PORTLAND, ORE. — Oregon Governor Kate Brown approved reopening for 28 of 33 counties in the state on Friday, May 15. The counties, which met all of Oregon’s safety and preparedness prerequisites for reopening amid a declining prevalence of COVID-19, will begin Phase One opening. Additionally, all retail statewide was approved to open, except for shopping centers and malls in counties not entering Phase One reopening status. Retail businesses that are reopening must maintain social distancing and follow safety measures for employees and customers. In counties approved for Phase One reopening, the following areas can operate if the business complies with sector-specific health and safety guidance: Restaurants, bars and other such establishments for dine-in service until 10 p.m. Personal services businesses All retail businesses, including malls and shopping centers Gyms and other fitness facilities Local gatherings of up to 25 people The counties that have entered Phase One essentially include all those outside the Portland metro area. The state’s three largest Portland-area counties — Multnomah, Washington and Clackamas — did not apply to reopen on May 15, but are expected to apply in the coming weeks. In non-reopening counties, the following new guidelines took effect or remain in effect beginning …
NEVADA COUNTY, CALIF. — Nevada County has received approval from the State of California to move further into Stage 2 reopening related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Located east of Sacramento and just across the state border from Reno, Nevada, the county is among the first in California to receive approval of its readiness plan. County businesses are encouraged to prepare to safely reopen, if they fit into the Stage 2 sectors in the California Recovery Plan outlined in the Resilience Roadmap. Lower-risk workplaces that are outlined in the first step of Stage 2 include retail, childcare, manufacturing, logistics and essential businesses. An expansion of Stage 2 reopenings includes relaxed retail restrictions and the adaptation and reopening of schools, offices and limited hospitality and personal services. While schools are included in the next phase of Stage 2 reopenings, Nevada County does not anticipate schools reopening until August. Prior to reopening, each business must complete its industry-specific checklist for modifications and safety. Businesses must perform a detailed risk assessment and implement a site-specific protection plan; train employees on how to limit the spread of COVID-19, including how to screen themselves for symptoms and stay home if they have any symptoms; and implement …
TAMPA, FLA. — Skanska USA has delivered University of South Florida (USF) Morsani College of Medicine and Heart Institute, a 13-story, 395,000-square-foot building that will bring 1,800 students, staff and faculty to Water Street Tampa. The building features a 400-seat auditorium, clinical teaching labs and research laboratories, office space and a wellness center. Skanska USA and design firm HOK began construction in August 2017. Additionally, the Morsani College of Medicine is situated a mile from Tampa General Hospital, USF’s primary teaching hospital. Water Street Tampa is a $3 billion mixed-use development in downtown that will offer more than 2 million square feet of office space; 1 million square feet of retail, cultural, educational and entertainment space; and two new hotels totaling more than 650 rooms, including the city’s first five-star hotel. Tampa Bay Lightning owner Jeffrey Vinik created Strategic Property Partners LLC to spearhead the project, along with Cascade Investment LLC. The project’s first residential building, 815 Water Street Tampa, is expected to open in late 2020.
MENIFEE, CALIF. — C.W. Driver Cos. has broken ground on the reconstruction of Menifee Valley Middle School, located at 26255 Garbani Road in Menifee. The $38 million, 71,277-square-foot project will help transition the campus to a magnet school focused on visual and performing arts. The redevelopment includes the addition of two new classroom buildings, restorations to the Visual and Performing Arts Center, construction of an open-concept library and renovations to existing locker rooms. Slated for completion in spring 2021, the renovated campus will also feature the reconstruction of temporary portable classrooms into permanent classrooms and lab spaces that create a centralized academic courtyard and cohesive community. Additional modifications include a new music and choir space, a renovated stage in the Visual and Performing Arts Center, introduction of outdoor learning spaces, large classroom windows and active learning spaces optimized for use in the arts, music and sciences known as flex labs. Menifee Valley Middle School’s new library will include a flexible plan configuration, collaboration spaces to facilitate group work and soft seating areas for students. On the athletic front, the redevelopment will renovate existing locker rooms with ADA upgrades, AV improvements and the addition of washers and dryers. BakerNowicki Design Studio …
NEW YORK CITY — In an unprecedented response to unclean conditions amid the COVID-19 outbreak, New York City has ceased its 24-hour subway system, implementing overnight closures beginning in the early morning on May 6. The system’s 472 stations closed for deep cleaning from 1:00 a.m to 5:00 a.m. and will remain closed during those hours until further notice. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo ordered the shutdown in response to unsafe conditions, including increased crime and homeless sheltering in the subway, despite the Metropolitan Transportation Authority reporting a 90 percent drop in ridership to less than 500,000 passengers per day. New York City remains the epicenter of the virus, and the state had more than 312,800 cases and 24,700 deaths as of May 5, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
ROXBURY, MASS. — A joint venture of Watermark Development Inc. and Horizons for Homeless Children will construct a 140,000-square-foot learning center in Roxbury, a southern suburb of Boston. Located at 1785 Columbus Ave., the center will serve 225 children ranging in age from two months to five years. Horizons, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of young homeless children and their families, will use part of the building as its headquarters. The project is expected to bring approximately 400 new jobs to the area. Studio MLA Architects designed the project. Kaplan Construction will serve as the general contractor. Construction is expected to start later this spring and to be completed in early 2021.
CHICO, CALIF. — Washington, D.C.-based Easterly Government Properties has purchased a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) outpatient clinic in Chico. Terms of the transaction, including acquisition price and name of the seller, were not released. Chico is home to the largest state veteran population in the country, according to the buyer. The facility is part of the Northern California Health Care System and is a built-to-suit clinic that was completed in mid-2019. The property was designed to achieve a LEED Healthcare Silver certification. The property is leased to the VA for an initial, non-cancelable lease term of 15 years until June 2034. The clinic provides a variety of medical and ancillary services including primary care, audiology, laboratory services, mental health, nutrition, otolaryngology (ENT), a pharmacy, social work and women’s health. The facility is located adjacent to the Chico VA Readjustment Counseling Service Center. Easterly Government Properties is a fully integrated real estate investment trust focused primarily on the acquisition, development and management of Class A commercial properties leased to the U.S. government.
NEW YORK CITY — The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) has completed repairs of its L train tunnel, which connects Manhattan and Brooklyn. The 12-month project repaired damage to the tunnel caused by Hurricane Sandy in 2012. Under a revised plan from state Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the deans of the Cornell University and Columbia University engineering schools, the project was completed in three months less than its original 15-month estimation, which also included a complete shut-down of the tunnel. Under the revised plan, the tunnel remained operational during the day while repairs progressed in the nights and weekends. The project was also completed approximately $100 million under its original $477 million budget.
YPSILANTI, MICH. — Eastern Michigan University has unveiled plans to relocate the College of Business to its central campus. The move includes the selling of the Gary Owens Building, present home of the College of Business. The Board of Regents approved the sale of the 122,000-square-foot building to River Caddis Development for $2.7 million. Boone Hall will serve as the new location for the College of Business. The building will undergo a renovation beginning in April 2021, but the building’s size will remain at 45,210 square feet. The relocation will reduce utility, maintenance and transportation costs that the university currently incurs by housing the College of Business away from central campus.
FRISCO, TEXAS — Marcus & Millichap has brokered the sale of a 9,941-square-foot freestanding commercial property net-leased to Kiddie Academy in Frisco, located north of Dallas. Ron Hebert, Ryan Wolf and Vincent Knipp of Marcus & Millichap represented the seller in the transaction. Wolf and Knipp also procured the buyer, another private investor. Kiddie Academy is based in Abingdon, Maryland, and has more than 250 franchised locations across 30 states and Washington, D.C.