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Affordable HousingConference CoverageDevelopmentFeaturesMultifamilySoutheast Feature Archive

Construction Experts Emphasize Teamwork as Key to Meeting Affordable Housing Building Standards

by Jeff Shaw

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. …

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CivicDevelopmentMidwestTop StoriesWisconsin

Gilbane | Smith Completes $456M Expansion of Baird Center in Milwaukee

by Hayden Spiess

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 …

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CivicDevelopmentTexas

Skanska, B. Bell Break Ground on $54.5M Academic Building at Rice University in Houston

by Taylor Williams

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.

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DevelopmentMixed-UseMultifamilySoutheastTennessee

McShane Construction to Build 34-Acre Mixed-Use Development in Franklin, Tennessee

by John Nelson

FRANKLIN, TENN. — McShane Construction Co. will build Ellison Cool Springs, a 34-acre mixed-use project in Franklin, approximately 20 miles south of Nashville. Upon completion, the property will comprise 332 apartments and 15 commercial units across three four-story buildings. McShane will construct the project on behalf of the developer, Fluornoy Development Group. Designed by Dynamik Design, amenities at the development will include an outdoor pool, clubroom, fitness center, recording studio, hospitality bar, focus room, pet spa and a car wash. Additionally, the property will feature two two-story parking garages and five standalone six-bay garages. Residences will include apartments in one-, two- and three-bedroom layouts, with select two-story, live-work units. The project team expects to deliver Ellison Cool Springs in August 2026.

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DevelopmentGeorgiaLeasing ActivityRetailSoutheast

Walmart to Open 75,000 SF Neighborhood Market Store in Atlanta’s Vine City

by John Nelson

ATLANTA — Walmart will open a 75,000-square-foot Walmart Neighborhood Market store at 835 MLK Jr. Drive in the Vine City neighborhood of Atlanta. Previously, the brand operated a Supercenter store at the property, which closed in December 2022 due to fire damage. The new store will feature a full-service deli, money center, expanded bakery, online pickup and delivery service and a health service room. Scheduled to open on Wednesday, May 22, this marks Walmart’s first conversion of a Supercenter store into a Neighborhood Market store.

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CaliforniaDevelopmentMultifamilySeniors HousingWestern

Belmont Village, Greystar Plan 185-Unit Active Adult Community in Rancho Santa Fe, California

by Amy Works

RANCHO SANTA FE, CALIF. — Belmont Village Senior Living and Greystar Real Estate Partners have unveiled plans for Belmont Village Rancho Santa Fe, a luxury active adult community in Rancho Santa Fe, approximately 25 miles north of San Diego. Groundbreaking is scheduled to occur before the end of the year. The project will feature over 185 apartments including 15 freestanding cottages. The leaders of both Greystar and Belmont Village, Jerry Brand and Patricia Will, are long-term residents of Rancho Santa Fe. Belmont Village Rancho Santa Fe will be Belmont Village’s fourth community in the San Diego area and 17th in California since 2002. The company enjoys a relationship for program development with the University of California San Diego’s Stein Center for Research on Aging. HPI Architecture designed the development.

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Brinkmann Constructors Completes 87,000 SF Headquarters for First Bank in Creve Coeur, Missouri

by Kristin Harlow

CREVE COEUR, MO. — Brinkmann Constructors has completed an 87,000-square-foot headquarters for First Bank in Creve Coeur, a suburb of St. Louis. The four-story building features multiple outdoor workspaces and a multipurpose “innovation hub” for team collaboration and social events. In addition to the headquarters building, the project includes a two-story, 82,000-square-foot parking garage for employee and visitor use.

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DevelopmentMixed-UseMultifamilyRetailTexasTop Stories

Meristem Communities Breaks Ground on 235-Acre Indigo Mixed-Use Project in Richmond, Texas

by Jeff Shaw

RICHMOND, TEXAS — Meristem Communities has broken ground on The Filling Station, the first building at the Indigo Commons mixed-use development in Richmond, approximately 35 miles southwest of Houston. The 3,000-square-foot Filling Station property will serve as a welcome center and general store, selling fresh produce from Indigo Farm. Indigo Commons is the 12-acre, mixed-use portion of the larger project, Indigo. Upon completion, the 235-acre property will feature approximately 800 residential units, 42 acres devoted to agriculture, and a 12-acre, mixed-use town center. Borrowing inspiration from classic gas stations of the 1930s, Meristem plans for The Filling Station to be a vibrant social hub in Indigo Commons. DAHLIN Architecture | Planning | Interiors designed the building, which is scheduled for completion before the end of the year. “The start of construction at The Filling Station signifies a major milestone in Indigo’s narrative,” says Clayton Garrett, partner at Meristem Communities. “The neighborhood we originally envisioned is taking shape and the small businesses we’re looking to come to Indigo Commons will play a pivotal role in the development of Indigo’s identity, creating new energy and engagement. There is much more to come too, as Indigo is expected to be a home for …

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Affordable HousingDevelopmentFeaturesMultifamily

Public-Private Partnerships: A Creative Approach to Increasing Affordable Housing Supply

by Jeff Shaw

— By John Williams, president, CIO and COO of Avanath Capital Management — It’s no secret that the dire shortage of affordable housing is an ongoing issue throughout the nation. The National Multifamily Housing Council reported in 2022 that the United States would need to build 4.3 million new apartments by 2035 to meet demand. The report also stated that the nation’s number of affordable housing units declined by 4.7 million from 2015 to 2020. Unfortunately, there is no one-size-fits-all solution to the problem. Both local and federal governments are taking steps to address the lack of supply in the market. President Biden’s 2024 Economic Report to Congress, for instance, prominently featured plans to increase the supply of and access to affordable housing. In the meantime, however, stakeholders must think outside the box to identify innovative ways to provide attainable housing. One effective way to do this, beyond the standard avenues, is through public-private partnerships. Public-private partnerships are a strategy that can benefit a wide range of stakeholders — including investors, developers, institutional owners, operators, property managers, service providers and leaders in nonprofit and government entities. In addition to serving renters with lower incomes and other specialized needs, actively pursuing these partnerships …

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Bartlett Cocke Breaks Ground on $31M Academic Building in Round Rock, Texas

by Taylor Williams

ROUND ROCK, TEXAS — Texas-based general contractor Bartlett Cocke has broken ground on a $31 million academic building in metro Austin that will be part of the Round Rock Independent School District’s Early College High School campus. The 46,500-square-foot building will house classrooms and science labs, student breakout spaces, a cafeteria, central common area that can accommodate 150 students, a fitness center, an administration suite and outdoor dining and study spaces. O’Connell Robertson is providing architecture and engineering services, and Birmingham-based HPM is the program manager for the project. Completion is slated for fall 2025.

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