NEW YORK CITY — Rochester, N.Y.-based The Pike Company and Fairfax, Va.-based Dewberry have partnered to provide design and construction services for a $56 million project at Fort Hamilton Armed Forces Reserve Center in Brooklyn, New York City. Construction will consist of a new, 123,000-square-foot Armed Forces Reserve Center; a 3,500-square-foot maintenance training building; and other new facilities, including classrooms and arms rooms. Dewberry will serve as the primary designer for Pike’s design-build team. Dewberry will also provide overall project management and engineering services. Construction will begin this month, and is scheduled to take 30 months to complete. The project is being undertaken as part of the Armed Forces Reserve Centers’ Base Realignment and Closure Report (BRAC).
FAYETTEVILLE, ARK. — A student housing fund managed by a partnership between Chicago-based Blue Vista Capital Management and Atlanta-based Place Properties has acquired the Hill Place student housing complex from an undisclosed party for an undisclosed amount. The 288-unit student housing complex in Fayetteville can house 840 students and features a clubhouse equipped with wireless Internet, a game room, a fitness center, tanning beds and two swimming pools.
BROWARD COUNTY, FLA. — Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based Moss & Associates has completed construction of four fire-rescue stations in Broward County as part of a $31.7 million program. A fifth station, the Broward County Fire Rescue Station in Pembroke Park, is expected to deliver in January. The completed buildings include the Regional Everglades Fire Rescue Station, the Airport/Seaport and Regional Technical Rescue Station, the Hazardous Materials Fire Rescue Station and the Regional Logistics Warehouse. Designed by PGAL Architects, the properties feature sleeping areas, workshops, office areas and drive-through bays.
NEW YORK CITY — Construction is under way for Green Beginnings Academy & Arts Center, an 8,000-square-foot pre-school located within the Clinton Greens luxury multifamily development at 515 W. 51st St. in Manhattan. The project is being developed by Wonder Works Construction & Development Corp., and marks the developer’s fourth Manhattan pre-school in a little more than 3 years. The project will encompass ground-level and second-floor space within the building. It will be able to accommodate up to 100 students, ages 6 months to 5 years. It will be complete in time for the spring 2009 semester. The project is owned by the Manhattan Jewish Education Network. The project architect is DIA/WRKS.
PLACER COUNTY, CALIF. — Placer County has approved a plan for a 600-acre regional university campus just west of Roseville, Calif. Envisioned for Philadelphia-based Drexel University, the site is located south of Pleasant Grove Creek between Brewer Road and the western boundary of Roseville. A total of 1,150 acres is being donated by the Angelo K. and Sofia Tsakopoulos family, William and Claudia Cummings, the Wayne Prim family and their partners. The university, which may serve up to 6,000 students, could pump $150 to $200 million annually into the local economy. Drexel has 5 years to accept the land donation and then several years after that to establish a campus on the property.
SACRAMENTO, CALIF. — Construction is now underway for the second phase expansion of the Fine Arts Building at American River College in Sacramento. Designed by the Sacramento office of HGA Architects and Engineers, the expansion will double the size of the existing 27,000-square-foot facility with rehearsal rooms, a black box theater, a new recording suite, music practice rooms and an expanded lobby. The first phase included the addition of a fly tower, a new scene shop, a recording studio, faculty offices and practice rooms, as well as upgrading the mechanical and electrical systems. The complete renovation is estimated to cost $19 million. Completion is slated for January 2010.
EDWARDSVILLE, ILL. — The Morris Center book store on the Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville campus is undergoing $1.5 million in renovations. Granite City, Ill.-based Limbaugh Construction is the general contractor for the 10,000-square-foot project. St. Louis-based Mackey Mitchell is serving as the architect. The project, which began in October, is slated for completion by the end of January. Fenton, Mo.-based Kaiser Electric is providing lighting and power to the new casework, as well as installing a new fire alarm, public address system and HVAC system within the book store.
FORT MYERS, FLA. — Owen-Ames-Kimball Co. has finished construction of a 70,000-square-foot business school building on the Fort Myers campus of Florida Gulf Coast University. The four-story Lutgert College of Business features a 70-foot glass curtain wall entrance and a 20-foot stainless steel sculpture. Inside, the building is divided into 10 classrooms, a three-story atrium with a student lounge, study and computer rooms, offices and an executive training dining room.
MANHATTAN, KAN. — According to United States Senator Pat Roberts, The Department of Homeland Security has recommended Manhattan and Kansas State University to be the site of the new $450 million National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF). Kansas State University was in contention with six other locations for the proposed facility. The selection was made in the Department of Homeland Security’s Final Impact Statement. A final record of decision will be issued following a comment period, and is expected to follow the recommendation made in the statement. The 500,000-square-foot facility is expected to operate at the highest level of biosafety (BSL-4). The Kansas State University proposed site would be situated adjacent to the Biosecurity Research Institute, a $54 million research/education facility. The facility’s economic impact is estimated to reach $3.5 billion in its first 20 years of operation.
ANDOVER, MASS. — Newton, Mass.-based Diversified Project Management has completed renovations and an expansion to The Pike School, an independent pre-K through 9th grade school located at 34 Sunset Rock Rd. in Andover. Construction consisted of a 21,500-square-foot addition to the school, as well as a 7,300-square-foot renovation. Construction was focused on enhancing the school’s visual and performing arts programs.