Rockports Planning Board will begin its review March 1 of a new physicians building proposed for the Pen Bay Medical Center campus on Route 1 in Rockport. The two-story, 41,566-square-foot building has been sited for the northwest corner of the 63-acre hospital parcel, just southwest of the Sussman House, on Glen Cove Drive.

The meeting begins at 5:30 p.m. at theRockport Opera House meeting room.

Preceding the meeting, the board will conduct a 5 p.m. sitewalk at Camden Glass, at the corner of routes 17 and 90, in West Rockport, where that business wants to add a new used car sales area to its existing parking lot.

The physicians building is designed by SMRT Architects and Engineers, the Portland-based, privately-owned company with offices in Virginia, New York, New Jersey, New Hampshire and Massachusetts.

With a proposed footprint of 20,888 square feet, the medical office building is positioned in an area of undeveloped woods with southerly slopes toward the ocean. There will be no clearcutting, according to the plans on file at the town office.

According to Rockport zoning, the parcel is in the townsSection 909 Hospital and Resort district.

Plans call for the building to contribute approximately 1,700 gallons per day of wastewater to the sewer system that runs to the City of Rockland.

In 2011, the average daily flow to Rockland was 82,313 gallons per day, and Rockports current agreement with Rockland allows the town to send 100,000 gallons per day to the Rockland sewer treatment plant.

Of the current average flow, Pen Bay Medical Center sends approximately 32,376 gallons per day to Rockland.

According to the plans filed at the town office, construction of the new physicians building will entail some blasting.

The engineers are also pursuing permits from the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (air license amendment and a Natural Resources Protection Act amendment), the Department of Transportation, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Tier 2 Wetlands permit).

Originally posted here:
Plans for new Pen Bay Medical Center office building to get reviewed - PenBayPilot.com

Charlotte Observer (blog)

Are the Charlotte Knights still planning a multistory office building next to BB&T Ballpark? Charlotte Observer (blog) A block away, the Kimpton hotel and 300 South Tryon office tower are wrapping up construction later this year. The Ascent apartment tower is nearing completion, at Third and Poplar streets. And a slew of other office buildings and hotels is preparing ... and more »

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Are the Charlotte Knights still planning a multistory office building next to BB&T Ballpark? - Charlotte Observer (blog)

Island Packet

Beaufort County plans new office building, hopes to draw business to Bluffton Island Packet Beaufort County is planning to construct a new $4-million office building on land it owns adjacent to the Myrtle Park facility off Bluffton Parkway. Google .... Construction of the office will paid for using a low interest loan from Santee Cooper ... and more »

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Beaufort County plans new office building, hopes to draw business to Bluffton - Island Packet

Upscale property developer Arthaland Corp. has signed a $166-million engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) deal with a unit of Chinese construction giant China Railway Group Ltd. (CREC) and Malaysian construction and property firm Knusford Berhad for a 38-storey office building project in Cebu.

CREC unit China Railway Dongfang Group and Knusford will form a joint venture company in the Philippines to execute the EPC contract for office property Cebu Exchange, Arthaland disclosed to the Philippine Stock Exchange on Monday.

The collaboration among the three groups brings together strengths in design, building construction, project management and expertise in the Philippine property sector, the disclosure added.

Arthalands Cebu Exchange will rise on an 8,440 square meter property. It is designed to accommodate information technology and business process management (IT-BPM) locators who are expanding their operations in the region. It is expected to be the first and only Grade-A office building in Cebu on target to achieve dual green building certification from the United States Green Building Councils Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program as well as from the Philippine Green Building Councils Building for Ecologically Responsive Design Excellence (BERDE) program.

CREC is one of the largest construction conglomerates in the world. It was responsible for over 60 percent of the railway construction of China in addition to major projects in the construction of bridges, tunnels, airports, high-rise buildings and municipal facilities. While CREC is present in over 60 countries worldwide, the agreement signed with Arthaland is the first venture for CREC in the Philippines.

Knusford Berhad, on the other hand, is a Malaysian publicly listed construction company involved in major construction works, property development and investments. This group also provides machinery reconditioning, sales and rental of light, medium and heavy machinery and equipment, as well as the trading of building materials.

The agreement signed with Arthaland and CREC is also the first venture for Knusford in the Philippines.

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Arthaland teams up with CREC, Knusford for Cebu project - Inquirer.net

The AIDS Healthcare Foundation oversees a global philanthropic empire that extends from its Hollywood headquarters to 15states and 38countries.

The 30-year-old nonprofit organization treats hundreds of thousands of patients. It hands out tens of millions of condoms annually. And it puts up provocativebillboards urging people to get tested for sexually transmitted diseases.

But in recent months, it has become known forthe kind of activism usuallyassociated withhomeowner groups, spurring criticism that it has strayed too far from its mission.

In April, the foundation sued to stop construction of two residential towers next toits headquarters on the 21st floor of the Sunset Media Center. A few months later, the group filed a lawsuit challenging plans for a 15-story office building down the street.

And over the past year, the organization has been the driving force behindMeasure S, which would impose new restrictions on the construction of housing, shops and offices in Los Angeles.As of last week, the grouphadspentmore than $4.6million or nearly99% of the campaigns contributions to support the controversial measure,bankrolling billboards, door-to-door canvassers and splashy brochures, a Times analysis found.

Michael Weinstein, the foundations top executive, says the March 7 ballot measure falls firmlyin line with the groups mission to help residents with HIV and AIDS, as well asits track recordof waging social justice battles against governments that fail to serve the people.

Measure S, he argued,would take aim at high-priceddevelopment projectsthat are gentrifying neighborhoods and driving up housing costs. Those projects are making it difficult for people with AIDS and HIV to remain in L.A., Weinsteinsaid.

We have witnessed how San Francisco, where AHF has clinics for testing and treatment, has become a rich ghetto, he said. Low-income people by the tens of thousands have been displaced and diversity is harder and harder to find. The same thing is unfolding in Los Angeles.

Opponents of Measure S accuseWeinstein of using millions in nonprofit moneyto pursue a personal grudge over a building that would block his office views. Weinstein, they say, is just another NIMBY obstructionist, restricting the supply of new housing and jacking up rents across the city.

If voters want toavoid San Franciscosfate, they should reject the ballot measure, opponents say.

MeasureS is going to hurt the people the foundation serves,said Silver Lake resident Bobby Peppey, afoe of Measure S who was diagnosed withAIDS more than a decade ago.The people they serve are mostly lower-income persons, and people of color. And this is going to affect their ability to get affordable housing.

Proponents of Measure S say it would crack down on the citys long-standing practice of amending the General Plan the document that regulates what gets builtcitywide to enable big projects proposed by well-connected real estate developers. Foes warn the measure would eliminate thousands ofjobs and halt construction of affordable housing, since those projects frequently need changes to the General Plan to getbuilt.

The AIDS Healthcare Foundationhas waded into politics before. In the past five years, it hasspent millionsonballot measures to require condoms on pornography shoots in Los Angeles County and statewide. It has also backedcampaigns in California and Ohio torestrict the prices that state agencies pay for prescription drugs.

During those fights, critics accused the foundationof floutingrestrictions on political activityby charitable organizations.But the battle over so-calledmega-developmentshas spurred a new round of criticism of how the foundation and itsleader are spending its money.The Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, one of the biggest opponents of Measure S, recently released a video accusing Weinstein of funding campaign activities that have zero to do with healthcare.

The foundation has definedits mission asthe provision of hospice and healthcare services to AIDS, HIV and other patients, and engaging in related educational activities, according to state records. Michael Eisman, a critic of the group, said money spent on Measure S should have gone toward HIV medication or other services.

Measure S is a blatant abuse of the resources of AIDS Healthcare Foundation, considering it has absolutely nothing to do with the mission of the organization, said Eisman,who worked closely with the foundation as part ofa volunteer group until 2015.

Foundation representatives say that they have no difficulty serving their clients while fighting for Measure S.

The foundationhas a wide array of operations, running 43 pharmacies and 20 Out of the Closetthrift stores across the U.S. It has nearly400 clinics and employsmore than 5,000 people worldwide.

Under federal law, nonprofits like the AIDS Healthcare Foundation are allowed to weigh in on legislation, but too much lobbying can jeopardize theirtax-exempt status. To preserve their status, charitable organizations can either comply with spending limits or refrain from spendinga substantial part of their time, money and other resources to influencing legislation.

Legal experts say there isno clear rule about what is substantial, though past cases have given attorneys some guidance.If you start to engage more than 5% of your resources toward lobbying, its probably time to consider whether youre violating the test, said Gene Takagi, managing attorney of the NEO Law Group in San Francisco.

In federal tax filings, the foundation reportedthat itspent more than $253 millionduring2015, dwarfing the nearly $7 million less than 3% of the reported total spending it said it spent to influence legislation that year. Financial statements provided by the group indicatethat the foundationand nearly a dozen other affiliated entities collectively spent more than $983 million that year.Foundation spokesman Ged Kensleasaid that, historically, no more than 2% of its expenditures go towardadvocacy efforts an insubstantial portion of its budget.

California also requiresnonprofits to use donations for their declared charitable purposes. After the foundationlaunched its campaign for Measure S,a coalition of business, labor and community groupssent a letter to the California attorney general, accusing the groupof misusing its charitable donations by funding the ballot measure.

That letter cited concerns raisedby the Free Speech Coalition, an adult entertainment industry group that clashedwith the foundation over condoms in porn shoots. That group hasbeen urging state and federal authorities to investigatewhether the foundation underreported its political spending and exceeded federal limits on such expenditures.

Kensleasaid neither the IRS nor the state attorney general had contacted the group about anycomplaints. The grouphasrelied on itsindependent accounting firm to determinehow to categorize political expenditures, he said. Both the ballot measure and the lawsuit over the towers proposed next doorare financed by revenue from its businesses such as its pharmacies and thrift stores, notgrants or donations, Kenslea added.

The foundation entered the debate over L.A.s recent real estate boom two years ago,after the Miami-based firm Crescent Heights proposedtwo 30-story towers next to the AIDS Healthcare Foundations headquarters.

City officials welcomed the 731-unit Palladium Residences project, noting that it would be a block from a subway station and go up on an empty lot, avoiding the demolition ofexisting apartments. But the foundationopposed the development, arguing that itwas too tall and too dense for its location on Sunset Boulevard.

Early in that fight, public affairs consultant Steve Afriat, who was lobbying City Hall on behalf of Crescent Heights,asked for a meeting with Weinstein to hear his concerns. Afriat said that during that meeting, Weinstein complained that the Palladium would block his views of the Hollywood Hills.

He saidif we loweredit to 12 stories, he would no longer oppose the project, Afriat said. If we didnt, he threatened to sue and do a referendum.

Weinsteinsaid he never said anything to Afriat about his view and did not recall mentioninga referendum. But he confirmedthat he wanted Afriat to drastically reduce the sizeof the towers and thought a dozen stories would be more acceptable.

Within months, the foundation had dozens of people showing up at Palladium Residences hearings wearing AIDS Healthcare Foundation T-shirts. The groups lawyer testified that construction in Hollywoodhad already caused hertwo-mile commute to drag out to 25 minutes.

Around the same time, the nonprofit drafted aballot measure that wouldimpose a moratorium on changes in city rules that permitbuildings to be built bigger than ordinarily allowedthe kind being sought by Crescent Heights for its two towers.

The foundation began puttingmoney into the Coalition to Preserve L.A., the campaign group set up to support the ballot measure, which they labeled the Neighborhood Integrity Initiative.

Crescent Heights quickly became the biggest donor to the opposition campaign, providing nearlyhalf of the more than $3.2millionin money and services raised so far. Sunset Bronson Entertainment, another developer being sued by the foundation, has donated at least $100,000.

With the election twoweeks away, its not entirely clear just how deeply the foundation isimmersed in L.A. real estate fights.

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In an interview with The Times, Weinstein refused to say whether his nonprofit is bankrolling a lawsuit by Friends of the Neighborhood Integrity Initiative seeking to overturn the citys approval of a 1,210-unitresidential complex on Jefferson Boulevard.

Weinstein also would not disclose whether his group is paying for a legal challenge against the Martin Cadillac project, which would bring offices, stores and 516 apartmentsto Olympic Boulevard on the Westside. In addition, hedeclined to say how many lawsuits over L.A. real estate development his group is funding.

Whatever were doing is between us and our lawyers, he said.

emily.alpert@latimes.com

Twitter:@LATimesEmily

ALSO

Christopher Hawthorne: Making sense of Measure S, the latest battle in L.A.'s long war over development

Big new convention center hotel proposed for downtown L.A.

Santa Cruz and federal agents in war of words over whether a gang sweep was really a secret immigration raid

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So why is an AIDS nonprofit suing to halt construction and pushing ... - Los Angeles Times

The Parker County Hospital District Board of Directors Thursday voted unanimously to move ahead with a medical office building project.

The district has been in discussions with Weatherford Regional Medical Center for some time about the possibility of a medical office building, which would help alleviate some of the hospital space problems and benefit the community, attorney and PCHD interim administrator Brian Jackson said.

What we are contemplating moving forward with is an arrangement by which, on district-owned land, we would construct a medical office building that would be used by Weatherford Regional Medical Center for its physicians, Jackson said.

A building is expected to be constructed on property owned by the district in the 700 block of Anderson Street near the hospital.

Community Health Systems would pay rent in addition to the rent it pays for use of the hospital.

Calculating the amount of rent is always difficult to do. However, the arrangement that I think would be favorable for the district would be for the district to charge a percentage of the cost of the construction of the building, Jackson said.

Jackson said he is hopeful that they can reach an agreement for annual payments of 6 percent of the construction cost of the building.

That would be cheaper than rental rates WRMC can get on the open market, Jackson said.

The details of the building, such as size and cost, havent been decided.

Legal documents detailing occupancy, upkeep and other arrangements would need to be worked out and any agreements between the Weatherford Regional Medical Center and the hospital district would come to the districts board of directors for approval, Jackson said.

Jackson does not expect the hospital district to use the building for its own expansion needs.

This is more an opportunity for Weatherford Regional Medical Center to bring in more physicians, more specialties, support the existing physicians [and] have an office building for them thats close to the hospital that that can access, Jackson said.

Link:
WRMC to get new medical office building - Weatherford Democrat

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Construction continues on the Holiday Inn Express at Keizer Station on Friday, Feb. 17, 2017.(Photo: ANNA REED / Statesman Journal)Buy Photo

If 2016 seemed like it brought a slew of bulldozers, rebar and hardhats, the upcoming year will bring more of the same: construction, renovation and retrofitting of buildings throughout the Salem area.

The flurry of construction, officials said, is the sign of a robust and growing economy.

"The developments we see today throughout our region are simply amazing," said Dan Clem, CEO of the Salem Area Chamber of Commerce. "A few short years ago, to you, they were dreams and plans and sketches. Today, for us, for all of us, they are a reality."

At the recent 2017 Commercial Real Estate Economic Forum, guest speakers addressed different aspects of the local real estate market agricultural, industrial, retail, multifamily housing, and office. Each emphasized a similar theme: Supplies are tight, demand is strong and exciting new projects are forthcoming.

As many tenants across the Valley can attest, waitings lists, lowturnoverand increasing rents arecommonplace in the rental market.

The Salem-Keizer area seems to be in catch-up mode, said Katherine Powell Banz

, principal and certified general appraiser with Powell Banz Valuation. Vacancy rates showed a slight uptick in 2016 to 2.6 percent. The Portland metro area, which is already one of the tightest markets, was listed as 3.1 percent at the end of 2016, according to a recent article on OPB.

Rents in the Salem area spiked by almost 20 percent from last year, but the addition of more than a thousand new units in the next coming months could help offset the imbalance.

The Keizer Station Apartments in the 5000 block of McLeod Lane NE are adding 180 units to the market, and River Valley Terrace on River Valley Drive NW will bring 60 apartment units to West Salem in 2017.

Construction of the Keizer Station Apartments is set to conclude in the summer but is almost fully reserved, said property manager Ashli Morett. Only 12 one-bedroom units remain. The complex's amenities andproximity to shopping, dining and entertainment have been a major draw for people, Morett said.

Six projects are in various stages of planning, and seven properties are under construction, Powell Banz said. Combined, they will bring 1,372 more homes to the region.

From a new drive-through Starbucks in downtown Salem to a long-anticipatedgrocery store in Keizer, the region is expected to add several restaurants, stores and possibly even a roller skating rink to its new and revived retail properties.

Closures of big box and department stores like Kmart, Macy's and Sears and changing shopping habits could lead to a nationwide slowdown of retail in 2017.

Two major closures left vacant spots in Lancaster Mall, but the shopping center is poised to embark on a retrofit that will "turn the design inside out providing a fresh look to the mall," said Ryan Imbrie , managing director for SVN Imbrie Realty.

Details of the remodeling and new tenants for the mall have not yet been announced.

Who may move into Lancaster Mall? The mystery remains

Several new properties are expected to come to Keizer in 2017. Construction of an 80-room Holiday Inn Express and Suites is underway at Keizer Station. WinCo's Waremartis set to open a grocery store on North River Road, and there are rumors of a roller skating rink replacing the former Roth's storefront at Schoolhouse Square, Imbrie said.

Strong prices for hazelnuts, blueberries and vineyards, plus a burgeoning marijuana industry,are keeping land values high in the Willamette Valley, according to George Grabenhorst , senioradviser at SVN Commercial Advisors.

Cattle, nursery goods, hay, milk and grass seed top the list of the more than 220 agricultural products Oregon produces. The markets for each commoditywill fluctuate in the coming year, but overall growth will keep land prices high andavailability low.

Most farm land in the region sold in 2016 were smalleracreages, but two notable dealsincludethe pending sale of the 623-acre former Mallorie's Dairy in Silverton and an $8 million, 410-acre swath of land in Gervais.

Construction continues at the Henningson Cold Storage at Mill Creek Corporate Center on Kuebler Blvd. and Turner Rd. SE in Salem on Friday, Feb. 17, 2017.(Photo: ANNA REED / Statesman Journal)

The vacancy rate for industrial buildings dipped even further from a low 3.5 percent in 2015 to 1.7 percent in 2017. With new buildings opening in Hubbard, Salem and Donald and more developments in the works, 2017 is expected to be a big year for industrial space construction.

Construction is continuingat theMill Creek Corporate Center near Kuebler Boulevardand Turner Road SE in Salem.Henningson Cold Storage is expected to constructa total of 607,700-square-feet, and PacTrust is planning a multiple building, 26-acre business park.

Construction continues at the Park Front at 230 Front St. NE in Salem on Friday, Feb. 17, 2017.(Photo: ANNA REED / Statesman Journal)

Curt Arthur , managing director of SVN Commercial Advisors, said vacancy rates at office buildings are also decreasing.

With a vacancy rate of 6.8 percent down 23 percent from last year and down 58 percent from 2015 demand is completely outpacing supply, Arthur said.

Leasing activity in 2016 was the highest on record with 137 office and medical building leases, and downtown Salem continues to gain momentum. Park Front LLCis constructing a 30,000-square-foot office building at230 Front Street, on a portion of the North Block parcel of the former Boise Cascade site.

Currently, there are only two office vacancies of more than 20,000 square feet in the market. This limited selection could discourage large companies from relocating or expanding in the coming year, Arthur said.

For questions, comments and news tips, email reporter Whitney Woodworth at wmwoodwort@statesmanjournal.com, call 503-399-6884 or follow on Twitter @wmwoodworth

What's going up there? Seeking new Salem development examples

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2017 set to bring new retail, housing, office construction to Salem area - Statesman Journal

With President John F. Kennedy and former President Harry Truman chatting behind him, House Speaker Sam Rayburn takes part in a Democratic dinner May 27, 1961, in Washington. | AP Photo

By Andrew Glass

02/23/17 12:09 AM EST

Updated 02/23/17 12:00 AM EST

On this day in 1965, the third and most modern of the four office buildings currently being used by the House of Representatives opened on the south side of Independence Avenue. It was named for Texas Democratic Rep. Sam Rayburn. Mr. Sam, as he was widely known, served as speaker for 17 years. Some historians view him as one of the most effective leaders ever to hold that critical post.

Rayburn, who died in 1961 at age 79 while still serving in the speakership, was also known for dressing for the occasion. In Washington, he wore expensive suits, starched white shirts and perfectly shined shoes. But back in his hardscrabble northeastern Texas district, he favored blue jeans, boots and cowboy hats. At the time of his death, he had served as speaker for nearly twice as long as any of his predecessors.

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Rayburn himself initiated the building project in 1955, although without designating a specific site. J. George Stewart, the then-architect of the U.S. Capitol, chose Harbeson, Hough, Livingston & Larson of Philadelphia to design a classical-style building in harmony with the Capitol complex. Construction began in 1962. President John F. Kennedy, who had served in the House from 1949 to 1953 as a Massachusetts Democrat, spoke at a cornerstone-laying ceremony on May 24, 1962.

The neoclassical Rayburn Building forms a modified H, with four stories above ground, two basements and three levels of underground garage space. A white marble facade above a pink granite base covers its concrete and steel frame. A subway tunnel and electric train connects the building to the Capitol. Pedestrian tunnels join it to the adjacent Longworth Building, which opened in 1933.

On either side of the main entrance stand two 10-foot marble statues by C. Paul Jennewein, Spirit of Justice and Majesty of Law. The east and west walls feature eight marble rhytons, drinking horns formed of mythical figures known as chimeras. Rayburn is remembered in an oil portrait by Tom Lea, a marble relief by Paul Manship and a 6-foot bronze statue by Felix de Weldon.

Currently, some 169 House members are housed there in comfy three-room suites. In addition, there is space in the building to accommodate nine House committees and their related support staff. Amenities include a cafeteria, a first aid room, a Library of Congress book station, a recording studio, a gym and ancillary facilities for the press. A little-known shooting range, used mostly by members of the U.S. Capitol Police, as well as a basketball court are tucked into the buildings sub-basement.

SOURCE: ARCHITECT OF THE U.S. CAPITOL

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House opens third office building, Feb. 23, 1965 - Politico

Editor's note: This article is part of Construction Dive's50 States of Constructionseries, in which we talk with industry leaders across the U.S. to discuss the business conditions in their market.

Capitol Hill may be perpetually hamstrung, but the rest of the Federal City is in anything but a holding pattern. Where construction is concerned, the District of Columbia is moving full-steam ahead, with cranes in the sky, footers in the ground and truckloads of materials navigating the citys already busy streets.

Just how big is DCs building boom? The District added 13.7 million square feet of built space in 2016 with nearly that much planned for 2017, according to the Washington, DC Economic Partnership. The 2016 figure is the highest mark since the WDCEP began tracking it in 2001. Additionally, more than 14,800 residential units were under construction as of August 2016, compared to 13,294 a year earlier, with nearly half of those in three neighborhoods: Capitol Riverfront, NoMa (North of Massachusetts Avenue)/Union Market and Southwest.

The presence of a primary industry the federal government largely insulated from swings in the market (though it can undoubtedly cause them), is one driver. Another is the hordes of young professionals seeking employment with the government contractors, legal firms and nonprofits that round out the policy supply chain and who need a place to live. But theres more to it.

Mark Carroll

Construction Dive spoke with Mark Carroll, the DC-based executive vice president of Skanska USA Commercial Development, to learn how new industries, revisited neighborhoods and old planning standards are shaping the capital city today and in the future.

This interview has been edited and condensed.

Lets start in NoMa, since thats where Skanska has its first multifamily project in DC and one of only a few in the U.S. for the company right now. How did the company get involved in that neighborhood?

CARROLL:As a developer, we're trying to find the emerging and developing neighborhoods. With the height limits [in DC], we can't build any higher, and [the challenges associated with] redeveloping some of the older buildings force you to look at other markets. NoMa has grown around a couple of different things. One has been the Metro station there, which Skanska built as part of a joint venture in 2004. That created a new stop along the Red Line, which is a popular Metro line. That neighborhood was viewed as a great opportunity for development. A lot of government tenants started to find their way there around 2010. It was right around that time that we started looking at land over there. We acquired the land that is now planned for two office buildings, and then a year later we acquired the site that we're now building on, which is 22 M Street NE.

Thats Resa, the multifamily component of Skanskas Tyber Place master plan in NoMa. Why did the company go for that project, in that neighborhood?

CARROLL:As we were looking at the area a developing mixed-use market we started to see multifamily projects going up with some success there. We thought [Resa] would complement the mix of retail and office space we had envisioned for the site. We planned that development around the Meander, which we coordinated with the NoMa Business Improvement District. They had a vision of a pedestrian walkway to connect the blocks because the blocks in that area of NoMa are pretty big. We saw this as a way of making a connection internal to the neighborhood from development to development, and we thought that having that kind of outdoor experience mixed in with multifamily, office and retail would create a real community environment.

A rendering of Resa at Tyber Place

The height limits are a challenge throughout DC, and so developers need to maximize width. In this kind of a project, how do you make room for the streetscape while still maximizing the site?

CARROLL: Placemaking is the term that everybody likes to use: How do you create a community or an environment where people want to go that has a good retail base and good living and work environments?There are a couple of things were trying to do in NoMa. First, we're not building out to full density. We wanted to take advantage of an outdoor space, so we planned that development around the Meander. We also set back the middle building so that there is an exterior courtyard for outdoor seating or other activities. It creates a sense of place, which I think in NoMa will be very welcomed.

Is the level of urban revitalization currently underway in NoMa occurring elsewhere in the city?

CARROLL: Theres a lot of redevelopment going on in the Capitol Riverfront BID. A lot of that is being driven by new multifamily, but we believe in that market as an office market as well. We're invested there with an office building at 99 M Street.

The live-work-play environment is certainly there, but you also have the entertainment component with the [Nationals] ballpark and the [DC United] stadium coming. You also have a lot of parks.The mix there has come together well to create a nice neighborhood community. The other thing that has been helpful for that market is that the Green Line is becoming a very popular Metro Line. A lot of millennials have been moving along the Green Line, and so that helps that market because a lot of the new development is attracting not only public spaces like parks but also new retail, apartments and some of the amenities we're providing in buildings such as rooftop terraces and fitness centers.

Is Capitol Riverfront on par with NoMa as far as the shift in demographics and built space?

CARROLL: They're pretty comparable. Both markets are driven by multifamily development, though you're starting to see more office interest.

A rendering of 99 M Street

How do those two neighborhoods compare to a more established one like Foggy Bottom, where Skanska is building 2112 Pennsylvania Avenue?

CARROLL: From an office perspective, it's a different tenant base. The tenants that we're talking to there like the Pennsylvania Avenue address. The building is already about 50% leased to Cleary Gottlieb, a law firm. What helps that location is the revitalization that has occurred with the development around Washington Circle [in recent years] and along the south side of Pennsylvania Avenue with our project, which are changing the streetscape there. It's already an established market, but it is changing. You're starting to see more retail activity, more street life.

You've been in DC for a while, but much of this development has occurred in the last decade. How does the District today, development-wise, compare with the planning expectations set a decade ago?

CARROLL: You know, it's funny. The downturn in the market slowed the Riverfront and NoMa, but in different ways. The ballpark was great addition to the Riverfront [in 2008] and started to get more interest there. That market was gaining momentum before the downturn, which set it back from a timing standpoint, but it has come back very strong. In NoMa, a lot of the leasing that occurred [around 2010] came out of the stimulus package, which created more office opportunities and street activity that got people comfortable with the neighborhood. Since then, you've seen a lot of residential development, and that's come along quickly in the NoMa market.

Do you see the federal government which is a huge landowner and tenant base and spurs a lot of economic activity in the District as being a major differentiator for DC, or is it comparable with key industries in other states?

CARROLL: The government certainly is a big driver. We're a global gateway city stabilized by the government [as an industry]. That's very attractive for foreign investors, which helps us from a real estate perspective. We've got a well-educated workforce here and great universities, and all of those things create a great foundation for the city as it develops.

The cycles in DC aren't steep cycles. When the market goes up and down, DC always seems stable compared to other cities, and I think that's because the government is such a strong anchor here. We've had great population and job growth over the last couple of years, and not all of that is done by the government, but I do think it is a differentiator. Having the government in town also brings in the contractors and lobbyists, which provide a stable economy. In the last couple of years, though, we've seen more growth outside the government.

What are some of the sources of that growth?

CARROLL: You're starting to see more tech coming into DC. With that comes a different type of office use. If you look at some of the leasing activity last year, a lot was around the co-working environment. There's been a significant increase in co-working-type users that have come into the market, and I think they're filling a need for more entrepreneurial smaller businesses, [many of which are] tech-oriented.

A rendering of 2112 Pennsylvania Avenue

Changing gears, to what extent has Skanska in DC experienced the labor shortage that is being reported nationwide?

CARROLL: Thats following with the amount of development and building that is going on. We have a building division that builds all our work, and what we're hearing from them is theres a lot of labor in demand. That creates a couple of different challenges for what we do: a need for skilled workers, as it makes it a little bit more of a challenge for staffing projects; it also creates more of an economic demand because with a lack of skilled labor, your prices tend to go up.

Is there a way around it?

CARROLL: No. You're seeing it in subcontractor bids with an increase in cost. The costs are mostly being carried by labor, and for some of the trades concrete labor, for example it seems to be significant.

What about green building? The General Services Administration has a LEED requirement for most projects. Whats the approach to green building in DC, and how is that different from what you see Skanska facing elsewhere in the country?

CARROLL: We like to see some of the initiatives the DC government has taken for green building such as the Green Area Ratio. Skanska overall is focused on sustainability, so our goal is to be designing all our office buildings to LEED Gold or more, and our multifamily projects to LEED Silver. A lot of what we're doing certainly meets DC standards and often exceeds them. We think it's good for the market, that its the right thing to do.

Are there any federal policies that the company has its eye on?

CARROLL: Any change in the government here creates different opportunities. With the new administration, there is certainly a focus on infrastructure. Skanska does a lot of that work for infrastructure development and construction. We're trying to keep an eye out for any of those opportunities, as well as other initiatives we've seen from the new administration like defense spending, which would create more opportunities in DC because we have a lot of defense contractors here.

What do you think sets DCs construction industry apart for better or worse from that of the rest of the country?

CARROLL: I've lived here for a while and I love DC. When you compare it to other cities, there is a unique character to it. We have the master plan the L'Enfant Planwhich I think everyone has a great deal of respect for. Some of the height restrictions create a different dynamic from what you might find in other cities. While we don't have the large, tall buildings, we still have a very elegant city and it's integrated with great parks. You see that respect for outdoor space with some of the neighborhoods being developed. With Tyber Place in NoMa, were trying to have an outdoor environment. At 99M, down near the ballpark, that neighborhood [already] has some great parks. The balance between the built environment and outdoor space is one thing that makes DC great.

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The 50 States of Construction: DC's building boom driven by more than the government - Construction Dive

The North Loops makeover in the past 20 years has given new life to brick-and-timber warehouses that once housed factories, car and implement dealers and even a macaroni maker.

Now, a distinctive new office building made from wood has opened, a development that sets the North Loop apart from other urban neighborhoods around the country that have gone through such a renaissance.

Billed as the largest mass timber building in the United States, the seven-story structure called T3 shows that cities dont have to be dominated by structures of steel and concrete. Its progress has been followed by architects and developers.

We got away from wood for awhile for various reasons, and I think architects and engineers and developers have recognized the potential, and some of the new technology does make it a little bit easier to build, said Archie Landreman, regional director for nonprofit WoodWorks, which promotes wood construction of commercial buildings and advised Houston-based Hines, T3s developer.

Mass timber describes a framing style that uses smaller pieces of wood formed into large panels for floors, roofs and walls. It differs from the light-frame wood construction of many homes.

It can be easy to miss the T3 building tucked behind an upscale apartment complex and a strip club along Washington Avenue. But as soon as someone enters the space, it is hard to miss its singularity.

The building smells like wood mixed with a whiff of a new car. The lobby has all the modern furniture of other office suites, but it gives off the aura of a lodge.

T3, which stands for timber, transit, technology, recently received one of its first affirmations when Amazon.com Inc. signed on to lease office space. The company has said it eventually will employ 100 workers in Minneapolis.

Already, the building is home to a fitness studio for Bar Method Minneapolis, a fitness chain whose workouts include dance conditioning techniques. In addition, a restaurant tenant also has plans to debut a new concept at the space.

Heavy timber structures have a long history in warehouse construction, so the new T3 building is a great fit in the North Loop, said Nick Koch, an associate vice president at HGA Architects and Engineers and a chairman of neighborhood development group 2020 Partners.

While brick-and-timber buildings have become a popular choice for creative offices, noise and draftiness can be problems.

We just decided to create something that had the same authenticity and feel [of a brick-and-timber building] ... but all of the modern amenities and creature comforts of new construction, said Brent Robertson, managing director of the office-agency division for JLL, which is responsible for leasing T3.

The building offers Wi-Fi in its public spaces including the rooftop deck. In addition, T3 has fully embraced its location on the Cedar Lake Trail. It has bike rentals, bike storage and a bike repair station.

The 220,000-square-foot building was constructed with 8-foot-by-20-foot panels of engineered wood that were stacked across beams of glued, laminated timber. The panels themselves consisted of smaller strips of wood nailed together.

Concrete still is used in some areas of the building, including the entire first floor. Weathered steel wraps the outside to protect it from the elements.

Mass timber structures are significantly lighter than their steel and concrete equivalents so it takes less time to erect them. Builders needed less than three months to install the timber frame of T3. The dead load or weight of the building also ends up being lower.

As the only structural material that comes from a renewable resource, the sustainability, the aesthetic and the authenticity of the material make it a natural to be used more frequently in commercial applications, said Bob Pfefferle, director of Hines Minneapolis.

Another positive is that building with wood is believed to use less energy than building with other materials, Landreman said. The wood also naturally helps store carbon. The 3,600 cubic meters of wood that was used in the building will end up sequestering about 3,200 tons of carbon for the life of the building. Most of the wood was made of lumber from trees killed by the mountain pine beetle.

Designers and developers found a sweet spot with the T3 building with its relatively simple design and moderately tall height that easily can be replicated, said Jacob Mans, an assistant professor at the University of Minnesotas School of Architecture, who is studying Minnesota-made mass timber systems.

Theres just a lot of smart things in that building, he said. I think you will see this building type show up a lot more when you are trying to develop a lot of building footprint in a short period of time.

Wood buildings are perceived to be more vulnerable to fire but thats because many people dont understand mass timber, Mans said.

Mass timber construction might actually perform better in a fire than noncombustible materials because the wood is thick and solid and chars at a slower and more predictable rate. Wood buildings also have been shown to perform well in earthquakes.

Hines has plans to start construction later this year of a similar T3 building in Atlanta. There also have been discussions about an 80-story timber tower in Chicago.

In Minnesota and many other states, office buildings are allowed currently to have up to six floors of wood. But for many architects, the sky is the limit for the potential of wooden buildings.

Its mostly a code issue and the public accepting being in a tall wood building, Mans said.

T3 will inspire confidence for developers to keep building with wood, said Kate Simonen, an associate professor of architecture at the University of Washington.

The T3 project is already influential in that the project team has demonstrated a viable construction model, she wrote in an e-mail. The construction industry is notoriously risk-adverse. Early adopters, especially those that share information about the project success and challenges, can have a big impact on the industry.

Twitter: @nicolenorfleet

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In heart of North Loop, a new office building becomes ...