GRAYSLAKE, ILL. — Peak Construction Corp. has broken ground on a 203,257-square-foot industrial expansion for OCM Inc. in Grayslake, about 40 miles north of downtown Chicago. Upon completion, OCM will occupy 337,208 square feet. The addition features a clear height of 30 feet, 10 dock doors, three drive-in doors and 115 car parking spaces. Completion is slated by the end of the year. Cornerstone Architects and Manhard Consulting make up the project team. OCM is a subsidiary of OKABE Co. Ltd., which was founded in 1917 in Japan as a full-service manufacturer and distributor of concrete construction supplies.
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — GSI has opened The Parkwood, a 133-unit active adult community in Sioux Falls near both the Iowa and Minnesota borders. GSI began preleasing units at The Parkwood in 2023. GSI and its stakeholder team serve as The Parkwood’s developer, property manager and co-owners in partnership with financial partners. GSI is an affiliate of Transforming Age, a national nonprofit organization serving older adults. Omaha-based Ronco Construction was the general contractor.
MANKATO, MINN. — Kraus-Anderson (KA) has broken ground on renovation projects for three elementary schools in Mankato, a city in southern Minnesota. The projects are part of a $105 million building bond passed by Mankato Area School District voters in November 2023. ISG is the project architect. Construction is slated for completion this fall. A $4 million renovation for Roosevelt Elementary will include an 8,132-square-foot addition to the front entry that expands the administrative offices; two new classrooms that will also serve as storm shelters; a new trash enclosure in the parking lot; and the renovation of four bathrooms. A $1.7 million project at Washington Elementary will feature a 4,262-square-foot addition with a new security vestibule; mechanical, electrical and plumbing improvements; and updates to the front office spaces. Bridges Elementary will undergo a $1.1 million renovation to include a 2,373-square-foot addition with a new security vestibule; mechanical, electrical and plumbing improvements; and updates to the front office spaces.
AURORA, ILL. — Redwood Living Inc. is nearing completion of Redwood Aurora, a 140-unit build-to-rent community in the Chicago suburb of Aurora. The single-story development will offer eight different floor plans ranging in size from 1,294 to 1,709 square feet. Each of the homes will feature two bedrooms, two bathrooms and a two-car garage. The property is located at 1241 Coffeeberry Lane near I-88. Monthly rents will start at $2,649. Redwood has developed more than 18,000 single-story apartment homes.
BRISTOL, WIS. — ERMCO has signed a 158,000-square-foot industrial lease for 10 years at Bristol Business Park in the southeast Wisconsin city of Bristol. The Tennessee-based tenant manufactures electrical, technology and low voltage systems, and building automation and controls. Sean Kropke and Keith Puritz of Cushman & Wakefield represented ERMCO, while the brokerage firm’s Keith Puritz, Brett Kroner and Marc Sameuels represented the landlord, Illinois-based Janko Group. ERMCO will relocate from its current north suburban Chicago location to Bristol this summer. Bristol Business Park features nine buildings on 250 acres. ERMCO will be based in Building 4, which features a clear height of 32 feet, 30 expandable exterior dock doors, 215 parking spaces and 4,000 amps of power.
OSWEGO, ILL. — First National Realty Partners (FNRP) has acquired Townes Crossing, a 105,731-square-foot shopping center in the western Chicago suburb of Oswego. The purchase price was undisclosed. A 65,000-square-foot Jewel-Osco grocery store anchors the property and has been a tenant for over 30 years. Additional tenants include Phenix Salon Suites, Oswego Dental, The UPS Store and Subway. Evan Halkias of Cushman & Wakefield represented the undisclosed seller.
DETROIT — Architecture firm Gensler has relocated its Detroit office from 150 W. Jefferson Ave. to 1265 Griswold St. in the city’s Capitol Park neighborhood. The 7,300-square-foot space is situated on the ground floor of the historic Bamlet Building, which is owned by Bedrock. The office offers a mix of spaces for focused work, teamwork and gathering; a resource library of sustainable design materials; and a 3D printing workshop.
ELMHURST, ILL. — Cicero Construction Group has completed the build-out of a third HOTWORX fitness studio in metro Chicago. The newest studio is located at 100 N. Addison Ave. in Elmhurst. Previously, Cicero renovated spaces in Chicago’s River North neighborhood and in Naperville. Cicero’s scope of work at the Elmhurst facility included installing mechanicals, drywall, paint, flooring and the building of bathrooms and a lobby. The team also installed infrared saunas and an expansive list of exercise systems. Like the River North and Naperville locations, the Elmhurst studio is open and staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It offers members a variety of virtual-instructed 30-minute Isometric (ISO) and 15-minute High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) workouts inside infrared saunas. Semi-private sessions include Yoga, Pilates, ISO, Barre, Core, Buns, Cycle and Thunder Row.
WINDSOR, ONTARIO AND DETROIT — The construction team for the Gordie Howe International Bridge project has begun the final steps to connect the bridge deck over the Detroit River, connecting the United States to Canada via Detroit and Windsor, Ontario. The remaining portion is 85 feet, the same width as an official NHL rink. The project team anticipates that the two sides will connect at the end of June. Crews must install one more segment on the U.S. side that measures 49 feet before work starts on the final segment, known as the mid-span closure. Once connected, the bridge deck spanning the distance between the two towers will measure 0.53 miles, making it the longest main span of any cable-stayed bridge in North America and the 10th longest in the world. It will also be the longest composite steel and concrete bridge deck for any cable-stayed bridge in the world. Even though it will appear the bridge is completed, there is still work remaining before the bridge opens in fall 2025. Crews will stress stay cables and install electrical, fire suppression and drainage systems, barriers, signage, lighting, deck paving and pavement markings, and complete the multi-use path. Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority …
VALPARAISO, IND. — Evergreen Real Estate Group has completed Green Oaks of Valparaiso, a $30 million assisted living community for low-income seniors in Valparaiso, a city in northwest Indiana. The three-story project includes 120 units and is located at 2550 W. Morthland Drive. All residences are reserved for seniors age 62 and older, with incomes at or below 60 percent of the area median income. A financial assistance program is available for qualified applicants. Evergreen Construction Co., a division of Evergreen Real Estate Group, served as the general contractor on the development, which received 90 pre-leases prior to opening. Managed by Gardant Management Solutions, Green Oaks of Valparaiso is licensed and regulated as a residential care facility by the Indiana Department of Health and approved as an assisted living Medicaid-waiver provider by the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration. The community is staffed 24 hours by certified nursing assistants who monitor and assess resident health and assist with bathing, grooming, dressing, medication management and other daily needs. Additional offerings include transportation, laundry, weekly housekeeping and onsite beauty/barber services. The onsite dining room provides residents with three meals per day plus snacks. Units include a kitchenette, individually controlled heating and …