RALEIGH, N.C. — In a new report released by the North Carolina Office of State Budget and Management, the updated damage estimate from Hurricane Florence has increased to $17 billion, up from an earlier estimate of $13 billion. “Six weeks ago, Hurricane Florence’s powerful storm surges, winds and rains brought unprecedented devastation to our state, causing an estimated $17 billion in damage,” said North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper. “I’ve spent time since then visiting with families, businesses and local officials in the impacted area and it’s clear that we have to recover smarter and stronger to better withstand future storms.” Damage from Hurricane Florence has topped the charts for storm damage across North Carolina. Hurricane Matthew caused $4.8 billion, and when adjusted for inflation, Hurricane Floyd caused between $7 billion and $9.4 billion. To date, more than 130,000 people have registered with FEMA for individual assistance and more than $108 million in individual assistance has been approved for homeowners and renters. Additionally, Small Business Administration loans have been approved for nearly 400 hurricane-affected small businesses. The updated figure is based on new data from the North Carolina Department of Insurance, as the original $13 billion figure was based on estimates …
ATLANTA — State Farm Arena, located at 1 State Farm Drive in downtown Atlanta, has opened its doors following a $192 million renovation program, the second largest renovation in NBA history. The Atlanta Hawks Basketball Club committed to an 18-year lease extension to remain in downtown Atlanta at the city-owned arena through 2046. The former Philips Arena features the NBA’s third-largest center-hung scoreboard and fan-friendly food pricing. Restaurant and entertainment options include Zac Brown’s Social Club, Topgolf Swing Suites, Killer Mike’s Swag Shop and a baseline bar and club known as Courtside Club. The Atlanta Hawks celebrated the arena with its home opener against the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday, Oct. 24. With a sold-out crowd, the Hawks beat the Mavericks 111 to 104. The arena hosts approximately 200 events and nearly 2 million guests annually.
MEXICO BEACH, FLA. — CoreLogic, a global property information, analytics and data-enabled solutions provider, has released updated residential and commercial storm surge and wind loss estimates for Hurricane Michael. According to new data, the wind losses for residential and commercial properties in Florida are expected to be between $2 billion and $3 billion, while the storm surge losses, including losses covered by the National Flood Insurance Program, are slated to be an additional $500 million to $1 billion. The combined residential and commercial insured property loss for Florida is estimated to be between $2.5 billion to $4 billion, with damages in other states totaling $500 million to $1 billion. Hurricane Michael made landfall on Oct. 10 as the first Category 4 storm to make landfall near Mexico Beach in the Florida Panhandle, with the highest storm surges, up to 14 feet, extending from Mexico Beach to Apalachee Bay. According to the National Hurricane Center, Michael had the highest wind speeds — with sustained 155 mph winds at landfall — of any hurricane to hit the continental United States since 1992’s Hurricane Andrew. As the seventh hurricane of the year in the Atlantic Basin, the storm’s tropical storm-force wind speeds stretched …
IRVING, TEXAS — Trammell Crow Co. has broken ground on a 259,947-square-foot office and administrative building in Irving to house the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ Texas Service Center. Situated on 27 acres, the build-to-suit property is expected to be complete by early 2020. Gensler is the project architect and Manhattan Construction Co. is the general contractor. JPMorgan Chase provided project financing.
DETROIT — The Christman Company has completed the restoration of the Old Wayne County Building located at 600 Randolph St. in Detroit. The scope of the project included improvements to the exterior façade and lighting as well as the removal of old furniture. Since March 2016, the building’s ownership group has invested $7 million in restoring the property. Quinn Evans Architects served as the project architect. The 250,000-square-foot building has been vacant since Wayne County government left the property in 2009 and moved to the Guardian Building on Griswold Street. The property is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
SHERMAN, TEXAS — Cadence McShane Construction Co. has broken ground on a new, 527,000-square-foot high school for the city of Sherman, located north of Dallas near the Oklahoma border. The new campus will be divided into three main buildings with open-air courtyards connecting each wing. Additional components will include a 2,000-seat stadium, an 800-seat auditorium, a competition gym and several practice gyms, baseball and softball fields, an indoor practice facility and a standalone field house. The campus is expected to be complete in time for the 2020 school year.
COTTAGE GROVE, MINN. — Kraus-Anderson has completed the construction of Oltman Middle School in Cottage Grove. The $50 million school opened to students this month and replaces the former school in St. Paul Park. The facility can currently accommodate as many as 1,100 students in grades 6-8 with future expansion capabilities for as many as 1,450 students. Each grade level is housed in its own two-story section of the building. Designed by architects Rego + Youngquist, the 188,000-square-foot building includes new classrooms, a media center, state-of-the-art auditorium and performing arts center, pool, music suite, gym, fitness center, locker rooms, cafeteria, kitchen and administrative space.
ARLINGTON, TEXAS — Adolfson & Peterson Construction has begun work on an $84 million arts and athletics facility for the Arlington Independent School District (ISD). Designed by HKS, the property will be situated on more than 21 acres and serve the entire school district. Individual features will include a 97,963-square-foot performance and demonstration venue, a 1,250-seat concert hall and a 425-seat theater. The 97,548-square-foot athletic complex will offer facilities for swimming, basketball, wrestling, volleyball and gymnastics. The complex is expected to open in fall 2020.
ALLEN, TEXAS — McCarthy Building Cos. Inc. has broken ground on Collin College Technical Campus, a 360,000-square-foot development in Allen, a northeastern suburb of Dallas. The project will deliver a 177,646-square-foot building for trade studies that includes lab space, auto shops and carpentry shops, as well as a 151,000-square-foot academic building with classrooms, administrative offices and common spaces. Additional features will include a 23,700-square-foot conference building, a 42,000-square-foot classroom to be shared with the Allen Independent School District and a 600-space underground parking garage. Completion is slated for summer 2020. The campus is expected to eventually serve more than 4,000 students.
ATLANTA — The City of Atlanta has broken ground on the first phase of Westside Park at Bellwood Quarry in Atlanta’s Westside area. Expected to be the largest park in Atlanta, the first phase will include a signature gateway and trails leading to an overlook area for views of a quarry-turned-reservoir. Upon completion, the park will encompass 280 acres, nearly 100 acres larger than Piedmont Park in Atlanta’s Midtown district. The park will connect the Proctor Creek Greenway and Chattahoochee River Corridor with the Atlanta BeltLine, a loop trail that will eventually span 22 miles and connect 45 intown neighborhoods in Atlanta. Architecture firm HGOR is designing the park. The quarry-turned-reservoir will take on the role of Atlanta’s major emergency water source, increasing the city’s drinking water supply from three days to more than 30 days. The surrounding park will feature elements of green infrastructure, which should enhance water quality and ground water infiltration. HGOR is collaborating on the development with partner leaders Reeves Young and CERM. Other project team members include Portman & Associates, Long Engineering, EcoWorks, Full Circle Communication, Denyse, BioHabitats, Sherwood Design Engineers, S.L. King & Associates and Sykes Consulting. According to The Atlanta Journal Constitution, the park …