Charlotte Observer (blog)

Check out the newest corporate headquarters building under construction in Charlotte Charlotte Observer (blog) Charlotte real estate firm New Forum is developing the building, along with another, as-yet-unoccupied office building next door called Two Silver Crescent. At One Silver Crescent, crews are using a technique called tilt-up construction to build the ... and more »

Read the rest here:
Check out the newest corporate headquarters building under construction in Charlotte - Charlotte Observer (blog)

TREXLERTOWN Air Products has told employees it is exploring opportunities for its corporate headquarters, including one scenario that would involve building a new base of operations elsewhere in the Lehigh Valley, within a "reasonable commuting distance" from the current campus.

That is one of four scenarios the industrial gases producer outlined to employees at a meeting Thursday morning, with the other three options involving renovation and modernization of its existing 235-acre campus in Trexlertown.

No matter what the company ultimately decides, CEO Seifi Ghasemi stressed the company is committed to keeping its headquarters, where approximately 2,000 people work, in the Lehigh Valley, spokesman Art George said. Ghasemi also told workers that he wants a main facility that reflects the "world-class company" that is Air Products, George said.

The company said it expects to make a final decision by the end of the year and for it to be a "multi-year process."

The company has hired an outside consultant to assess its options, which are:

Retain its existing Trexlertown campus and perform routine maintenance and necessary upgrades.

Significantly transform the main administrative buildings, gutting and rebuilding them from the ground floor. Consolidate and rebuild its industrial gases research and development facilities.

Completely demolish the existing administrative buildings and construct new office space and laboratories.

Build a new headquarters and lab facility elsewhere "within a reasonable commuting distance from its current campus" at 7201 Hamilton Blvd. The company would then explore a sale of the Trexlertown campus.

George said under the first three scenarios, there may be a reduction in the company's campus footprint. Some campus buildings are vacant, though George could not provide specifics on what percentage is unoccupied. The company said most of its headquarters facilities are more than 30 years old, outdated, and have increasing and costly maintenance requirements.

Air Products' sprawling headquarters, reminiscent of a university campus or a center for research, was first constructed in the mid-1950s, about 15 years after the company was founded in Detroit by the late Leonard Parker Pool.

Through the decades, the headquarters emerged as a simple yet powerful symbol of corporate culture that also came to symbolize something else, namely the move of American business from the city to suburbs, according to the 1990 book "Out of Thin Air," which chronicles Air Products' first half-century.

As recently as June, Ghasemi publicly stated the company's commitment to the Valley, despite slashing hundreds of local jobs in a corporate-wide restructuring.

"We're not going anywhere," Ghasemi said, responding to a question about the company during a speech he gave to the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce.

About 2,000 out of Air Products' 3,000 Lehigh Valley employees work at the headquarters, George said. The rest work at other company locations in Allentown, Bethelehem and elsewhere. The company is one of two Fortune 500 companies based in the Lehigh Valley, and is also one of the region's largest employers. The company employs about 16,000 people worldwide.

Tony Iannelli, the Chamber's president and CEO, said he believes Air Products will keep its word.

"Air Products feels the need to assess its physical plant," Iannelli said. "Like any internationally successful company, they could go anywhere in the world. They have chosen to make that commitment in the Lehigh Valley, and I applaud that."

Don Cunningham, president and CEO of the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation, said Air Products is evaluating real estate space options within the Lehigh Valley, but did not have any specific information on the company's plans.

Air Products has a presence in downtown Allentown, occupying the entire fourth floor of the Two City Center office building. If Air Products has designs on moving more employees downtown, there will be no shortage of office space to welcome them. City Center Corp. is building the 12-story Tower 6, due to open next year, and has another office tower called Five City Center on the drawing board.

City Center CEO J.B. Reilly said he has "not had talks"with Air Products to rent additional space.

Air Products also could consider relocating to the proposed Waterfront development along the Lehigh River. Mark Jaindl, a banker and developer who is one of the principals behind the Waterfront, declined comment.

Air Products' plans are in line with what other major companies are doing with their corporate headquarters, said John Boyd Jr. of the Boyd Co. Inc., a corporate site selection firm in Princeton, N.J. He said companies today want more collaborative, smaller work spaces, noting how the average square footage per worker has dipped to about 90 square feet vs. approximately 125 square feet 30 years ago.

Another factor, Boyd said, deals with companies' branding. "A company wants to position its headquarters to attract new talent and position it as a company looking forward toward the future," he said. He also pointed to Guardian Life Insurance Co. of America's consolidation into a new, modern regional office complex off Route 512 in Northampton County as an example.

The headquarters property also has three tenants, Intertek Group, an inspection, product testing and certification company based in London; Versum Materials, a spinoff company formed out of a division of Air Products last year; and Evonik Industries AG of Germany, which acquired Air Products' performance materials division in January.

Evonik employs about 200 employees, Versum has 158 employees, and Intertek employs 46 people at Air Products' headquarters. Last fall, Versum announced it was moving about three-dozen administrative employees to a neighboring business park, as it shifted its corporate headquarters to Tempe, Ariz.

Air Products ranks 288th on the latest Fortune 500 company list. Air Products stock closed at $135.18 Thursday, down 6 cents.

Morning Call reporter Matt Assad contributed to this report.

asalamone@mcall.com

610-820-6694

Get the inside scoop on the Lehigh Valley's business scene on The Business Cycle, themorningcall.com/business. Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/LVBizCycle. Follow us on Twitter: @LVBizCycle.

Where: 7201 Hamilton Blvd., Trexlertown, Upper Macungie Township

How old: First building constructed in 1955-56; latest construction in 2004; several buildings were built between those years, predominantly in the 1970s and 80s.

Size: 235 acres

Taxes: Air Products pays nearly $1.5 million in property taxes to Lehigh County, Upper Macungie Township and the Parkland School District, according to county records.

Tenants: Evonik Industries AG, Versum Materials, Intertek

Original post:
Air Products: Construction of new Lehigh Valley headquarters on the table - Allentown Morning Call

OTTAWA The value of Canadian building permits fell in February, driven by a decrease in construction plans for single-family homes, government buildings and elementary schools, data from Statistics Canada showed on Thursday.

Permits decreased 2.5 percent, though January's figures were revised slightly higher to show a gain of 5.8 percent, from the originally reported 5.4 percent.

Intentions for residential buildings slipped 1.5 percent as plans for single-family homes tumbled 5.4 percent, with the province of Ontario seeing the largest decrease.

However, building plans for multi-family residences rose for a second month, up 3.0 percent on increased intentions for apartment buildings in British Columbia and Alberta.

Non-residential permits dropped 4.5 percent, amid a decrease in the institutional sector due to lower construction plans for government buildings and elementary schools.

Permits for industrial buildings fell 2.7 percent after a nearly 10 percent increase the previous month. On the upside, intentions for commercial buildings rose 1.0 percent on higher construction plans for office buildings in Quebec and Manitoba.

(Reporting by Leah Schnurr; Editing by Bernadette Baum)

SAN FRANCISCO Shares of beaten-down shopping-mall retailers bounced back on Thursday after March sales figures from L Brands, the owner of Victoria's Secret, were not as bad as feared.

WASHINGTON U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross held out hope on Thursday that the Trump administration will revive the U.S. Export-Import bank's full lending powers, saying the institution is part of its "trade toolbox" to boost exports.

WASHINGTON White House economic adviser Gary Cohn said he backed bringing back the Glass-Steagall Act, a Depression-era law that would revamp Wall Street banks by splitting their consumer-lending businesses from their investment arms.

See more here:
Canada February building permits fall on single-family, institutional buildings - Reuters

New York Times

Downtown Brooklyn's Dearth of Office Space Beckons Tishman Speyer New York Times Because of the cost and complexity of building in New York City, speculative office construction is relatively rare, and has a mixed record of success. The office tower 11 Times Square, for example, opened in 2011 with just one tenant and more than ...

Continued here:
Downtown Brooklyn's Dearth of Office Space Beckons Tishman Speyer - New York Times

Marina Heights is one of the office finalists for the 2017 RED Awards. (Photo by Mike Mertes)

Ryan Companies and SunbeltHoldings, co-developers of Marina Heights, completed construction of theprojects fifth and final office building and have turned over occupancy toState Farm at the 20-acre development on Tempe Town Lake.

It was the teamwork of State Farm, Sunbelt, Ryan Companies,the city of Tempe, ASU and the unwavering support of the Tempe communitythatmade it happen, said John Graham, CEO of Sunbelt Holdings.

The State Farm Regional Hub, designed by DAVIS, is a LEEDSilver inspired design concept featuring five monolithic glass and stainlesssteeloffice towers, four highly interactive retail spaces, and a two-levelbelow grade parking garage.

A significant partnership with the City of Tempe andArizona State University was formed to expedite construction and meet thetenantsneeds for recent college graduates and customized programs, said JohnStrittmatter, chairman of Ryan Companies Southwest region. Weare extremelyproud to have achieved this terrific milestone safely and ahead of schedule.

The Marina Heights construction team reached over 3.8million safe hours without a time loss incident during the construction of thefivebuildings.

Each tower of Marina Heights was designed for unique tenantand visitor experiences:

Buildings 300, 400 and 450 were recently honored with theOffice Project of the Year RED (Real Estate and Development) Award, presentedby AZRE Magazine, and Best of NAIOPs Office Build To Suit project of the Year.

. TAGS:

View post:
Final Marina Heights building turned over to State Farm - AZ Big Media

As the dust from construction settles, Avalon quickly approaches the official opening of Boulevard East. on April 13.

On April 3, North American Properties President Mark Toro and Hines Real Estate Senior Managing Director John Heagy, directed a small tour to members of the media, giving an inside look at aspects of what increases the size of Avalon at least two-fold.

Phase two doubles the size of Avalon and then some, on one-third of the acreage, so it is a lot denser, said Toro, who noted the buildings are the tallest in Alpharetta.

According to Toro, the 10,000 building will actually be taller than the 8000 building.

8000 Avalon is the business center of the multi-faceted property, housing the new corporate headquarters and workspace for Microsoft.

According to John Heagy, Microsoft is anticipating relocating from Sanctuary Park, also in Alpharetta.

Heagy noted that Microsoft will occupy a 44,000 square foot space, including office and meeting space on one level and a beautiful training and education facility on another.

Heagy anticipated that the office building is 95 percent occupied once a couple leases, for companies he could not disclose, are finalized.

Avalons 8000 building will have its own parking deck providing free access for its retailers, key card access for hotel guests and office building tenants.

At the center of the retail expansion at Avalon is another technology giant, Apple, relocating from North Point Mall to Alpharettas city within a city.

According to Toro, Apple has been very quiet about the details of the inside of the state of the art new store.

Avalon will premiere Rumi's Kitchen (Persian cuisine), Brine Seafood Shack, Chick-fil-A, Barley Garden Kitchen & Craft Bar, Jeni's Ice Cream, MF Bar (Japanese cuisine) and District III (Vietnamese cuisine) to its restaurant roster.

New retail stores of Boulevard East include: Brooks Brothers, Urban Outfitters, Scout & Mollys, Levis, Williams Sonoma, Hammer Made, Boogaloos, Lucky Brand, Pottery Barn, South Moon Under and Boardroom Salon for Men.

A unique facet to the Levis store, according to Toro, will have the capability to measure and create custom jeans for customers.

A warehouse style storefront will be home to Sundance, a catalogue driven clothing and accessories concept founded by Robert Redford.

Catalogue and online retail are going brick and mortar. They already know their clientele is here [in Alpharetta], so they put a physical store in the markets where they have the most customers, said Toro.

Toro also noted that the stores opening in Boulevard East are new to Atlanta.

One of the new restaurants opening in phase two is Brine Seafood Shack, the first venture in seafood for Marc Taft, owner of Chicken & Egg in Marietta.

In addition to its casual dining concept with lobster rolls, clams, oysters and steamers, Toro highlighted the inclusion of a walk-up window at Brine.

We [at Avalon] have an open container policy, youll see many of our restaurants have walk-up windows, which Brine will participate in with their line of craft beers, said Toro.

An additional pedestrian element is what Toro referred to as a paseo, or a public walk or boulevard on the north and south side of Boulevard East.

The covered paseos will connect the office and retail spaces.

A surprise reveal from Toro is the opening of the number one requested coffee operator by Avalon guests, Starbucks, scheduled to open in January 2018, alongside The Hotel and Conference Center at Avalon.

All of our tenants are interested in what is going to happen with the Hotel. Companies are finding ways to incorporate those type of hospitality features into their sales process, so having this hotel within walking distance is right up their alley, said Heagy, referring to the amenities and features available at Avalon.

Heagy also mentioned the importance of the relation between office building and streetscape. With the paseo connecting the business and retail side, it gives the office customers a direct link to what will keep them here long term.

There is still a lobby off the paseo strictly for office tenants.

Success! An email has been sent with a link to confirm list signup.

Error! There was an error processing your request.

When we first started Avalon, we always had a vision for a Class A office building to serve the corporate needs for Alpharetta, said Toro, describing Hines and Cousins as AA players in the business.

Toro noted that the coordination between all three companies constructing separate buildings, the streetscapes and all the places they interface has been phenomenal.

Just to come out here and see things happen the way they are supposed to has been fantastic, he said.

The concern of parking has been addressed, with a 550 space capacity deck for the hotel, which contributes to the total anticipated number of phase two parking to 3,300 spaces, increases Avalons total parking to 5,300 spaces.

What we have an opportunity to do here is reverse that or at least stem the tide of job loss in North Fulton by providing an urban experience in a suburban setting. If these employers have their employee base in North Fulton, they have a better chance of retaining them, said Toro.

An additional element of retention is creating an experience seamless to the user.

All entities encompassing Avalon: residential community, office building, hotel, retail at street level, contribute to the Avalon Experience Fee to accomplish this.

All contribute to fund that assures that when Tawny has a resident with a need, requirement or whim, we can do it. If you park your car at the hotel and end up at Oak for dinner, your car will arrive at Oak. The idea is to create a seamless experience and maintaining integrity of the Avalon brand, said Toro.

Everywhere you look there are subtle and consistent elements representing the Avalon brand and logo, he said.

Veranda at Avalon, the new residential element featuring high-end apartments, follows suite.

Available floor plans include varying models of one and two bedroom layouts, ranging in price from $1,800 to $5,000 per month.

More information about the new residential space at Avalon is available at http://www.verandaatavalon.com.

Phase two of Avalon will officially open on April 13 with a ribbon cutting ceremony in the morning, followed by a day full of festivities, all open to the public.

Avalons website, http://www.experienceavalon.com contains additional information.

Here is the original post:
Avalon opens new phase 'Boulevard East' for advanced preview of hotel and office space - MDJOnline.com

Start of construction for a new Medical Office Building at Alton Memorial Hospital is just a couple of weeks away.

The new building will connect to the current Medical Office Building B.

The $8 million project will add 41,000 square feet of new office space (on two floors) to the campus. Upon completion, the new space is expected to accommodate offices for pediatrics, primary care, ob/gyn, internal medicine, psychiatry and an outpatient lab. The building is tentatively scheduled to open in early 2018.

A primary goal for our organization is to improve access to care for our patients, AMH President Dave Braasch said. As we continue to recruit new physicians and mid-level providers such as nurse practitioners to the community, we need to ensure there is suitable, well-designed space in which the team can deliver top-notch care to our patients using the new care delivery model.

Braasch adds that the project reflects AMHs commitment to the region.

We believe it will be a positive development for our patients, medical staff, employees and the communities we serve, he said.

The architect for the project is Archimages, a leader and innovator in sustainable health care design. The projects general contractor is The Korte Co.

Follow AdVantage News on Facebook and Twitter

Go here to read the rest:
Hospital to construct new Medical Office Building - AdVantage News

New York Times

Preparing for the Future Using Lessons From Hurricane Sandy New York Times At a new gallery, classroom and office building under construction in the West Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan, the main floor is more than four feet above the ground. This is no mere design conceit. Elevated floors are an imperative in flood-prone ...

See the rest here:
Preparing for the Future Using Lessons From Hurricane Sandy - New York Times

Dive Brief:

Skanska signed on with Burrard Development to build the 40-story Nexus residential tower in Seattle as part of a $152 million contract, according to the company.

Construction on the condominium high-rise began last month and is expected to be finished in 2019. A presale event last June drew long linesof people seeking to put their name in for a unit.

The 55,000-square-foot tower aims to catch eyes with its design, which will feature a series of stacked cubes, each offset by 8 degrees to accommodate terraces and angled views. It will include 382 units, below-grade parking and ground-floor retail.

Seattles downtown is abuzz with construction activity, with 51 buildings scheduled for completion in 2017, according to a recent report by the Downtown Seattle Association. Of the 27 buildings finished there last year, more than half (16) were residential. Overall, the city added 2,199 residential units in 2016 and is slated to more than double that figure in 2017, with 5,975 new units.

On the commercial end, high-profile projects include new offices for Google and moves by Facebook and Amazon to expand their footprints with additional leased space. The latter company accounted for more than two-thirds of the office space added to the citys core last year, according to the Seattle Times. The market there is so hot that, in February, Skanska announced that it would spend $392 million to develop and build a 38-story, Class A office building near the citys waterfront district complete with retail and public space.

Nexus is located in the Denny Triangle district, which is poised for its own residential construction boom, according to Curbed Seattle. The area is home to roughly 8,000 housing units currently, but 17 approved and 16 pending projects in the pipeline could boost that figure to 10,000.

Such growth,as swift and extensive as it has been,has raised concerns over density. The city is considering up-zoning proposals that would require developers to build more affordable housing a move that could be a boon for a market fraught by housing affordability concerns. A new 15-member Renters Commission advisory group, whose creation was approved last monthto give voice to the more than half of Seattle residents who rent, could also help to balance discussions around the impact of greater density downtown.

For more housing news, sign up for our daily residential construction newsletter.

See the rest here:
Skanksa to build Seattle's 40-story Nexus condominium tower - Construction Dive

The Georgia Department of Transportations district office could have a new address by January.

The agency is planning to lease part of a new three-story office building under construction off Jesse Jewell Parkway, next to North Georgia Eye, in Gainesville.

Our (current) building is very outdated, DOT district spokeswoman Katie Strickland said.

To renovate would be very expensive and not practical. This move will allow GDOT to lease the space, not wait to build a new building.

District staff now works out of a 55-year-old building off Athens Highway/U.S. 129 and Gillsville Highway/Ga. 323 in East Hall. The building is likely a familiar sight for motorists, with its dated architecture and rusting metal awning covering the windows.

Probably the last time we did any maintenance work on the building was 1963, District Engineer Brent Cook said jokingly during a transportation forum in March at the University of North Georgias Gainesville campus.

Its in pretty rough shape. Were excited about (the move).

While officials will be clearing out of the building, we will not be taking everything, as we will still have our maintenance equipment/large equipment that will remain on the premises, Strickland said.

The new building will be 67,500 square feet in size and very similar to the adjacent medical office building, said Matt Tate, Gainesvilles planning manager.

Its anticipated completion is June 1, he said.

See the article here:
DOT plans to move from East Hall location to Gainesville - Gainesville Times