CANYON LAKE, TEXAS — Austin, Texas-based Zapalac/Reed Construction Co. will being construction this month on the 20,000-square-foot Tye Preston Memorial Library in Canyon Lake. The new building, which will be located on South Access Road, will replace the library’s current home, a 5,568-square-foot building originally built in 1977. San Antonio-based RVK Architects is designing the project, which is expected to deliver during the middle of next year.
QUINCY, ILL. — Site work is under way for the development of the Salvation Army’s Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Center, which will be located at Fourth and Broadway in downtown Quincy. The $20 million, 80,000-square-foot facility will feature a 500-seat worship center; an aquatics center with water slide, lazy river, water vortex, zero-entry wading area, lap lanes and family spa; a rock climbing wall; a fitness center; a walking track; a 500-seat gymnasium with regulation basketball court and retractable batting cages; a game room; a child watch area; an outdoor play area; a community room; two party rooms; a café/snack bar; an arts and crafts room; various classroom space and a commercial/teaching kitchen. S.M. Wilson is the construction management company; Quincy-based Rees Construction is completing the majority of the site prep work.
ALAMO AND NICHOLLS, GA. — Turner Construction Co. will oversee the expansion and renovation of two Georgia prisons, an undertaking totaling $52 million. The firm will add two dormitory units, which will house 792 prisoners, to the Wheeler County Correctional Facility in Alamo. The remainder of the $27 million project includes renovating dormitories and common areas and installing a perimeter stun fence. The $25 million renovation of the Coffee County Correctional Facility in Nicholls also includes renovating dormitories and installing a stun fence. Completion of both projects is expected next June. Both facilities are operated by Corrections Corp. of America.
NEW YORK CITY — Construction has commenced for the New Settlement Community Campus, an $83 million civic project located in the Mt. Eden neighborhood of the Bronx, New York City. The 172,000-square-foot project will be situated at 1501 Jerome Ave. It will comprise two schools and a community center that features an indoor swimming facility. The schools consist of a separate facilities for primary and intermediate/high school students, with the two schools sharing a campus library, an auditorium and a gymnasium. School facilities such as the gymnasium, library and playground will serve the community after school hours. Completion is slated for 2012. The project is being co-developed by Settlement Housing Fund (SHF) and the New York City School Construction Authority. The project architects are Dattner Architects and Edelman Sultan Knox Wood Architects. Turner Construction Co. is the general contractor. Upon completion, the Department of Education will own the school and New Settlement Apartments, a division of SHF, will operate the community center as well as manage the center and the school.
POTTSTOWN, PA. — The grand opening has been held for an expansion to Montgomery County Community College’s West Campus, located in Pottstown. Known as the North Hall Facility, the 50,000-square-foot building consists of the adaptive reuse of 16 High Street, also known as the former Vaughn Knitting Mill. The facility contains seven classrooms, faculty offices, an art gallery and studios and continuing education offices. Construction also includes the rehabilitation of a pedestrian underpass, which connects the school to downtown Pottstown. The developer was Vesper Property Group, the projects architect was A.I.A. Architects and the general contractor is Clemens Construction Co.
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.