Noisy part of downtowns CRST project will fade away soon

February 6, 2015 | 10:58 pm

CEDAR RAPIDS The piercing construction noise is coming to an end.

Since early October, a constant banging has been coming from the building site for the CRST Center, an 11-story office tower thats still about a year away from opening up for tenants.

Thats the sounds of progress is what weve been saying, but that echoes all over downtown, said Geoff Eastburn, vice president of operations for the Midwest division for Ryan Companies US Inc., the contractor on the project.

The incessant hammering about every 1.5 seconds when the crews are working is a byproduct of needing to drive 197 steel pilings into the bedrock for the CRST building and 189 more for the 12-foot flood wall between the building and the river.

While thousands of downtown office workers have tolerated it for months, one nearby violin teacher noticed how it affected his work.

Mike Hall offers private lessons through Orchestra Iowa, one block southeast of the building site. Hall broke out a metronome to demonstrate the pacing of the hammering.

If you turn (the metronome) on, itll give you the beat and you can pick whatever beat you like to use, he said. Unfortunately, with the construction going on, weve had to go with the beat outside.

The good news is that the noise will fade away. Eastburn said the last of the steel pilings are being installed, and that the shift soon will move to more visible above-ground construction.

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CRST building progress means end to constant banging

The temporary suspension of construction works widely believed to have damaged Phnom Penhs iconic White Building was officially lifted on the same day it was announced, according to a government notice.

Large cracks appeared across the southern part of the historic apartment block on Sunday evening, leading residents to flee their homes. The next day, officials announced that the nearby construction of an 11-storey hotel had been suspended pending investigation into the damage.

We need to wait for the authorities and experts to examine [the cracks], City Hall spokesman Long Dimanche said at the time.

But a notice, signed the very same day by Chea Srun, the head of Phnom Penhs Department of Land Management, and obtained yesterday, gives developers Rithy Samnang and To Chhean Lin the green light to continue building.

White Building residents say the notice appeared on the wall of the construction site on Wednesday evening.

At the apartment block yesterday morning, the notice was met with confusion and anger.

It just happened that the building cracked and construction was suspended, so why does the letter allow them to restart construction? Where is the inspection of the crack? said Neang Tha.

One resident, who gave her name only as Srey, threatened protests if construction began.

From now on, we are watching their activity, she said. If they dare to do any building work, we will protest to stop them, because the authority and the company did not explain how the crack was caused, but we think it was caused by the construction site.

Construction workers, employed by Malaysian company Biaxis, refused to speak to a reporter yesterday, referring questions to management.

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Construction ends, resumes near White Building

Oxford Development Co. has secured the land it needs to build a 51,000-square-foot office building at Pittsburgh Technology Center in Oakland. Now its working on a tenant.

City council approved the sale of 1.5 acres of riverfront land to Oxford on Tuesday for $690,000 plus costs, clearing the way for the developer to advance the project.

Oxford hopes to start construction on the $12 million, three-story urban flex office building this summer, with completion targeted for spring 2016.

The building will be built on the Monongahela riverfront and will feature 13-foot ceilings, open floor plans and a third-floor outdoor deck. Oxford is hoping to attract the same type of high technology and professional services companies that occupy many of the other office buildings in the complex off Second Avenue.

It is counting on strong demand for the space given its location on the fringe of Downtown and proximity to the Central Oakland business district with its hospitals and universities.

We felt it was a great location for this type of building, said Shawn Fox, Oxfords director of business development and marketing. Mr. Fox said the developer is in discussions with possible tenants, although no deals have been reached.

The company hopes to have leases in place in several months, Mr. Fox said. The goal is to have a tenant signed before construction starts.

Downtown-based Oxford manages and leases and served as construction manager on the 2000 Technology Drive office building near the site of the new project.

Pittsburgh Technology Center was built on land that for many years held the Jones & Laughlin hot mill. Development of the 48-acre site began in the early 1990s. Its considered one of the citys most successful developments.

Mark Belko: mbelko@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1262.

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Path cleared for urban flex in Pittsburghs Oakland neighborhood

DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 4 Feb) The Office of the City Building Official (OCBO) ordered the property developer FTC Group of Companies to halt the construction of the companys 33-storey Aeon Towers project following the incident over the weekend when the service road of its neighboring structure, Abreeza Mall, collapsed.

In the work stoppage order penned by Acting Building Official Roland C. Reyeson Monday, the company was directed to stop all works and construction activities within the portion of the affected / damaged structures there at the premise beside Abreeza Mall, J.P. Laurel Ave.

The order cited that this causes or poses danger, constitutes hazard to safety or public welfare, life and property based on the investigation report made by OCBO.

The work stoppage order was received by FTC Group of Companies partner I.A. Campbell & Associates Inc.on Tuesday. Prior to the issuance of the order, the company has already implemented voluntary suspension on its project after the incident on Jan. 31.

This is for safety purposes for our workers, Ian Y. Cruz, president of FTC Group of Companies, said in a text message.

The OCBO directed the FTC Group of Companies to submit an incident report and geotechnical / geological site investigation or soil investigation report within five days upon receipt of the work stoppage order.

Based on the findings made by OCBOs inspection team, Assistant City Building Official Joseph Dominic S. Felizarta saidWednesdayin an interview that they observed that the 0.70-meter diaphragm walls from Aeons underground basement have already weakened.

If it did not bend, the service road of Abreeza Mall will never collapse, Felizarta said.

He suggested that the property developer should strengthen the structures and implement mitigating measures to prevent any further damage. Apart from the service road, OCBO observed that the drainage of Abreeza was also damaged.

The FTC Group of Companies, he said, has already asked permission from the management of Abreeza Mall to place sheet piles to prevent from having erosion.

Link:
Davao LGU orders to stop construction of Aeon Towers

Phil Murphy, the owner of Next Door Self Storage at 1910 E. Algonquin Road, plans to demolish an existing office building and construct a new three-story building.

The 30,000 square-foot facility would be a climate controlled storage building with an office.

The building is planned to have a stone base and brick for the majority of the wall area, according to village documents.

Over time, another climate-controlled building at the rear of the property might be constructed. It would be 22,000 square feet and have the same architectural features as the 30,000-square-foot building.

The parking lot and driveway on the site are planned to be redone for the new building, village documents say.

According to village documents, Murphy has tenants using storage spaces within the building slated for demolition on month-to-month leases. The business would work to relocate any remaining users before tear down.

Algonquin Senior Planner Katie Parkhurst said there are four or five storage garages within the building planned for demolition.

Parkhurst said there are still adjustments being made to the plans including making sure enough landscaping is planned to screen the outdoor vehicle storage.

Storage of the boats and recreational vehicles is planned to be phased out over the next couple of years, Parkhurst said.

Parkhurst added no indoor vehicle storage is planned for the future at the facility.

Originally posted here:
New building planned for Algonquin storage facility

Two office buildings will start construction this year on Morehead Street about a mile apart, as developers race to build Class A office space near uptown.

One of the buildings will be on West Morehead Street and one will be located on East Morehead. The new developments are in addition to uptown office towers, including 300 South Tryon, that are being planned or built for the first time since the recession.

West Morehead

A pair of development companies plan to start construction soon on an office and retail building at West Morehead Street and Interstate 77.

The project, by CitiSculpt and the Knox Group, is currently in the design phase. Its planned to total 70,000 square feet, including street level retail space. The companies plan to start construction later this year, with demolition of existing structures on the site starting in about six months.

Lindsey McAlpine, managing partner of CitiSculpt, said his company recently moved its offices to West Morehead.

We kind of fell in love with the area, said McAlpine. But he said the area needs more office space to accommodate growth, as retail and residential space expand and attract more companies.

The market is 90-percent-plus leased up. People tell us they would like to be in the area, or expand if theyre already there. We get calls often about office space, McAlpine said. A lot of things certainly were put on pause during the recession...Space needs are growing.

Mecklenburg County property records show CitiSculpt bought the main 1.4-acre parcel, at 1213 W. Morehead St., in December for $1.5 million. The site was sold by Ark Ventures, the company headed by Rick and Noah Lazes that developed the N.C. Music Factory. Ark bought the property in 2013 for $750,000.

The new building will add to the supply of Class A office space near uptown, but McAlpine said rents will be lower than other areas seeing rapid growth.

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Office, retail building planned on West Morehead Street

The Brookings hospital will have a dramatically different look in 2017 when a major expansion of the 50-year-old building is completed. A new entryway on what is now the north end of the building will serve both the hospital and a new attached medical office building. The current brick faade of the structure will be replaced as well. Construction, expected to last 21 months, could begin as early as June of this year. One of the more dramatic features of the renovated Brookings hospital will be a soaring glass entry that will take visitors and patients to both the new medical office building and the hospital. Construction costs for the expansion are pegged at about $35 million, and soft costs for equipment and furnishings will add about $10 million. $45-million project to be completed in 2017

BROOKINGS The start of construction is still four months away, but the board of trustees and administrative planners are making major headway in the $45 million expansion and renovation of the Brookings hospital, according to Jason Merkley, Brookings Health System CEO.

Merkley announced this week that the board has chosen two nationally known Minneapolis firms, HGA and Kraus-Anderson, to take leading roles in the hospital makeover.

For the complete article see the 02-02-2015 issue.

Click here to view the 02-02-2015 E-Edition containing the rest of this article.

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Trustees choose firms for hospital expansion

BUILDING PERMITS

PMT2014-04165 0 Pearl St.; $352,542; Depot Square; Milo Construction corp.; This is a core and shell building permit application of 5,798 square feet for the historic depot building at Depot Square. the scope of work includes associated EPs and gas piping. See HIS2014-00237 approval. Address recently changed to 2366 Junction Place.

PMT2014-04291 4760 Eighth St.; $249,656.02; Lee Kuh; Koelbel Urban Homes; New single-family dwelling (please refer to LUR2013-00033 for site review approval). Total of 2,529 square feet of habitable area, including 1,998 square feet of finished "floor area" (as defined on approved site review plans), with 943 square feet finished basement, and 163 square feet front porch. Please refer to separate permit for detached garage. Lot 4.

PMT2014-04293 4760 Eighth St.; $19,994.66; Lee Kuh; Koelbel Urban Homes; New detached garage (528 square feet) associated with new single-family dwelling permitted under case PMT2014-04291. Lot 4.

PMT2014-05203 1155 Marine St.; $303,307.74; Birch Enterprise; Exterior rehabilitation of decks/balconies and awnings; cosmetic interior remodel including removal and replacement of cabinets, plumbing fixtures, light fixtures, appliances, adding new plumbing fixtures for washer/dryer hookup and flooring. the project includes installation of replacement windows and cutting in new windows in the exterior masonry walls; conversion of an existing sales office to a workout room. Existing spa to be replaced; reroute and bury power to spa location.

PMT2014-05231 2907 55th St.; $17,372.16; Dellacava/Day Development; Weins Construction Inc.; Unit 7A expansion (auto detailing) Tenant remodel of 464 square feet. Scope of work includes associated MEPs including bathroom reduction and relocation, a new 200-amp panel, new lighting, and a new water heater.

PMT2014-05354 929 Pearl St.; $49,956.00; West Pearl; Faurot Construction Inc.; Exterior remodel to existing professional office space. Scope of work includes structural reinforcement of existing awning system, small demolition of section of existing awning, as well as small awning addition. Future photovoltaic array to be installed on awnings (under separate permit).

PMT2014-05361 1821 Mapleton Ave.; $56,080.20; Mark Ely and Christine Klein; New detached studio consisting of a main level of 500 square feet and an upper level of 187 square feet (687 square feet total). Scope of work includes associated MEPs.

PMT2014-05465 2108 55th St.; $56,965; Flatiron Investment; Quinlan Construction Inc.; Tenant interior remodel to install commercial kitchen for catering services company.

PMT2014-05557 1990 N. 57th Court; $100,000; 57th Court; Tenant remodel of existing warehouse for Pharmaca. Scope includes expansion of bathrooms and creation of office space. Includes associated MEPs.

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Boulder building permits: Feb. 2, 2015

President Obama's 2016 budget proposal, under construction and repair, has a nugget for Hartford: $9.9 million for renovations to the federal building and courthouse on Main Street.

The renovations would target the annex of the Abraham A. Ribicoff Federal Building and Courthouse, added in 1992, and part of the massive court and federal office building just south of the Hartford Public Library.

The work would include replacing paneled granite walls, portions of the atrium and the roof necessary to prevent further deterioration caused by leaks and water damage, according to the federal General Services Administration.

The Hartford project is part of nearly $300 million sought by the GSA to renovate and better use federal buildings. Those efforts include less use of leased space, consolidation of work spaces and energy efficiency.

With Congress' support, "Americans will benefit from energy and cost-efficient public buildings ... and historic properties that are properly maintained for generations to come," said Dan Tangherlini, the GSA's administrator.

The proposal did not come with a timetable.

The annex is part of an eight-story building that houses bankruptcy court, citizenship and immigration services, the U.S. District Court for the state of Connecticut, and the offices of the federal marshals and probation.

Construction of the building was completed in 1963 and was renamed for Ribicoff in 1980. Ribicoff was Connecticut's governor, a longtime member of the U.S. Congress, and secretary of health, education and welfare in the administration of President John F. Kennedy.

As a lawyer, Ribicoff practiced in the building's courthouses, and he had an office there as a U.S. senator.

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Obama Budget Has $9.9 Million To Fix Ribicoff Federal Building

Published: Monday, 2/2/2015 - Updated: 13 hours ago

ASSOCIATED PRESS

WASHINGTON U.S. construction spending accelerated in December as building activity increased for new houses and government-backed highways.

The Commerce Department said today that construction spending rose 0.4 percent in December. Total construction spending in 2014 increased 5.6 percent to $961 billion, with the gains slightly below the pace of 5.7 percent in 2013.

Spending on single-family houses rose 1.2 percent in December from the prior month. Highway and street construction grew by 2.1 percent and factory-building by 1.9 percent. Construction of schools and commercial centers fell in December.

The gains were strong enough that Michael Gapen, an analyst at the bank Barclays, said that the economy likely expanded at an annual pace of 2.8 percent in the final three months of last year, compared to the 2.6 percent estimate reported by the government last week.

Over the course of 2014, spending on offices, power plants, factories and lodgings climbed significantly, potentially signaling broader economic growth in 2015 that could further boost residential construction.

Sales of new home sales climbed 11.6 percent in December to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 481,000, the Commerce Department said in a recent report. That represents a marked improvement from the total sales of 435,000 for all of 2014.

Solid job growth should spillover into construction. Employers added nearly 3 million jobs in 2014, the most since 1999. Economists surveyed by FactSet ahead of Fridays jobs report say that employers likely added 230,000 jobs in January.

The strong hiring should lead to additional demand for hotels and office buildings, according to the American Institute of Architects forecast for 2015. The trade group expects that construction spending will increase 7.7 percent this year on non-residential buildings, led primarily by new offices, hotels, factories and retail development projects.

Excerpt from:
Construction spending up 0.4% in December