ELMIRA, N.Y. — An affiliate of Aries capital, Urban Development Fund LLC, has provided $15 million for the renovation of the Clemens Center in Elmira. The $24.5 million project will include upgrading the stage areas, dressing rooms, work areas and building technology. The funding was made possible by an allocation of New Market Tax Credits. This loan is one of two $15 million loans Urban Development Fund is providing for the project. The construction timetable for the project was not released. The Clemens Center consists of the 1,608-seat Powers Theater and the 200-seat Mandeville Hall.
BIRMINGHAM, ALA. — The General Services Administration has tapped Boyken International to oversee the $32 million renovation of the Robert Smith Vance Federal Building and United States Courthouse, located at 1800 5th Ave. N. in Birmingham. After completion, the courthouse will be in line with the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act’s standards and Silver LEED requirements. Plans are currently being drawn up, and construction is expected to start next spring.
LA PORTE, TEXAS — The Houston office of Turner Construction Co. has completed a new municipal court building for the city of La Porte. The 11,300-square-foot facility features a 4,000-square-foot courtroom, administrative offices, a landscaped courtyard and 100,000 square feet of parking space. Sustainable features of the building include six methods of alternative energy production, including a natural gas-powered generator, a reflective roof, the use of recycled construction materials, high-efficiency plumbing features, low-emitting interior materials and a drip irrigation system. In addition to daily city use, the building will also double as an emergency control center for the city and can withstand a Category 3 hurricane. The project architect was Huitt-Zollars.
BALTIMORE — The Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services has selected Fairfax, Va.-based PSA-Dewberry to design the 200,000-square-foot Baltimore Youth Detention Center. Located in downtown Baltimore, the five-story, $80 million facility will include 180 beds. The property will encompass six housing units, each outfitted with a counseling room, an activity space and a multi-purpose room. Baltimore Youth Detention Center will house minors who have been criminally charged as adults. A grand opening is scheduled for spring 2012.
OGDEN, UTAH — Construction is currently underway for the development of a new Munitions maintenance facility at Hill Air Force Base in Ogden. The $7.4 million project consists of a single-story, 25,166-square-foot building featuring areas for maintenance, administration, training, storage, emergency backup power supply, equipment bays, equipment wash racks and a paint booth. Construction began in May, with completion scheduled for June 2010. San Diego-based KMA Architecture & Engineering was retained by MWH Americas to provide architectural services for the project.
WHITTIER, CALIF. — La Iglesia Del Vivo Columna y Apoyo De La Verdad has acquired a religious facility, which is located at 12401-12405 Pellissier Rd. in Whittier, for $2.47 million. The 3-acre property consists of an 8,210-square-foot assembly hall and four single-family residences totaling 4,271 square feet. Coastal County Real Estate represented the buyer; Anil Rana of Sperry Van Ness represented the seller, New York-based BSS Corp, in the deal.
TULSA, OKLA. — San Francisco-based design firm Kaplan McLaughlin Diaz (KMD) has been selected to design a new $56 million justice facility in Tulsa. The building will total 175,000 square feet and will include seven courtrooms with other related facilities. The project will also incorporate sustainable elements including extensive use of daylighting and wind power generators. The construction timetable was not released.
ROUND ROCK, TEXAS — The Corte Company has been selected as the design-builder for a $23.6 million military project located in Round Rock. The new Armed Forces Reserve Center will consist of four separate facilities: a training center, a vehicle maintenance building, an organizational unit storage facility and an unheated storage building. Completion is slated for early 2011.
HUNTSVILLE, ALA. — Rosemont, Ill.-based McShane Construction Co. has completed vertical construction of the 62,500-square-foot Defense Acquisition University, which broke ground this spring. The property is located on 10 acres in the Thornton Research Park at 7115 Old Madison Pike in Huntsville. Triad Properties Corp. is developing the property to LEED certification for the General Services Administration. The building will encompass 13 classrooms, offices and a fitness center. Completion is slated for next January.
VERO BEACH AND POMPANO, FLA. — Dallas-based Balfour Beatty Construction will undertake two upcoming construction projects at educational institutions in Florida. The firm is planning to break ground next spring on the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute in Vero Beach for Florida Atlantic University. The LEED Silver property will include research labs, offices and a conference area. Balfour Beatty will also build a 5,000-seat stadium for Blanche Ely High School in Pompano. The stadium will include a turf field, a polyurethane track, a restroom and concession booths.