GULFPORT Roy Anderson Corp. (RAC) has won three construction contracts for projects on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

They are:

Scarlet Pearl Casino Resort, DIberville Owner: Land Holdings One / Contract Value: approx. $122 million Scope of work: Construction of a 15-story, 300-room hotel with 61,000 sf of gaming space. The hotel tower will include 234 typical guest rooms, 56 suites and ten penthouse suites. The resort will include multiple restaurants, retail space, an event center, pool area, and miniature golf course. Construction is expected to begin in the third quarter of 2014 with substantial completion expected in late 2015. The contract value will be included as part of the Companys reported second-quarter backlog.

DuPont Bulk Handling Facility Relocation Project, Gulfport Owner: Mississippi State Port Authority / Total Construction Value: approx. $77.5 million Scope of work: Pre-construction and construction management services to provide ship-to-storage receiving conveyor systems, vertical storage capability (up to 15 new silos for total capacity of 220,000 tons of ilmenite ore and coke), and storage-to-rail or truck load-out conveyor systems. The project will include management of all civil, mechanical, structural, electrical and all other work systems to provide a fully operational facility. Construction is expected to begin in the third quarter of 2014 with a substantial completion expected by June 2016. This construction management contract will be executed under a joint venture between Roy Anderson Corp. and Yates Construction.

Design-Build Renovation of Buildings 1 & 2 at VA Medical Center, Biloxi Owner: Veterans Administration / Contract Value: approx. $31.1 million Scope of work: Complete renovation of Buildings 1 and 2, comprising a total of 135,200 gsf. Work will include complete demolition of existing spaces, upgrading interior utilities, including replacement of HVAC, electrical, and chilled water systems. Construction is expected to begin in the fourth quarter of 2014 with substantial completion expected in January 2017. The contract value is expected to be included as part of the Companys reported third-quarter backlog.

Like Loading...

To sign up for Mississippi Business Daily Updates, click here.

See the original post:
Roy Anderson earns three Coast construction contracts

Rembold Properties to start work on residential-retail complex in 2015

Property the city of Beaverton owns at Southwest First Street and Angel Avenue has been little more than a vacant expanse of dirt, grass and a cluster of trees for some time now, but City Councils green light to develop the property will soon transform the half block into a mixture of housing units and ground-floor retail space.

The council at its Tuesday night meeting approved a plan to move forward with Rembold Properties proposal to develop the .9-acre property into a 3.5-story single building of up to 80,000 square feet. The city has negotiated a selling price of $780,000 for the land, the propertys appraised value determined by Integra Realty Resources.

Portland-based Rembolds plans call for approximately 85 housing units with about 2,400 square feet of ground-floor commercial space. Covered parking will be located on the ground floor, and amenities will include a fitness facility, event room and a rooftop deck.

If all goes as planned, construction on the estimated $21.4 million project is likely to start by spring 2015 and conclude by June 2017, according to city planning officials.

Wayne Rembold, president of Rembold Properties for 30 years, told the council he looks forward to moving the long-discussed project into the realm of reality.

Were here because we think this can be a lively residential, mixed-use community, he said. Were looking forward to it and hope we can get more (city) blocks done.

Rembold emphasized the project as playing a catalytic role in revitalizing a sleepy section of the central city.

Its an area that needs kickstarting, he said, noting the first (collaborative) project is always hard to get off the ground. Im confident we have the right mix, with a plan and pricing that the community will embrace.

After receiving four developer proposals in early 2013, city officials chose to focus on Rembold Properties proposal. Mayor Denny Doyle signed a memorandum of understanding with the developer earlier this year for a project concept for the city-owned site. The memorandum allowed Rembold and the city to investigate the possibility of developing the current property into a mixed-use project with market-rate housing, commercial space and parking.

See original here:
Beaverton City Council moves on First and Angel project

The BRC said the weak spending growth partly reflected a supermarket price war, which contributed to a 1.8 per cent fall in high street prices last month, the biggest since at least 2006

British retail sales growth slowed in June to one of its weakest rates in three years, possibly in response to fears of higher interest rates, industry figures showed on Tuesday, adding to recent lacklustre economic data.

The British Retail Consortium said total retail spending in June was just 0.6 per cent higher than a year before, the lowest growth rate since May 2011 if annual volatility caused by the timing of Easter is excluded.

Consumer spending has been a major driver of Britains unexpectedly strong economic recovery over the past year, but in May the Bank of England said it expected the rate of growth to fall slightly in the second half of 2014.

Industrial output and the construction sector were weak in May, and services activity growth slowed to a four-month low in June.

The BRC said second-quarter sales growth was robust overall, rising by 2.6 per cent, the fastest growth rate for a calendar quarter since the third quarter of last year.

But the figures were flattered by Easter falling in the second quarter this year and the first quarter in 2013, and spending growth slowed towards the end of the quarter, after chalking up annual growth of 2 per cent in May.

June saw increased speculation that the Bank of England would raise interest rates from their record low 0.5 per cent later this year, though the BoE has stressed that any increases will be gradual and will be to below pre-crisis levels.

The BRC said the weak spending growth partly reflected a supermarket price war, which contributed to a 1.8 per cent fall in high street prices last month, the biggest since at least 2006.

Consumers continue to benefit from competitive pricing, which may be the cause of softer like-for-like sales in June, BRC director-general Helen Dickinson said.

Read the original post:
UK retail sales growth slowed sharply last month

Published: Monday, July 14, 2014 at 8:38 p.m. Last Modified: Monday, July 14, 2014 at 8:38 p.m.

HAINES CITY | A Celebration real estate developer has proposed building more than 3,000 mostly rental units and 70,000 square feet of retail and office space in Haines City over the next few years.

If CBD Real Estate Investment LLC builds all four projects announced Monday, it would total as one of the largest residential developments in the city's history, said Mark Bennett, a city planning manager involved in discussions with the Celebration developer.

"The cumulative impact of all of them would be significant," Bennett said.

All four developments would aim at creating "market-affordable" housing, meaning no government subsidies involved, said David Waronker, CBD president.

"We see a tremendous increase in demand nationally, regionally and, most specifically, locally for affordable market rate for sale and rental housing," Waronker said in a press statement. "There is no secret that those looking for housing have less to spend, but want now more than ever the best value for their hard earned dollars."

One-bedroom apartments would rent for about $450 a month with three-bedroom units at less than $1,000, or about $400 cheaper than the Tampa and Orlando areas, he said. Single-family homes would sell for less than $200,000, half the $440,000 median price of a Polk County home in 2005-06 at the height of the real estate boom.

The developers expect current Polk residents would make up more than half the renters and buyers with the rest coming from Tampa and Orlando area residents looking for affordable housing, Waronker said.

Construction on two of the four projects could start within a year pending approvals from city and state officials, he said. A third project depends on construction of the proposed Central Polk Parkway, an extension of the current Polk Parkway farther east, and the fourth remains in the planning stage.

First on the block would be the $22.9 million Liberty Bluff gated community on 19 acres off Hinson Road near Power Line Road, Waronker said.

View original post here:
Real Estate Developer Proposes Retail, Residential Project for Haines City

An artist's impression of the 47,000-square-metre redevelopment planned by QIC at Eastland shopping centre at Ringwood.

Population growth is driving continued retail development across Melbourne and Geelong with about 250,000 square metres of space expected to be completed in the next two years.

Savills Australia's Victorian research chief Glenn Lampard said much of the development involved expanding existing large shopping centres rather than new projects.

"The majority is through expansion of existing centres. A lot of these centres have been performing quite well through this period. You rarely walk around a regional shopping centre and see empty sites," Mr Lampard said.

Victoria's population grew by 107,900 people (1.9 per cent) in the 12 months to December 2013, bringing its total to 5.79 million, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

Advertisement

"We have been fortunate in the population growth. You don't need people to spend more when you have more people spending. Retail spending has been subdued but it hasn't gone backwards," he said.

Setting up new households means people spend money on fitting out new kitchens and laundries at bulky goods stores.

Three new projects in Mentone, Pakenham and Altona, totalling 60,000 square metres, are due to be finished by mid-2015.

A further 70,000 square metres of space in the large regional shopping centres will open for business in May 2016. The Pacific Group is opening a 23,496 square metre expansion to Werribee Plaza and building works are under way at QIC's 47,000 square metre redevelopment at Eastland in Ringwood.

Read the original:
Population growth 'driving retail centre expansion' in Melbourne, Geelong

The renovation of the former Napa Town Center continues, with the installation of new common area improvements and the demolition of one section of retail space within the old mall.

Last week, workers cleaned out a now-empty lot following the demolition of the Williamson & Co. mens clothing store.

Passing by on a break from her downtown Napa retail job, longtime Napan Natalie Swartz gazed at the vacant space.So far so good, Swartz said of the construction. I just wish it were done to get on to the next chapter.

That next chapter is already being written. One look around the First Street mall shows signs of revitalization such as new outdoor lamps, walkways and stone and metal benches, some still under wraps.

The mall's '90s-style peach/pink paint scheme has been mostly replaced with earth tones in taupe and sage. New awnings and window flower boxes have been installed in some areas. Sections of walkway remain closed off, but the fencing at the entrance between Eiko's restaurant and the Napa Valley Toy Co. has been removed.

So far I think its all looking really good. Im encouraged, said Renee Fannin, owner of the mall's Napa Valley Toy Co. They cant get it done quick enough for me.

Fannin said she plans to remain as a tenant in the mall, whether in her current corner location on First Street or another space inside the project, now referred to as Napa Center. Im doing everything I can to hang in there until its all done and looks as beautiful as I believe its going to look, she said.

In addition to the other improvements, Im excited to see the hotel go up quickly, said Fannin. Its going to be good.

Developer ToddZapolski and partners bought the beleaguered Town Center in May 2012 from George Altamura, the Doctors Co. and partners. He renamed it Shops at Napa Center and began working to find a hotel partner and retail tenants.

Zapolski has been courting high-end, national retailers, as well as local merchants, that would bolster downtown as a place to shop, not just eat and sip wine. The majority of those tenants will not move in until construction of a planned five-story Archer hotel has progressed, Zapolski has said.

Link:
Revamping of downtown mall proceeds slowly

An additional 96 parking spaces have been added to the proposed Renaissance Plaza residential/retail complex at 400 N. Columbus Boulevard, bringing the total to nearly 600 spaces.

None of the parking, originally planned or more recently added, will be visible from the street. That detail was proffered by William Alesker and David Farabaugh of the architecture firm Alesker & Dundon and project attorney Hercules Grigos during a recent Central Delaware Advocacy Group meeting.

Most of the parking is wrapped in retail space. The new spaces are partially below grade. FEMA requires the retail/residential portions of the building to be raised above the floodplain, Alesker explained. That created six feet of wasted space. Five more feet of digging made room for the 96 additional spaces.

Renaissance Plaza plans call for about 1,360 rental apartments, 72,000 square feet of retail space and 19,000 square feet of office space.

The team representing developer Waterfront Renaissance Associates - an affiliate of Carl Marks Real Estate - said code requires about one parking space for every three residential units. The additional spaces are for future shoppers, many of whom, the team said, will want to drive to the area.

CDAG Chairman and Northern Liberties Neighbors' President Matt Ruben joked that the development hit a parking sweet spot: Just little enough parking to make some of the residents around there nervous. And just enough parking to [tick] off some of the urbanists.

It's parking that requires Renaissance Plaza to seek a zoning special exception. The proposal was made under the old Central Delaware Overlay, which required an exception for above-grade parking, Grigos said. The current CDO does not require an exception, so long as the parking is completely wrapped, as in this proposal. The team will use the fact that the project meets the requirements of the current zoning overlay in an attempt to convince the Zoning Board of Adjustment to grant the exception at a July 23 hearing. The hearing was required without the additional parking, but the team came back to CDAG to discuss the parking change.

CDAG had already supported the project, and voted to continue that support. It did ask that the developer put in writing a previously made and recently repeated verbal commitment to include the planned public open space and other landscaping in the first phase of development.

Development proposals have been floated for this site for a long time. Remember theWorld Trade Centerproject? There's no set start of construction for this project, but the team told John Scorsone, who represents River's Edge, that funding is now being sought.

Read more:
Columbus Blvd. complex plan gets more hidden parking

Retail sales of Filipino fashion brands have dropped by 50 percent in the first quarter this year as big foreign brands with their unlimited resources dominate the domestic fashion sector.

Retail industry leader Samie Lim told reporters that local fashion retailers have failed to match the resources of the huge foreign brands which now occupy premium locations and big spaces in the countrys premier shopping centers.

They get bigger space and better location while our local brands like Penshoppe and Bench are relegated to the second floor, Lim lamented.

Already, local business groups Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Philippine Franchise Association and Philippine Retailers Association are discussing on strategies to help local retailers.

We should be able to help them strategize to compete in this market, he said.

One strategy, Lim said, is for Filipino retailers to establish mini stores or community stores to be able to reach out to a bigger mass market.

Community stores would be the answer to the big outlets of major foreign fashion retailers in the country.

Of late, the Philippines has become a destination by big fashion retailers such as Forever21 and Uniqlo. In August this year, Swedish fashion retail chain H&M is expected to open its first outlet in Megamall.

Earlier, Lim lamented that local retailers have always been at the mercy of their landlords or mall owners making it very difficult for a start-up retail company to open an outlet in a mall.

According to Lim, a mall tenant has to pay 6 to 8 months of rental deposits while others ask for 12 months. They have to post construction bond and payment for common spaces. A simple food cart requires P25,000 monthly rental.

Follow this link:
Filipino fashion retail sales dropping 50% Lim

Retail limping back View Larger The Bottom Line Other Business Features Local Stories from ThisWeek More Articles By Mark Williams The Columbus Dispatch Saturday July 12, 2014 5:42 AM

The state of retail in Franklin County is a mixed picture these days.

Retailers are adding jobs again, and retail real-estate vacancy rates are down. Still, county sales-tax collections tied to retail fell in 2013 and, despite the sliding vacancy rates, there are no signs of new retail construction, according to a report released yesterday.

Things will never get back to where it was in the early 2000s, when you had retail peak the way it did, said Jung Kim, director of research for the Columbus Chamber. The nature of the business has changed so much."

The annual report (PDF), produced by the chamber and the Franklin County commissioners, is meant to provide local political and business leaders with a snapshot of an industry that is a key source of revenue for the county. It was released in conjunction with an annual retail summit held yesterday morning Downtown.

We live and die by retail. As counties go, retail is our bread and butter, County Commissioner Marilyn Brown said. We need the retail economy for our general fund.

Retailers added 533 jobs in 2012 and 1,159 last year, reversing a trend of falling retail employment dating to 2001. Retail jobs are back to their highest levels since the recession, according to the report. But the 68,349 retail workers in the county last year remain well below the 93,402 the county had in 2001.

Even though retail employment has stabilized, Kim said the growth in e-commerce continues to shift employment away from stores to logistics jobs such as trucking and warehousing.

The vacancy rate for retail space in central Ohio has been falling since 2009, but retailers are absorbing existing space rather than building new stores, according to the report.

We built up retail space over several decades, Kim said. Even after tearing down City Center, there are still vacancies around High Street. The nature of retail is changing from being oriented toward needing space to making it more about the use of space.

See more here:
Franklin County retailers hiring, yet sales taxes from stores fell in 2013

The demolition site at 2107 Dwight Way at Shattuck Avenue where a new 6-story mixed use development will be built. Photo: Charles Siler

Demolition has begun on the lot at the corner of Shattuck Avenue and Dwight Way, bringing down the building that washome to furniture store Modernaire, which has moved to a new location.In its place will bea new, 6-story mixed-use housing development, constructionof which is set to begin in September.

Menlo Management Companyis behind thedevelopment at 2107 Dwight Way,whichwill feature 99 rental units, 5,607 square feet of ground-floor retail space, and 45 parking spaces. A 2012 zoning board report says the housing units will be marketed primarily to students.

The projects architect is Richard Christiani of San Francisco-based firm Christiani Johnson Architects. Christiani says he expects to complete construction in March 2016, 18 months after the scheduled start date. He saiddemolition at the site will be complete soon.

The planned apartment complex at 2017 Dwight Way. Rendering: Christiani JohnsonArchitects

The development will include nine below-market-rate dwelling units. This is the minimum required for a 99-unit building under Berkeley law, which mandates that one in 10units be affordable priced so a family earning less than the regional median income can afford the rent.

According to the Christiani Johnson Architects website, the Dwight Way development will also feature a landscaped central courtyard, a rear yard with outdoor grilling and a movie theater, bike storage and car share facilities.

Modernaire, which specializes in mid-century modern furniture, has moved to 1621 San Pablo Ave.,near the junction ofCedar and Hopkins.

Read more about the construction explosion in downtown Berkeley.

TheDwight Way projectis one ofa wave of developmentsset tocausea boom in population and retail space in downtown Berkeley. According to a 2014 brochurefrom the Downtown Berkeley Association, more than 1,400 new units are plannedfor thearea by 2018, potentially increasing the population from 3,000 to 5,000.

Go here to see the original:
Construction to begin on 6-story development