NEW CENTURY, KAN. — CJ Logistics America, a supply chain and technology company, has unveiled plans to build a new cold storage warehouse in New Century, about 30 miles outside of Kansas City. Developed in a joint venture with Yukon Real Estate Partners and BGO, the rail-served project will consist of a 291,000-square-foot warehouse with refrigeration. Completion is slated for the third quarter of 2025. The new warehouse will be attached to Upfield’s production plant through an above-ground conveyor bridge being constructed by Upfield, which is a plant-based food company that produces brands such as Country Crock, I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter and Imperial. There will be 100,000 square feet available at the project for other tenants.
AUSTIN, TEXAS — A partnership between St. Louis-based developer Sansone Group and Principal Asset Management has broken ground on Austin Hills Commerce Center, a 134-acre industrial project. The site is located 10 miles south of downtown Austin near the Tesla Gigafactory, and plans for the development call for six buildings totaling roughly 1.3 million square feet. Burton Construction is the general contractor for the project, and Stream Realty Partners has been appointed as the leasing agent. Austin Hills Commerce Center will be developed in phases, and Phase I will consist of three buildings totaling 538,000 square feet that are slated for a second-quarter 2025 delivery.
GRAND PRAIRIE, TEXAS — The City of Grand Prairie, located roughly midway between Dallas and Fort Worth, has completed construction of two connecting Hilton-branded hotels totaling 276 rooms, as well as a new convention center. The 147-room Homewood Suites and 129-room Hilton Garden Inn are located within the 172-acre EpicCentral entertainment district and share a dual arrival lobby, reception area, lounge, bar and elevator lobby. Merriman Anderson Architects designed the properties, and Arch-Con Corp. served as the general contractor. Concord Hospitality will operate the hotels.
PRINCE FREDERICK, MD. — MCB Real Estate and Generation Properties have broken ground on Armory Square, a 110,000-square-foot shopping center located at 429 Solomons Island Road in Prince Frederick, about 44 miles southeast of Washington, D.C. The retail center is situated on a 12.5-acre site in Calvert County that once housed Calvert Middle School. Armory Square’s tenant roster will include Aldi, Michaels, Sneade’s Ace Home Center, Dash-In, First Watch, Jersey Mike’s, Hangry Joe’s, Always Ice Cream, Foster’s Grille and Quickway Hibachi. The target completion date was not disclosed. In addition to Armory Square, MCB and Generation Properties broke ground earlier this month on The Shops at Fairway Village, a $115 million mixed-use development in Waldorf, Md.
DETROIT — Detroit City Football Club (FC) has acquired the site of the former Southwest Detroit Hospital at the corner of Michigan Avenue and 20th Street for an undisclosed price. The organization plans to build a new stadium that will serve as the permanent home for soccer in Detroit, with a goal of opening a new soccer-specific stadium by the club’s 2027 season. Southwest Detroit Hospital opened in 1973 as the first Detroit hospital to hire and accredit African American doctors and nurses. The hospital existed for 17 years before closing in 1991 and declaring bankruptcy. The building has been abandoned for 18 years. Detroit City FC games are currently played at Keyworth Stadium in Hamtramck, about five miles north of downtown Detroit. The club will reveal more details around the stadium vision and programming after further consultation with city officials, local residents and long-time fans. A public engagement process is anticipated to kick off later this year.
ST. PETERS, MO. — Contegra Construction has completed the first building at the $129 million Lakeside Logistics Center in St. Peters, a northwest suburb of St. Louis. NorthPoint Development is the developer. Located at 16000 Spencer Road, the 490,000-square-foot distribution center features a clear height of 36 feet, 51 dock doors, seven drive-in doors, office spaces and parking for 490 cars and 134 trailers. David Branding of JLL is handling the leasing. At full build-out, Lakeside Logistics Center will feature up to five buildings totaling 1.6 million square feet.
SEATTLE — GMD Development and WNC & Associates have closed a deal to begin construction on Victory Northgate, a six-story affordable housing developing in north Seattle. Located at 1000 Northeast Northgate Way, Victory Northgate is slated for completion in April 2026. The community will offer 13 studios, 101 one-bedroom units, 17 two-bedroom units and 51 three-bedroom units, as well as 6,800 square feet of commercial space with 77 underground parking stalls. The 182 affordable apartments are targeted for families earning up to 60 percent of the area median income. The first-floor commercial space is tentatively reserved for a daycare facility run by the YMCA of Greater Seattle. Victory Northgate will meet all mandatory criteria required by the Evergreen Sustainable Development Standard, Washington State’s sustainable building framework. Sustainable features will include Energy Star-rated appliances; high-efficiency mechanical systems, windows and insulation; low-flow plumbing components; LED lighting throughout the property; and 90 percent drought-tolerant landscaping. The deal was structured with 4 percent LIHTC equity, a construction and permanent loan through Citi Community Capital and a $25.5 million soft loan from the City of Seattle. AOF/Pacific Affordable Housing Corp. is participating as the nonprofit co-general partner.
ATLANTA — In order to satisfy long-term affordability commitments, builders and designers of affordable housing must be well educated about the sector’s exacting design and construction rules, which are typically driven by the source of a project’s funding. A panel of construction experts speaking at the InterFace Affordable Housing Southeast conference held Thursday, May 9 at Cobb Galleria Centre shared insights about how their industry is meeting these standards today. The inaugural conference hosted by France Media’s InterFace Conference Group and Southeast Multifamily & Affordable Housing Business drew approximately 170 industry professionals. Energy efficiency, teamwork and accessibility were three themes running through the discussion. Accessibility in multifamily construction refers to features that enable people with disabilities or limited mobility to navigate common areas and individual units comfortably and safely. Many of these building features are required by various laws. “Get your consultants, architects and contractors to help you put the deal together,” advised Ross Haynes, chief executive officer of Roswell, Georgia-based Community Construction Group. The company focuses on construction and renovation of affordable housing projects. “That team is there to understand the code requirements that affect the job, including energy programs and accessibility,” added Haynes. Specific energy-efficiency requirements for affordable housing vary. …
MILWAUKEE — General contractor Gilbane | Smith has completed a $456 million expansion of the Baird Center in Milwaukee. Originally opened in 1998, the Baird Center is the largest convention center in the state of Wisconsin. Gilbane | Smith completed the project on behalf of Wisconsin Center District, which owns and operates the center. Project partners and city officials celebrated the grand opening Thursday, May 16, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Spanning two blocks, the expansion brings the facility to 1.3 million square feet, doubling the original size of the property. The expansion features a new grand entrance oriented toward the Deer District mixed-use development and extends the exhibition hall, bringing the latter to 300,000 square feet. Additionally, the redevelopment increases the number of meeting rooms from 28 to 52, adds more than 400 enclosed parking spaces and brings the number of loading docks to 22 from the original 16. The project also included the addition of all-gender restrooms, dedicated quiet rooms, lactation spaces, sensory rooms and a rooftop ballroom and terrace. Design firm Henderson Engineers, a division of Henderson Cos., served as the engineer of record on the project, providing audio-video, electrical, energy modeling, fire and life safety, mechanical, plumbing, technology …
HOUSTON — General contractors Skanska and B. Bell Builders have broken ground on the Jones Graduate School of Business, a $54.5 million academic building on the campus of Rice University in Houston. Designed by Houston-based Kirksey Architecture and Architecture Research Office, the new building will be integrated into McNair Hall, the current home of the business school. In addition to classrooms and office spaces, the new building will feature dining areas and private event rooms. Completion is slated for spring 2026.