Rendering of The Steelyard in Lincoln Yards (Sterling Bay, iStock)

Sterling Bay is expected to break ground on its latest Lincoln Yards project by the third quarter after it was approved by the Chicago Plan Commission.

An 800,000-square-foot development called The Steelyard will include a 19-story, 350-unit residential building, a 15-story commercial building and a market hall, the Chicago Business Journal reported. It will also have office space and a 6.5 acre riverfront park open to the public, according to Julie Goudie, spokeswoman for Sterling Bay, the Chicago company behind the development. Construction is expected to end within 24 months of the starting date.

(Courtesy of Sterling Bay)

We expect to start construction in mid- to late summer 2022, Goudie told the Chicago Business Journal. The informational presentation to the Plan Commission was the last step in the public review process.

The Steelyard is part of the Lincoln Yards project, a $6 billion, 53-acre development on former industrial land along the North Branch of the Chicago River.

Goudie said several more buildings will be built after The Steelyard is completed, as well as several infrastructure projects to support the new developments, such as Throop Street Bridge, an extension of The 606, an elevated park built on a former rail line, as well as new Riverwalk space and a water taxi stop.

[Crains] Harrison Connery

Harrison Connery

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Sterling Bay to break ground by 3Q on Lincoln Yards project - The Real Deal

City issues 1,311 building permits last year, worth $211.4 million, doubling any of the previous five years

COVID-19 may be kicking our backsides, but the latest building permit statistics released by the City of Sault Ste. Marieshow the local construction sector is enjoying its best performance in recent memory.

Permits issued in 2021 totalled $221.4 million, higher than any of the previous dozen years and easily twice the construction value of any of the previous five years.

In the 12-year period from 2009 to 2020, the best years were 2011 ($169.3 million), 2010 ($150.8 million) and 2009 ($125.9 million).

Last year, 1,125 permits valued at $75million were issued for local residential projects.

A total of 51 permits worth $38.1 million were issued in the institutional and governmental category.

Twenty-two industrial building permits added up to $8.4 million.

In the commercial sector, there were 113 permits worth $89.9 million.

Major construction projects for which building permits were issued in 2021 included the following:

SooToday

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Sault Ste. Marie had a bust-out year for construction in 2021 - Northern Ontario Business

jadgal elementary school by daaz office

daaz office has completed an elementary school with a circular arrangement for seyed-bar village in iran. the project was commissioned by iran-e man, an NGO that constructs schools in disadvantaged areas of the country. the new single-story building is composed of seven volumes arrayed around a large central courtyard. the design also features a round periphery wall with random openings for children and villagers to enter and inhabit.

images by deed studio

the first step of the project was to carry out architectural and social studies in the village and the region. in a participatory way, the needs, shortcomings, potentials, and capacities of the village and indigenous peoples were identified, themed, and prioritized.

as a result of the initial research, the team planned the building not just as a school, but also as a community center; a place of education for children and a point of gathering and learning for everybody in the village. at present, the school also functions as a childrens play area, a place to watch movies and play football, a library, and a tourist residence.

the program covers a built area of 480 sqm and it includes four elementary classes, each of which can be connected to another classroom to generate a larger space and optimize limited personnel. theres also a library, a multifunctional hall that serves as a conference room, a workshop-cum-exam hall, and outdoor spaces for play.

the circular form of the architecture forms part of the learning together concepta democratic style void of hierarchical systems. the rotation of the class layout while connecting them at the corners allows for air circulation between the rooms and generates small secondary yards for group work or outdoor activities. this spatial diagram also creates the central courtyard in the middle of the school and a circular space around the classes.

a boundary wall is traditionally understood as a protector, a separator and generally stands as a masonry-built guarding device. in this project, however, the school boasts a unique location in the middle of a vast and relatively flat plain. the school wall was therefore treated as an inviting playful shell. openings within the wall are arranged so that people seated in class can see out across the plain. these openings of different sizes and shapes also provide students with various entrances into the school.

by increasing the thickness of this continuous yet porous wall, some essential functions of the building such as a tuck shop, a school guards room, and a storeroom were housed while the main entrance was emphasized, gaining depth and inviting people inside.

in designing this school, daaz office envisioned education as a dialectic, bilateral, participatory driven concept and accordingly, the conventional school spaces that act as platforms of these ideas were transformed in this manner: transforming the school wall from separator to a shell structure that performs as a playful skin, inviting people to gather and encouraging community culture while reinforcing communication between people. this transformation was performed in order to destroy hierarchy and strengthen culture, shining a light on the most basic meaning of going to school, which is being together.

the team opted for a participation-based method of construction that would promote sustainable development and generate social, economic, and cultural infrastructures. the villagers helped realize the project by working as site laborers whilefamilies contributed financially by selling needlework. this way, the school was built by local participation and gained the goodwill of everyone in the village.

the school is managed and maintained by a team of villagers and teachers, and part of the income from tourism and needlework is spent on its maintenance. a needlework workshop and an instagram page called @banook has been set up to empower women of the village and engage them in social and economic activities.

in alliance with the school renovation codes by the legislative institution and control of school construction in iran and the necessity of building earthquake-resistant structures, the schools structure was constructed with the ICF method, insulating concrete formwork. by utilizing polystyrene panels (EPS), galvanized iron profiles, and reinforced concrete, the structure was constructed without any columns- thanks to the designs curvilinear forms.

the final coating layer that was applied is a semi-local material consisting of cement and local soil called simgel that prevents rusting due to floods and excessive rain and creates harmony with the surrounding colors and textures. and in case of destruction or cracking, it can be easily repaired by the villagers.

we aimed to create a school that is a nest for nurturing creativity, freedom and critical thinking, says daaz office. the project started with an effort to change the villagers intellectual and social layers, empower rural women, create public participation, and turn it into a lever in building a school.

finally, by challenging the political and social concept of the boundary (the wall) between free will and coercion in the presence of the school in a society traditionally dominated by tyranny it was able to overwhelm the mental majority of most villagers who initially opposed the construction of the wall and make the school the center of the neighborhood and gathering of all residents. an exercise to influence architecture in the transition to democracy.

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daaz office wraps a 'playful shell' around this school in rural iran - Designboom

ExploreCensus data shows area communities diversifying

The countys sewer system uses several screens to filter out larger matter. The water then undergoes chemical treatment at the Moraine facility and is tested before it is released back into the rivers.

Montgomery County has approximately 30,000 sewer connections that flow to the West Carrollton plant the majority of which are funneled through the Dryden Road facility, Hilliard said.

While individual pieces of equipment have been replaced or rebuilt, a significant portion of the equipment is original, he said. Due to the corrosive nature of sewage, equipment life expectancy can vary from as little as 15 years to 25 years depending on the specific equipment and its application, Hilliard said.

There has never been a complete facility shutdown or untreated sewage releases, he said.

We havent had a failure, he said. If we ever had a failure, if any of that infrastructure ever failed, its critical because two things are going to happen. Either were going to have a problem where the wastewater is going to go right into the river or it would cause backups in the system, so peoples homes, especially the ones with basements, we could have some backups.

While nothing at the Dryden Road facility is considered malfunctioning, parts of the building feature aging equipment that is more costly to upgrade and maintain than to replace it altogether, Hilliard said.

The building itself requires repairs, such as a new roof, new windows, HVAC upgrades, drywall replacement, electrical upgrades, etcetera, that require money to be spent on an already-aged building, he said. MCES performed a cost study on this property, and it was determined that moving our lab to downtown would be a better use of taxpayer dollars.

The project will mean Montgomery County abandoning the four-stories-deep Dryden Road facility, but some of the office space on the first floor may be repurposed, he said. The laboratory there will move to downtown Dayton, Hilliard said.

Carrying out pre-treatment at the West Carrollton plant instead of the Dryden Road facility eliminates the cost of round-the-clock staffing and some of the maintenance costs, he said. Upgrading the countys aging pumps protects the system as a whole.

Like every other county in America, we deal with aging infrastructure, Spokeswoman Megan OLeary said. In order to continue having reliable services for our residents, we need to make sure that this is not going to fail.

Montgomery County commissioners on Tuesday approved a contract with Miami Twp.-based Ulliman Schutte Construction for design and construction of the project, which is expected to wrap up in 2024.

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Construction of $65M sewer project aimed at ensuring continued water safety - Dayton Daily News

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - The Assembly Public Works and Facilities Committee was updated on the four alternatives for a new City Hall during its meeting over the Noon hour Monday.

Engineering and Public Works Director Katie Koester provided the update and started with the option calling for renovation of the current facility. She said that option would require $11.1 Million in investments that are needed to renovate the facility.

She said of the option that calls for constructing a new city hall atop the Transit Center at Main and Egan. Koester called this one of the more affordable options in the $30 Million range. "Because the foundation work has already been done, that option is attractive." On the negative side, she said is that it would displace some existing parking. but she added that parking could be added.

Another construction site is on Whittier Street where the former State Public Safety Department Building once was. Koester said it really grows a section of downtown as kind of a cultural and civic center. She mentions that Centennial Hall and the State Museum are nearby.

On the negative side is this area would be a good location for affordable housing which is a top Assembly goal and developing office space would take away from that potential need. In addition, it is not in the downtown core.

Then there's the former Kmart and Walmart Building. She talked about the pros and cons, starting with the pros, by saying there's a lot of room there which is located centrally to all the constituents, and parking would never be an issue. But the building has been vacant for some time and the land is not for sale currently so there would be a lease associated with it. In addition, Koester said it would displace an opportunity for a large retail development. She said it is probably one of the only good spots for large retails left in Juneau. It's also twice the size city hall would need.

The next step comes with Wednesday evening's public meeting and then following that meeting. Koester said she will report back to the committee on the public meeting during its February 14 meeting. At that time, she said the committee will ask to prioritize the top two sites. At that point, staff will develop an economic analysis of the two sites. Then the Assembly will be asked to select a preferred alternative. At that point, a potential bond package could be developed for voters to consider in the local election come October.

The city hall public forum gets underway at 6 p.m. Wednesday via Zoom.

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Assembly committee briefed on City Hall options - kinyradio.com

Lendleases Tony Lombardo and a rendering of 3401 South La Cienega Boulevard (Lendlease, Shop Architects and RELM)

Australia-based Lendlease is moving ahead on its $600 million mixed-use project in West Adams with a new environmental report by Los Angeles planners.

The real estate and construction giant has been issued a sustainable communities environmental assessment by the Los Angeles Department of City Planning for its 461,000-square-foot project at 3401 South La Cienega Blvd., according to Urbanize L.A.

The proposed development, financed by Australian pension fund Aware Super, would remake a 3.5-acre storage facility next to Metros La Cienega/Jefferson Station.

Lendlease paid $92 million for the site with plans to build 260 residential units, 227,000 square feet of offices and 2,869 square feet of ground-floor shops and restaurants. An underground garage would accomodate 785 vehicles.

Construction would begin in early 2023 and be completed by 2025, according to the environmental report.

The Lendlease project, designed by ShoP Architects based in New York, would feature a 13-story residential tower and a six-story office building, with upper-level setbacks to create terrace decks. The office building would include mass timber in its design.

The buildings would share a 32,000 square-foot plaza, designed by Downtown-based RELM, that would open onto a bike path near the Metro Station.

The project would get a zoning variance to build a larger residential building in exchange for 22 affordable apartments for low-income households and seven units reserved as workforce housing.

Lendlease and Aware Super are partners on a number of major development projects across the country, including at 1 Java Street in Brooklyns Greenpoint neighborhood.

West Adams is home to many large-scale new projects, including Carmel Partners 1,200-unit residential complex known as Cumulus, S.D. Abrahams 254-unit residential project, and a 168-unit mixed-use complex by CIM Group.

[Urbanize LA] Dana Bartholomew

Contact Dana Bartholomew

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Lendlease on the move in West Adams - The Real Deal

While over 270,000 square metres of new office space entered the market in the countrys biggest cities in 2019, this year the figure will not reach 90,000, iDnes.cz said, citing consultants Cushman & Wakefield.

Photo: Tom Adamec, Czech Radio

Interest in new offices in Prague and Brno already declined significantly last year, when the switch to work from home showed many companies that they did not need to rent as much space, the news site said.

Experts believe that this factor, combined with a shortage of construction workers, has also impacted developers, who are re-evaluating some planned office projects.

Josefna Rybov of real estate consulting company JLL told iDnes.cz that construction projects had been suspended even before the pandemic due, to rising construction costs. The present low level of new construction is the result of the brakes having been put on for two years, she said.

On the Czech Republics largest market, Prague, less than 70,000 square metres of new office space will be created in 2021, while the long-term average is about 150,000 per year.

According to estimates, the number of new offices in Brno this year should be half that seen last year and approximately two thirds less than in 2019.

Photo: Alex Kotljarskyj, Unsplash, CC0

The head of Cushman & Wakefields leasing team, Radka Novak, told iDnes.cz that there will not be many more new projects in 2022 than there were this year.

Optimism is gradually returning and several relatively large projects have already begun to be built; however, their completion is not expected until 2023, she told the news site.

Leo Anderle, CEO of developer Sekyra Group, told iDnes.cz that it was necessary to take into account that the construction of such structures cannot take place overnight. If work starts on an office this year, it may be completed in two years, he said.

Banks are also cautious about providing loans to build office projects and developers are waiting for a time when they will be able to use pre-agreed rental deals as a source of financing, Martin Striko of JLL told the news site.

There is currently more free office space in Prague since at any time since 2017, Cushman & Wakefield said.

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Interest in office space down as new building construction slows markedly - Radio Prague

A whole new Manhattan skyline will emerge when a dozen-odd planned new projects that have yet to break ground hoist their final I-beams.The big question is: Which, if any, of them will actually start construction in 2022?

A glance at the wish-listgives no hint that the citys real estate destiny, including the fate of tiny apartment buildings, might depend on beating a pandemic that shows no sign of abating.

But developers made their moves years ago. They bought land and air rights, cobbled together financing and signed architects. Some nailed down city zoning and other approvals. Some demolished old structures in the way of their ambitions.

But its a long way from those crucial steps to bringing in the backhoes and shovels. Heres a look at where some of the future jumbos are right now:

The mega-tower planned for the Grand Hyatt Hotel site on East 42ndStreet known as175 Park Avenue got its governmental green light his month when the City Councilapproved a zoning change to allow construction of the $3 billion-plus mixed-use mammoth rising to 1,575 feet.

To exploit East Midtown size-bonus rules, developers RXR Realty and TF Cornerstone will pay for and build hundreds of millions of dollars in Grand Central-area transit/pedestrian improvements and also provide 25,000 square feet of free-to-the-public outdoor terraces programmed for arts and cultural uses.

But dont look to the sky just yet. A spokesman told us, Now that the entitlement process is complete, the developers will spend next year arranging construction financing and reaching out to potential tenants, with plans to start demolition in 2023.

Nearby in the Grand Central area, demolition has begun at343 Madison Avenue, the former MTA headquarters. Boston Properties plans a 1,050-foot-tall tower with more than 800,000 square feet of offices and significant retail. It will also feature numerous underground pedestrian connections to Grand Central Terminal which Boston is providing in exchange for a size bonus under new East Midtown rezoning rules. The project received its City Council green light last month.

However, theres no word yet on when ground-up construction will begin.

West 57thStreet between Fifth and Seventh avenues aka Billionaires Row is without question the most active location for major new projects. Awaiting their marching orders are the empty lots at41-47 W. 57thand12 W. 57th St., as demolition proceeds one block west at125 W. 57thSt.

The No. 125 site was home to the Calvary Baptist Church and the Salisbury Hotel. As we reported in June, the church will be restored and enlarged when a new, 26-story mixed-use tower developed by Alchemy-ABR Investment Partners, financial partner Cain International and the church itself is finished in 2024.

Ground-up construction is to begin soon on the $350 million project once demolition, now underway, is complete. The new tower will include 185,000 square feet of office space. It was delayed when a lender pulled outin March 2020, forcing Alechemy-ABR to find new financing, but all the hurdles have been cleared.

Between Fifth and Sixth avenues, the company founded by Sheldon Solow is demolishing old structures to make way for12 W. 57th, a 670-foot-tall, white marbleluxury condo tower with a retail base, designed by SOM architects. Two buildings are yet to be razed, including the original Henri Bendel address. Solow passed away in November 2020, but his son Stefan Soloviev, who reorganized the various Solow entities under the new umbrella of Soloviev Group, seems no less eager to build.

Meanwhile, excavation is expected to begin soon at another large site, 41-47 W. 57th, where developer Sedesco plans an 1,100-foot-tall mixed-use tower with 119 condo units, a 158-room hotel and a large restaurant. YIMBY reported last week that thanks to an agreement with the MTA, Sedesco is to receive an acre of extra floor space in exchange for building new, disabled-accessible elevators for the 57thStreet F train station.

Meanwhile, Rudin Management is gearing up to demolish anold building at East 48th Street to make way for 415 Madison Ave., a planned 605-foot tower with 343,100 square feet ofoffice space. Rudin first needs city approval for an air rights transfer and for a size bonus in exchange for transit/pedestrian amenities not unlike Bostons plan for 343 Madison. The project will include a retail pavilion and a public concourse. A Rudin rep said, Theyre working to complete ULURP early next year.

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NYC developers poised but hesitant to break ground on slew of projects - New York Post

Plans are in the works for a new building with 14 residences and two offices at 214 Red Cross St. (Port City Daily/Alexandria Sands Williams)

WILMINGTON Before bulldozers can push dirt, developers must receive the A-OK from the city on their plans for construction.

Several property owners in the past few weeks have taken the step to seek that approval, submitting site plans for their projects to Wilmingtons Technical Review Committee. The group of city staffers works with local developers to ensure construction plans are in line with the mandated regulations and standards.

Below are four plans submitted to the TRC in December, and what we know about the forthcoming developments:

Perkins Goodbye Hugs has its sights set on a new home to help send furry loved ones over the rainbow bridge.

The crematory business, currently located in a Netherlands Drive suite, has submitted construction plans for a new building at 1 Lame Street, conveniently located next door to an emergency animal hospital.

RELATED: Wilmingtons first aquamation facility opens

Co-owner John Best indicated he and his partner are still working out details, and a construction timeline is not yet flushed out due to fluctuating building prices. Site plans show a proposed two-story building, spanning 2,280-square feet on the quarter-acre vacant lot.

The move is expected to give customers a better and more intimate experience, Best explained.

Honestly, where we are right now, we dont have a great place for customers to come in and spend some time and have some privacy, he said.

The business opened in 2004 and traded hands in August 2019. Perkins will lay to rest any domestic companion, from dogs to turtles, in both private and communal cremations.

A 16-unit, multi-use building is proposed for a vacant lot on Red Cross Street. The development is expected to go up on a sliver of land, sandwiched between neighboring multi-family buildings and a Cape Fear Community College office.

Located at 214 Red Cross Street, the almost 1-acre piece of property was sold by T P1 LLC in September 2020 for $300,000, according to property records. Port Property Management, a Maine-based company, is connected to the project.

The proposed three-story building, with a basement, would encompass 14 one-bedroom units and two offices. It would span 2,730 square feet per floor.

Riverlights is seeking approval for 16 townhome buildings, containing a total of 43 units, on Watercraft Ferry Avenue. The 4.25 acres in question is between Mosby apartments, River Road, the Lake House Community Center and the communitys lake.

RELATED: Riverlights hops on growing build-to-rent trend with multifamily village

The recently submitted site designs are just one portion of the greater plan for Riverlights, an approximately 1,400-acre, up-and-coming, mixed-use community. Once complete, Riverlights will contain 3,000 residences.

The community includes single-family, patio, multi-family and townhomes as well as commercial space, eight public parks and access to the Cape Fear River.

Vivo Investment Group, a company transforming dying hotels into affordable housing across the country, has submitted its conversion plans for the 7.7-acre property currently home to Budgetel Inn.

City council previously approved the necessary rezoning to convert the 224-room hotel, located at 4903 Market Street, into a 234-unit apartment complex.

Inside the existing two-story buildings, each room will be renovated into a one-bed, efficiency apartment. The design for the 278- and 352-square-feet units combines the living and sleeping rooms and includes one bathroom.

READ MORE: Nuisance hotel in Wilmington may transform into tiny apartments

Send tips and comments to info@portcitdaily.com

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Who's building in Wilmington? Pet crematory, Red Cross St. apartments, Riverlights townhomes among plans - Port City Daily

U.S. Customs and Border Protection has been authorized to start cleaning up construction sites and close small gaps in the southern border wall nearly a year after President Joe Biden took office and ordered building to stop.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said in a statement this week that wall building projects begun by the Defense Department within the Border Patrols sectors in California, Arizona and parts of Texas will be turned over to his agency so any safety and environmental concerns can be addressed.

Work will include installing drainage systems to prevent flooding, erosion control and slope stabilization, construction and improvement of access roads and removal of building materials that will no longer be used.

It was unclear when cleanup and any remediation work will begin.

CBP will also close any small gaps that remain open from prior construction and finish work on incomplete gates, including inoperable storm gates that need to open during the rainy season.

Mayorkas said the the Biden administration is still calling on Congress to cancel any remaining border wall funding left over from former President Donald Trumps time in office and instead fund technology and other kinds of border security measures it considers more effective.

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U.S. Customs and Border Protection authorized to clean up wall construction sites, close gaps - KTLA