DEDHAM, MASS. — Construction had begun for the new campus of The Rashi School in Dedham. Rashi is a Reform Jewish day school currently located in Newton, Mass. Its new 82,000-square-foot building will be located on 17 acres along the Charles River, adjacent to Hebrew SeniorLife’s NewBridge on the Charles continuing care senior housing project, which is also currently under construction. The new school will be home to approximately 300 students in grades K-8. It will feature classrooms with smart boards, wireless Internet access throughout the school, a fully equipped science lab, a 10,000-volume library, an art studio, a dedicated music room, community spaces for prayer and holiday celebrations, a performing arts auditorium, a regulation-size gymnasium, sports fields, two playgrounds, a room dedicated to before- and after-school programs, and outdoor classrooms and assembly spaces. The project is applying for LEED certification, and is scheduled to open in fall 2010. The project was designed by HMFH Architects, and Suffolk Construction has been selected as general contractor. The Rashi School was able to secure $23 million in tax-exempt bond financing for the project, which was issued by MassDevelopment and purchased from Century Bank. Zions Bank structured the tax-exempt bond issue on the …
DETROIT — A $145 million redevelopment of Detroit’s historic Argonaut Building is nearing completion. The 760,000-square-foot facility was donated by General Motors to the College for Creative Studies (CCS). The college will use the updated facility as a second campus site. Additionally, the project calls for the reorganization of the college’s existing campus in Midtown Detroit’s Cultural Center. Beginning this fall, the Argonaut Building will house undergraduate and graduate programs in design; community outreach activities; student housing; research and professional activities in the design fields; and a charter middle school and high school with a special focus on art and design. CCS programs and departments will occupy approximately 70 percent of the building, which was originally constructed by General Motors for its first research facility. The new campus will house all of CCS’ design-based majors, including transportation design, product design, interior design, graphic design and advertising design. Highlights of the renovation include the addition of a 300-bed student housing area, a conference center with a 400-seat auditorium and a 360-seat dining hall. The project began in May, and is being led by project architect Albert Kahn Associated. Eric Larson of Larson Realty Group is leading the development team, which includes …
HOUSTON — Groundbreaking occurred yesterday for the expansion of the historic Julia Ideson Library building, located at 500 McKinney, adjacent to Houston’s City Hall. The Spanish Renaissance-style building was constructed in 1926, but the Great Depression put plans for a south wing and rear garden on hold. New construction will complete these plans, comprising a three-story, 24,500-square-foot archival wing and a new garden that will include an outdoor reading room. In addition, the property’s existing landscaping will be upgraded and the public spaces of the original 61,7000-square-foot building will be restored. Existing space scheduled for renovation includes the second-floor reading room, meeting rooms, library offices and workspaces. The project is being completed in anticipation of LEED-Silver certification. Completion of the addition is scheduled for the end of 2009, and the restoration of the existing building is scheduled to begin in 2010. Houston-based Gensler is serving as project architect; Austin, Texas-based TBG Partners is serving as landscape architect; and the Houston office of SpawMaxwell is providing construction management services. Financing for the project was obtained by the non-profit group Julia Ideson Library Preservation Partners. The group launched a $38 million capital campaign in late 2006 to fund the project, and has …
CAPE CORAL, FLA. — Fort Myers, Fla.-based J.L. Wallace has broken ground on a 22,000-square-foot education building for Cape Christian Fellowship. Located at 2110 Chiquita Blvd. in Cape Coral, the two-story building will include 14 classrooms, two public assembly rooms, administrative offices and a youth center. Titsch & Associates designed the project, which is expected to take 7 months.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Ehrenkrantz Eckstut & Kuhn Architects has begun two new projects in Washington. The District Department of Transportation and the planning office have asked the firm to create a gateway into the city that will improve the pedestrian-to-vehicle balance in neighborhoods along North Capitol Street. The planning office has also tasked Ehrenkrantz with creating a master plan in the Mt. Vernon Square district, which is bordered by M, G, 5th and 12th streets. The plan will blend the growth that has sprung from the new convention center with the Shaw historic district.
LAKE HIAWATHA, N.J. — Cranbury, N.J.-based Sweetwater Construction Corp. has completed a $1.1 million renovation and addition to the Lake Hiawatha Fire Department, located in Lake Hiawatha. The two-story addition included a conference room, office space and an additional truck bay. Other additions included a basement, an elevator and a new rear entrance. The existing building also received a new roof. The project architect was Rockaway, N.J.-based Parette Somjen Architects.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Rockville, Md.-based Opus East has completed the 127,000-square-foot Opus Hall, a residence hall located on The Catholic University of America’s campus in Washington. The building was constructed to LEED standards and has the capability to house 402 students in 79 suites, each of which consists of three single rooms and one double room. Every floor of the residence hall features kitchens and common areas. Additional amenities include a first-floor lounge, a laundry room and a study area.
NEW YORK CITY — The New York office of HOK has completed the pro-bono redesign of the former Engine Company 204 Firehouse, also known as the Degraw Street Firehouse, located in Brooklyn, New York City. The space will be converted into The BP Music Center, which will be used by the Brooklyn Philharmonic music ensemble, as well as Create!, a non-profit children’s arts education and training organization. Renovations will include the creation of a multi-purpose space for performances, meetings, lectures and other uses on the ground floor; offices for the Brooklyn Philharmonic and Create! on the second floor; and a music rehearsal room. Additionally, HOK will restore the building’s brick façade and design an all-glass entrance with a marquee. The construction timetable was not released.
NAPERVILL, ILL. — Elgin, Ill.-based IHC Construction has been selected by Naperville Community School District 201 to serve as construction manager for additions and renovations to Naperville Central High School. The $87.7 million project is part of the district’s $114.9 million multi-facility construction program. Plans for the addition call for 172,430 square feet of space, including a three-story classroom component, a three-story administration and entry component, and a music addition. The 280,000-square-foot renovation will include gutting and remodeling throughout the interior, asbestos abatement, installation of new security and communications systems, a relocation of the library, a new sprinkler system, as well as mechanical, electrical and plumbing updates. Construction is slated to begin in the summer, with completion scheduled for fall 2011. Darien, Ill.-based Wight & Co. is providing design services for the project.
BEDMINSTER, N.J. — Roseland, N.J.-based The Gale Construction Company has completed construction for a new fire station located at 100 Miller Lane in Bedminster. The 13,000-square-foot building will serve the communities of Far Hills and Bedminster; it features a standing seam metal roof, a brick façade, five fire truck bays with 19-foot clear ceiling heights, and a command tower with an operations center. The construction firm had previously built Bedminster’s municipal building in 2004. Gale Construction is a subsidiary of Mack-Cali Realty Corp.