Work is underway on a long-stalled project in West Hollywood on the site of the former Movietown Plaza shopping center.

The residential and retail complex being built at 7300 Santa Monica Blvd. is one of several in the pipeline in the eastern blocks of West Hollywood.

Virginia real estate investment trust AvalonBay Communities Inc. is developing the 3-acre former Movietown Plaza lot at Santa Monica and Poinsettia Place with 370 apartments, a grocery store, restaurants and shops.

Trader Joes, a fixture for many years at the now-demolished Movietown mall, has agreed to return as the grocery tenant when the new project is completed in early 2016. The future complex will be called Avalon West Hollywood.

AvalonBay declined to put a value on the new development, but in a document filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission at the end of last year the company put the expected cost at more than $152 million.

AvalonBay picked up the project after a previous developer was unable to complete it.

First proposed in 2006 by Casden Properties, the project was approved by the West Hollywood City Council in 2010 only to fall victim to the economic downturn.

Casdens plans called for a mix of residences, senior affordable units, and retail space accented by multiple landscaped courtyards in a design that included two 10-story structures on the southern end of the site.

When AvalonBay Communities took over the development in 2012, it redesigned the project and reduced the maximum height to seven stories. The company also brought the West Hollywood Community Housing Corp. in as its partner for the 77 affordable housing units.

Avalon West Hollywood was designed by Irvine architecture firm MVE & Partners.

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Construction underway at Movietown Plaza site in West Hollywood

Chicago, IL (PRWEB) June 26, 2014

Construct-A-Lead, the Construction Industrys most comprehensive construction lead service, reported today that the following Retail construction projects will have the necessary approvals and will go forward. Businesses will have ample opportunities to provide construction bids and other services relative to these projects. Those interested parties are encouraged to visit construct-a-lead.com and reference the Project ID listed below to obtain direct contact information for each construction lead:

Del Mar, CA - Del Mar Highlands Town Center Phase 2 - Plans call for a movie theater expansion, parking structure, and 80,000 square feet of retail space. Construction start: Q3, Q4, 2014. $28,000,000 Project ID: 1332152

Annapolis, MD Eastport mixed use - Plans call for a seven-story complex with a mix of 200 apartments and 14,000 square feet of high-end, first-floor retail space. Construction start: Spring, 2015, $45,000,000. Project ID: 1332542

Plano, TX - One Haggard Place Plans call for the new construction of two 72 unit luxury condominium towers, high-end retail shopping and a boutique hotel (unbranded) on 8 acres of farmland. Construction start: Late, 2014. $90,000,000 Project ID: 1332547

Baton Rouge, LA Circle K Plans call for a new 4,000 SF Circle K retail store, with canopy. Construction start: Q3, 2014, $1,000,000 Project ID: 1332456

Alexandria, VA LA Fitness - Plans call for a new 43,000 SF LA Fitness health club. Construction start: Q3, 2014. $4,000,000 Project ID: 1332581

Chicago, IL Bridges - Plans call for the new construction of 192,000 square feet of retail shops and medical offices in two buildings. Construction start: Q1, Q2, 2015, estimated. $92,000,000 Project ID: 1332516

Canton Township, MI Chesterfield Township Outlets - Plans call for the new construction of a 350,000-square-foot center with a 12,000-square-foot Cooper's Hawk, restaurant and winery. Construction start: Q1, 2015, $55,000,000. Project ID: 1331968

Surprise, AZ Shops at Surprise - Plans call for the renovation and redevelopment of the shopping center to include property improvements and green initiatives. Construction start: Summer, 2014. $5,000,000 Project ID: 1332420

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Construct-A-Lead Reported Today That the Following Retail Construction Projects Will Have the Necessary Approvals and ...

Two downtown construction projects are marking two very different milestones this week, as the Buffalo Sabres topped off the steel at HarborCenter on a foggy, gray Wednesday, while Uniland Development Co. erected a new tower crane to start building its 12-story office and hotel tower.

Construction workers shouted, cheered and snapped photos amid drizzle as the final piece of structural steel was raised from Perry Street over the top of the structure and into its position atop the eighth floor of HarborCenter at Canalside. There, workers sitting high atop other beams but tethered for safety grabbed hold, rotated and maneuvered the 1,500 pounds of steel into place and anchored it down.

The 40-foot beam brightly painted in Sabres blue and yellow was covered with signatures of construction workers, Sabres staff and even Sabres owners Terry and Kim Pegula and President Ted Black. A hockey stick, U.S. and Sabres flags, and banners of the contractors and labor union were attached, along with a small potted fir tree that is an ironworker tradition when a building reaches its maximum height.

For the guys who are out here every day, this is a big day, said Cliff Benson, the Sabres chief development officer. Fifteen months ago, we broke ground, and here we stand today. Its nothing short of a phenomenal effort.

The 20-story mixed-use facility, which is linked to the First Niagara Center by a pedestrian bridge across Perry Street, will include two full-size NHL ice rinks on the sixth floor, a 205-room Marriott Buffalo HarborCenter hotel and an 850-space parking ramp. Theres also a two-story restaurant, called 716 Food and Sport, and a two-story commemorative Tim Hortons, plus some additional retail space. The facility will be the home arena for Canisius College hockey and the Junior Sabres, and will also host college and amateur hockey tournaments.

Plans originally called for the eight floors of the ramp, rinks, restaurants and retail to be open by late September or early October, with the hotel tower opening in May 2015. The complex project is now more than 70 percent complete, although it is slightly late after the difficult winter and typical construction hurdles.

Still, were going to finish at the end of October, said Ryan Poropat, project supervisor for general contractor Mortensen Construction. Thats a bit tight for Canisius, which had planned to start playing its hockey on the HarborCenter ice in early October.

We have a lot of work obviously to do that, and were going to get it done, thats for sure, Poropat said. You get a lot done real fast, and then its all the nitty-gritty detail work at the end. Were entering that stage.

Employment on the site is now at the peak of 250 workers daily, where it is expected to remain until the project is done, and the laborers are generally working six days a week occasionally even on Sunday for specific needs, such as last week.

Meanwhile, farther north on Delaware Avenue at Chippewa Street, workers prepared to put up a new tower crane today the fifth to be seen in downtown Buffalo in recent months. Unilands project at 250 Delaware calls for a new corporate headquarters for Delaware North Companies and a 120-room hotel.

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Ceremony marks milestone in construction at HarborCenter

St. Modwen Properties Quote more

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St. Modwen Properties is set to begin work on the second phase of the retail development at Longbridge in Birmingham after being granted planning permission for a 150,000 square foot Marks & Spencer store and an additional 45,000 sq ft of retail space.

The approval marks the latest stage in the 1bn regeneration project of Longbridge town centre.

Group Chief Executive Bill Oliver said: "The development of the new 150,000 sq ft Marks & Spencer store, the anchor of the second phase of the new Town Centre at Longbridge, represents a significant milestone at this major regeneration project and is a key part of our overall aim to create business and employment opportunities in the area."

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St. Modwen to begin second phase of Longbridge development

Published: 12:55PM Wednesday June 25, 2014 Source: ONE News

Triangle Centre. - Source: Supplied

Part of Christchurch's quake-barren CBD is about to get a facelift with construction starting on a new retail building.

The building will be made with seismic base isolation, one of the most powerful and commonly used ways to protect buildings against earthquakes.

The base works by separating the building from the ground and acting similar to a car's suspension, taking the weight of the building and letting the foundations move during an earthquake.

Sitting in the triangle formed by Colombo, High and Cashel St, work is due to begin August on the Triangle Centre, hosting 1700 square metres of ground floor retail space and three floors for offices.

Consultancy firm Beca has signed on already as has ANZ who has also bought naming rights to the building.

Ryan Geddes, head of office leasing at Colliers International, says the development of the building is a significant step in giving tenants the confidence to return to the CBD.

"This announcement is exactly the sort of news that tenants eyeing the CBD have been waiting to hear," says Mr Geddes.

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Christchurch CBD gets new quake-resistant building

The developers of a $135-million shopping center near the famed Huntington Beach Pier face an unusual challenge how to embrace the city's proud identity as Surf City without descending into surfing kitsch.

Sure, they hope to attract tourists in town to take in the beach scene, but the builders also want Orange County locals to feel comfortable at the Pacific City shopping and dining complex under construction on Pacific Coast Highway.

Signs made of surfboards, woodies parked by the valet stand and large surfing movie posters in the parking garage were considered and rejected, said Linda Berman, executive project director for developer DJM Capital Partners.

Figuring out how to communicate to visitors that they are in the "Surfing Capital of the World" without relying on cliched props has proved daunting.

"Surf culture is more attitudinal than it is aesthetic," she said. "You run out of imagery pretty quickly."

So the developers are trying to give Pacific City a laid-back beach house vibe by using natural materials such as wood and stone, accented with drought-resistant plants.

Locals will judge for themselves whether DJM hit the right notes when 11-acre Pacific City opens in summer 2015.

Work on the mall's two-level parking garage is well underway, and construction of the retail portion is scheduled to begin shortly.

The design aesthetic for Pacific City envisioned by architects Jerde Partnership and SMS Architects is a modern, craftsman-influenced beach bungalow. Restaurants there will have outdoor patio dining with ocean views.

Movies some of them surf related will be shown on an outdoor screen. The design will include what DJM calls "hang out" spaces intended to encourage people to stroll and congregate.

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Huntington Beach's Pacific City complex aims to draw locals, tourists

Orlando, FL (PRWEB) June 24, 2014

Orlando construction dumpster rental company Sunshine Recycling is currently working with Clermont-based contractor Schmid Construction on the development of a Dicks Sporting Goods retail store. Sunshine is providing portable toilets, dumpsters and regular hauling. The new development includes the retail store and a smaller restaurant space and is located on a parcel of land facing State Road 50 near Fashion Square Mall in Orlando. The buildings will replace outdated and decades-old shopping sites.

Sunshine Recycling currently has one construction dumpster on location and is providing multiple hauls to collect construction debris. The 50,010-square-foot standalone retail store was developed by Tennessee-based UP Development Inc. The building and a smaller restaurant space are replacing a former Toys R Us and smaller retail spaces that were demolished last year.

This is the second Dicks Sporting Goods location approved and constructed in central Florida this year. A standalone location in the Sandhill Commons shopping area in Clermont, FL will celebrate its grand opening Friday, June 27 through Sunday, June 29, 2014.

This new development will bring temporary jobs to the area as the site is prepped for construction and the new developments are built, but this construction will also add more long-term employment opportunities in Orlando, said Chuck Herb, owner of Sunshine Recycling. We appreciate the opportunity to participate in the growth and development of our city and the local economy.

About Sunshine Recycling Inc.: Sunshine Recycling Inc. of Orlando is a dumpster rental company servicing central Florida. Offering various sizes of dumpsters including front-load, roll-off and full-size construction dumpsters, Sunshine Recycling also provides recyclable, waste and construction debris collection and hauling services and trash compactors. The company is a proud member of the U.S. Green Building Council and is LEED AP certified. For more information about construction dumpsters from Sunshine Recycling, please visit http://www.orlando-dumpsters.com/construction-dumpsters/.

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Orlando Roll Off Dumpsters Provider Currently Assisting on Construction of New Dicks Sporting Goods Retail Store

Groundbreaking for housing, retail and commercial space in oil boom town

Local and state officials gave a helping hand recently on a groundbreaking for the Bakken Village building in Watford City, marking the beginning of 2014 spring construction on a 90-acre housing, retail and commercial development at the heart of the oil boom.

Bakken Development Solutions representatives, along with North Dakota Lieutenant Governor Drew Wrigley, Watford City Mayor Brent Sanford and others, threw dirt and spoke at the Thank You Watford City event, presented by The Crossings at Watford City.

Projects like The Crossings at Watford City enhance the quality of life in our communities, said Wrigley. Watford City has grown more robustly in the last few years than anyone could have imagined. It will be exciting to see this development completed and providing housing, diverse retail and business options for one of North Dakotas most dynamic communities.

At Bakken Development Solutions, we hope that the community is as pleased as we are with the progress at The Crossings at Watford City, said Paul Dries, COO with Bakken Development Solutions. With local input and assistance, we believe that we are developing a project that will not only benefit the Watford City area, but will serve as an example of responsible development throughout the Bakken.

The Bakken Village is a three-story, 46,000 square-foot building at the center of The Crossings at Watford City that will offer live/work, retail and office architecture with 32 townhome-style apartments on the upper floors and space for office and restaurant locations on the main floor.

Along with the Bakken Village, a regional headquarters for ConocoPhillips, a hotel, townhome-style apartments and other buildings are set to be added to The Crossings.

at Watford City development. The citys new southeast bypass is also being constructed in the middle of this expansion.

The Crossings at Watford City is a 90-acre development located two miles east of the Watford City Municipal Airport.

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90-acre development in Watford City opens

The latest hearing at the Paramus Zoning Board of Adjustment on the construction of a Panera Bread and retail space at 770 Route 17 north was briefly interrupted following a heated exchanged between the applicant and objectors.

The outburst occurred while the objector's attorney was questioning the applicant's witnesses, and prompted objector Richard Cacciatore to leave the room. In response, zoning board vice chairman Gerald Rickelmann called for a short recess. He said that neither side of the debate wanted such a tense situation during proceedings.

"What happened here tonight cannot and will not happen again. I am going to give a warning on the record to the applicant, because I felt people were uncomfortable in here," Rickelmann said. "I don't think anybody should have to tolerate feeling that uncomfortable when there's tempers flaring."

The application's objectors consist of a group of residents who live near the property where the restaurant and retail are proposed, and are concerned that the restaurant could affect their quality of life. Members of the group have hired their own attorney to present their case before the board.

The current plan is related to the Equinox Health Club property next door, which was also opposed by neighbors but approved by the Planning Board in 2011. The new application shares a parking lot with the existing structure, creating a total of 453 parking spaces while 598 are required.

The site of the current application is home to an abandoned structure that will be demolished and replaced with a 15,000-square-foot undetermined retail space and a 4,500-square-foot restaurant with drive-through that will be used to house a Panera Bread.

At the end of the previous hearing, the board suggested traffic engineer Hal Simoff gather more data for determining traffic at the restaurant. During previous testimony he stated that he had not performed a full traffic study in Paramus, and was using observations from a similar-sized franchise in Edison.

Simoff presented a new report on the capability of the restaurant's drive-through to stack cars. He returned to the Edison restaurant, which also has a drive-through and is located next to a major highway, and conducted a traffic count from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., peak lunch hours.

The Edison location can queue nine cars at once, the same intensity planned for the Paramus facility, according to Simoff. Each half-hour segment saw 13 to 19 cars enter the queue, with an average time spent of eight minutes. The peak hour for the drive-through consisted of 34 cars, which was the approximate number put forth by the applicant when they designed the size of the queue.

"The actual studies indicate that with a peak hour count of 34 vehicles, the queue never exceeded eight vehicles," Simoff said. "Therefore, I would suggest the numbers are comparable to the Paramus Panera Bread site."

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Paramus zoning board meeting gets heated

County and state officials on Monday broke ground on the first step of a $180 million mixed-use project that will bring housing, office and retail space to a plot of land next to the Savage MARC station in Howard County.

The Annapolis Junction project will combine 416 apartments, 100,000 square feet of office space, 17,000 square feet of retail space and a 150-room hotel on the nearly 19-acre site, located close to the National Security Agency's headquarters at Fort Meade.

The groundbreaking June 9 was for a 704-space parking garage for the development, which is a joint effort by the Howard County government, the Maryland Department of Transportation and private developers Somerset Construction Company and OA Partners.

The garage will incorporate space for buses bringing employees from Baltimore's Pennsylvania Station and Washington's Union Station to Fort Meade. Officials said 57,000 cars currently pass through Fort Meade every day.

We have formed a partnership to support the mission of Fort Meade, help workers get on and off the base, and bring much-needed economic growth to an important part of the county, Howard County Executive Ken Ulman said of the project in a statement.

The development is scheduled to be finished by spring 2016 and is expected to create 712 new permanent jobs, as well as several hundred temporary construction jobs, officials said.

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Crews break ground on Annapolis Junction project