustine, a partner in the firms Construction Group, who is a LEED AP, and was an advocate within the firm for seeking the LEED Certifications.

The firm is also seeking LEED Silver Certification for its Stamford, CT office.

McCarter & English achieved LEED Certification for energy use, lighting, water and material use as well as incorporating a variety of other sustainability strategies. By using less energy and water, LEED Certified buildings save money for families, businesses and taxpayers; reduce greenhouse gas emissions; and contribute to a healthier environment for residents, workers and the larger community.

McCarters LEED Certification demonstrates tremendous green building leadership, said Rick Fedrizzi, President, CEO & Founding Chair of the U.S. Green Building Council. The green building movement offers an unprecedented opportunity to respond to the most-important challenges of our time, including global climate change, dependence on non-sustainable and expensive sources of energy and threats to human health. The work of innovative building projects such as McCarters is a fundamental driving force in the green building movement.

LEED Certification of McCarter & English was based on a number of green design and construction features. The office received a LEED Gold Certification for the renovation of its practice floors, and a LEED Silver rating for the build out of its Conference Center. The firm achieved LEED points for: water efficiency, green power, low VOC paints and coatings, utilization of a construction waste management system, paper recycling, furniture and material re-use and advanced lighting technology, among others.

Gensler, a global architecture, design, planning and consulting firm, led the renovation of the firms Newark office.

About the U.S. Green Building Council

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Newark Office of McCarter & English LLP Awarded Prestigious LEED® Green Building Certification

TheU.S. State Department has announced aproject toconstruct anannexed office building onthe compound ofthe embassy inMoscow, theembassy announced Monday.

Theseven-story office building will be sited adjacent tothe current eight-story Chancery building atthe "new" embassy compound near theso-called Russian White House.

Thefirst two floors ofthe building will provide consular andvisa services forRussian citizens wishing totravel tothe United States andservices forthe growing number ofAmerican visitors andexpatriates living inRussia.

Theupper floors ofthe new annex will provide office space foragencies working with theRussian government such as theNational Aeronautics andSpace Administration, theCenters forDisease Control, theForeign Commercial Service andthe Foreign Agricultural Service.

Thenew annex was designed tomeet Leadership inEnergy andEnvironmental Design certification standards.The State Department engaged thearchitectural firm ofHOK (formerly Hellmuth, Obata & Kassabaum) todesign theannex.That firm engaged theRussian architectural firm ofA. R. Vorontsov toparticipate inthis project.

HOK was also selected in2009 todesign aMandarin Oriental Hotel ina historical building onTverskaya Ulitsa, theUnikor development company reported onits website.

Groundbreaking forthe new embassy annex is scheduled forthe summer of2012, andribbon cutting is projected for2015.

Theconstruction ofthe new annex will complete aprogram ofdiplomatic construction inWashington, D.C. andMoscow as envisioned inagreements signed in1969 andamended in1992.

Here is the original post:
Embassy Planning Annex

Adam Lapierre

February 28, 2012

A small crew is making a big mess at the Port of Hood River's marina office building.

The mid-1970s structure - home to the Visitors Center and Chamber of Commerce - is receiving a major remodel to upgrade both inside and outside features. Griffin Construction started demolition work last week on the lower floor of the building, with chamber staff working from tight quarters upstairs and the Visitors Center closed for the next couple of months (with a temporary location set up at Cascade Travel's downtown office).

The project will extend the usability of the aging building for the near future, and will keep the chamber at the waterfront location for at least another decade.

"The building really needed to be updated," said Kerry Cobb, chamber director. Several months ago Cobb addressed the port commission, which was debating whether to invest more than a quarter million dollars into the building for repairs or to pursue other options for the prime waterfront property. Cobb said that if the building was not updated, the chamber would likely start looking at other locations for its headquarters.

"We really like the location," she said. "The port is gorgeous and the building is in the right place for a visitors center. The changes are going to make things a lot nicer for our operations."

The port commission approved the upgrade project last year, and the chamber committed to staying in the building by signing a 10-year lease starting in January. The upgrade includes an array of interior work, including a new HVAC system, new restrooms, walls, ceilings and floors and a new layout that will create a much-needed conference room. The major exterior improvement will be a rebuild of the large wood deck overlooking the river, which has degraded over time and is no longer up to code.

"We're crammed cozily on the upper floor until work downstairs is done," Cobb said. "They've already done quite a bit of demolishing; it's exciting. I think the project will move along pretty quickly."

The port hired Griffin Construction for the job at a price tag of just under $300,000. The company expects to have work completed by the middle of April, in time for the chamber and visitors center to settle in before the busy season.

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Chamber kicks off travel to learn in cozy quarters

MANCHESTER, NH--(Marketwire -02/28/12)- Newforma, a project information management (PIM) software company improving building and infrastructure project delivery, today introduced the Newforma Construction Suite, making it easier for design-build firms, general contractors, construction managers and large specialty subcontractors to manage project information to the benefit of their firms and project teams. Select customers have already validated the products by using the new features to deliver live projects. New features include ATM-easy web access for remote users and external consultants; faster, more thorough publishing of handover and closeout information; central management of global contacts; and more.

Barry Gehron, PE, LEED AP, is the chief engineer with John Moriarty & Associates, a Boston-based general contractor validating the new and improved aspects of the software. "The improved web interface is a key component of a more efficient and effective preconstruction bidding process," Gehron said. "It also makes it easier for clients, subcontractors and design team partners to share and coordinate contract documents, RFIs, submittals and other project information. Our consultants and subcontractors enjoy the user-friendly, ATM-style format which makes navigating for project information an easier process."

New and improved Newforma Construction Suite features:

Three new products to improve construction project delivery

The Newforma Construction Suite consists of three products: Newforma Preconstruction, Newforma Project Management, and Newforma Field Management.

In addition to managing email, viewing drawings and searching for information on the company network, Newforma Preconstruction provides means to distribute and coordinate bid documents, and to coordinate models and documents for MEP clash detection.

Newforma Project Management provides an extensive array of functions to manage contracts, submittals, RFIs, change orders, action items and more. It also allows for remote, touch-screen access to project information, whether by smartphone or tablet.

Finally, customers of Newforma Project Management also gain the advantages of Newforma to Newforma, a new technology that enables customer-to-customer connectivity and empowers project teams to deliver more successful projects based on transparency with accountability. For a complete description of Newforma to Newforma and the Newforma Project Network, see the press release, "AEC Firms Say Newforma to Newforma Is Revolutionizing Project Delivery."

Newforma Field Management provides functions to manage punch lists, project images and spatial indices. It includes a tablet app that streamlines the field capture and management of punch list items.

Newforma Chief Executive Officer Ian Howell said, "Many construction companies have asked Newforma to further develop our PIM solution to embrace the role of the contractor. They see that by interacting more efficiently with design firms, they can improve project delivery. We have designed the Newforma Construction Suite to meet these specifications, adding functionality and specially tailoring packaging and pricing of the software. By adopting a project information management strategy that includes Newforma PIM software, construction firms are realizing the benefits of improved project delivery, more connected teams, and easier information-sharing, ultimately satisfying the rising expectations of the owners they serve."

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Newforma Introduces Newforma Construction Suite

Press Release Press Breakfast | Prague, 29 February 2012

IMMOFINANZ Group develops outstanding office building in Prague 1

Ten years after its entry into the Czech Republic as a real estate investor the Austrian-based IMMOFINANZ Group now underscores its commitment to this northern neighbouring market by intensifying its commercial development activities. The first development project will be the refurbishment of a historic building right in the heart of Pragues Old Town, in Jindisk 16. Construction works started recently and are scheduled to be finalised in July 2013. The investment amounts to EUR 24.6 million.

We acquired this building together with Lordship in a 50:50 joint venture from CSOB in January 2006, commented Eduard Zehetner, Chairman of the Executive Board of IMMOFINANZ Group. In order to have clear responsibilities we acquired Lordships share last year. Full control over this development will allow us to realise the project on time and within budget - for the benefit of our investors, Zehetner added, pleased over the future prospects of the project. The full takeover of Jindisk 16 also marks another milestone in the consequent realisation of IMMOFINANZ Groups strategy to develop non-controlling interests into majority holdings or to sell these investments.

Top quality prestigious office building in Pragues City Centre

Jindisk 16 is located in the heart of Pragues city center close to Wenceslas Square near the Jindisk Bell Tower. A prime business location and outstanding accessibility by all three metro lines, several tram lines and Pragues most important train stations are the projects most valuable assets.

The architect of the reconstruction and new extension is the respected Prague-based atelier DaM architects. Jindisk 16 is one of many historic places in Pragues heritage city center that were built at the beginning of the 20th Century but have been neglected for decades. It is a great honour for us to contribute to the revival of this exciting building, said Richard Doleal, partner of DaM architects. Our design work was driven mainly by the idea to create a future-oriented, sustainable office environment that will benefit from the charm of the historic building stock as well as architectural and technological state-of-the art renewals.

The refurbishment design was created in close cooperation with Pragues heritage department and protects all important original architectural elements such as the facade of the building, the inner structure of the historical section, the representative staircases, windows, fittings, etc. Together with the new state-of-the-art structure, these reconstructed genuine parts will give Jindisk 16 a unique character and atmosphere.

After completion Jindisk 16 will offer 6,800 sqm of Class A office and retail space in the historical and the new parts of the property as well as an automatic parking system. The buildings flexible floor plan layout will make it possible to choose between cellular or open-plan offices. Our aim is to develop high-end office and retail space in Jindisk 16, meaning attractiveness does not end with the architectural design. On the contrary: We want to offer our tenants an addressing, comprehensive service package, explained Ralph Bezjak, Head of Developments Commercial of IMMOFINANZ Group, on the companys strategy. We will therefore ensure highest building standards by using top-quality materials and state-of-the-art technologies. A sophisticated building management system will guarantee full transparency of operating costs based on the individual monitoring and metering of all office units and common areas.

Jindisk 16: A green office oasis in the heart of Prague

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DGAP-News: IMMOFINANZ Group develops outstanding office building in Prague 1

Capital Park to launch Eurocentrum Office Complex in Ochota district

The company is also finishing preparatory work on its ArtNorblin multifunction scheme in the capital

Developer Capital Park will launch construction on its Eurocentrum Office Complex investment in Warsaw’s Ochota district in Q2 of this year. The scheme is scheduled to be completed in the second quarter of 2014.

The company, which bought the plot for the scheme in 2007, plans to develop an office project comprising almost 70,000 sqm of leasable space on the land.

The previous owner of the land planned a complex of several smaller office buildings for the plot, of which just one was completed. Capital Park has re-commercialized the existing facility and designed a new concept for the development of the rest of the property.

Eurocentrum Office Complex will be a 15-floor building offering over 67,500 sqm of office and more than 2,400 sqm of retail-service space. The development will feature sustainable solutions and will, according to the developer, be the largest LEED CS Gold-certified office scheme in Poland.

“We are in the process of selecting a general contractor for the investment. The planned date of the launch of construction is Q2 2012,” said Kinga Nowakowska, head of asset management, sales and marketing at Capital Park. She added that construction on the project is expected to take two years.

Commercialization of space in Eurocentrum Office Complex is already underway, with Imtech having already leased more than 7,000 sqm in the development. That transaction was one of the largest in the Warsaw market in 2011.

“We are in talks with many tenants whose names we cannot yet reveal as long as the deals are not finalized,” Ms Nowakowska said. She added that Capital Park had recently secured a preliminary financing decision from one of the largest banks in Poland.

ArtNorblin progress

Meanwhile, preparatory work is proceeding on Capital Park’s other major planned investment in Warsaw. The company’s ArtNorblin project in the Wola district has already received a planning decision from the City Hall, and the developer wants to apply for a building permit by the end of this year.

The investment will be built on a plot that formerly housed the Norblin factory. It aims to both revitalize the post-industrial area by renovating the plant’s buildings and machinery and develop modern structures with commercial space.

Work is still underway on devising a conservation program for the historical buildings that are located on the land. “Construction is scheduled to start in 2013 and finish in 2015,” Ms Nowakowska said.

ArtNorblin will comprise a total of over 61,000 sqm of space, including approximately 22,000 sqm of retail-service and cultural space and 39,000 sqm of office space. The investment will include a museum dedicated to the history of the Norblin factory.

According to Ms Nowakowska, the development is the most difficult investment in the history of her firm. She said that challenges included conservation issues, complex construction solutions, the combination of several functions in one project and integration of the scheme with the city.

Established in 2003, Capital Park is mostly engaged in the development of office and high-street retail space. The company’s property portfolio currently comprises 72 assets totaling almost 309,000 sqm of completed and planned space, more than 80 percent of which is located in Warsaw.

According to Emmerson Evaluation data, Capital Park’s property portfolio was valued at z?.1.12 billion as of December 31, 2010 and is expected to be worth z?.3.23 billion after the ongoing and planned projects are completed.

From Lokale Immobilia by Adam Zdrodowski

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The company is also finishing preparatory work on its ArtNorblin multifunction scheme in the capital

Authorities in central China's Hubei province are mulling whether to "add height" to a building project, a move that would make it the tallest building in China upon its completion, Wuhan-based contractor Greenland Construction Group said Monday.

The Wuhan municipal government initiated the adjustment plan in order to bring about a landmark building, according to a spokesman with the company.

The Eco Tower Wuhan Center was originally designed to rise approximately 606 meters (1,818 ft) and house 119 stories, with a total floor area of around 3 million square meters. Based on initial plans, it would be the second-tallest building in China upon its completion in 2017.

The adjustment may require its height to surpass that of the 632-meter Shanghai Tower, which is currently being constructed as the country's tallest building.

The feasibility report on the possible changes to the initial plan is under further discussion, and the final decision has yet to be disclosed.

The foundation for the building will be completed along China's Yangtze River belt in 2012, and construction has progressed smoothly since it began in 2010.

Designed by Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture, the building will include a five-star hotel, an atrium featuring 360-degree views of the city and office buildings.

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Wuhan mulls tallest building in China

Authorities in Hanoi Wednesday suspended the construction of a building after one worker was killed and four others were critically injured in a scaffold collapse the day before.

Bach Quoc Viet, chief of the Labor Safety Office under the Hanoi Department of Labors, Invalids and Social Affairs, told Thanh Nien initial enquiries showed that the collapse started at the ninth floor of the Melberry Lane building in Ha Dong District.

At that time, two groups of workers under two different sub-contractors were working at the same time: one was mortaring outside the building, and the other was installing glass windows inside, Viet said, citing reports from the project’s contractor, China State Construction Engineering Corporation.

When the inside group finished their job, they took out some bearers on the scaffold, making it loose, the contractor said.

In the end the scaffold collapsed, burying five workers who were walking under, it said.

The victims were rushed to the nearby Military Hospital 103, but one of them died due to multiple injuries and brain trauma.

Viet said this was just the report from the contractor, and that related agencies were investigating the case further before drawing final conclusions.

When the accident happened, nearly 4,000 workers were working on the site and the main contractor was responsible for their general safety, he said.

Meanwhile, Pham Van Trang, 28, one of the four survivors, told the VnExpress newswire that he was mortaring outside the seventh floor together with four other people when the accident happened.

“The scaffolding was made of steel and quite strong. When I was working, I heard some noises and then the scaffold suddenly broke,” he said. “I had nothing to hold on to, so I fell down and lost consciousness.”

Initial information is that work on the 14,000 square-meter building started in 2010 with a total investment of US$170 million from a joint-venture between Singapore-based CapitalLand Group and Vietnamese-owned Hoang Thanh Company.

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Building construction halted after fatal accident in Vietnam capital