NEW YORK CITY — JLL Project and Development Services has completed construction of Iona College’s new LaPenta School of Business, a 68,000-square-foot building in New Rochelle, a northern suburb of New York City. Development costs were approximately $38 million. The project included a complete renovation of the college’s existing four-story business school and the ground-up construction of a 35,000-square-foot addition. Peter Rader led the JLL project management team. Gensler served as the project architect, and Pavarini North East Construction Co. was the general contractor.
Civic
Recently, New York City passed the Climate Mobilization Act bill as a way to counter climate change. If passed into law, the bill’s foundation would require buildings that are larger than 25,000 square feet to cut climate emissions by 40 percent by 2030 and by more than 80 percent by 2050. The legislation also requires certain buildings to cover roofs with plants, solar panels, small wind turbines or a combination of those elements. Rent-regulated housing, as well as structures of worship, won’t be subject to the emissions cap. However, building owners whose properties are subject to the new law will be fined $268 for every ton of emission beyond an individual building’s limit. To make the necessary changes to avoid these massive penalties — such as replacing outdated heating, cooling and lighting systems — owners will need to retrofit older buildings with updated energy-efficient technology. The legislation demonstrates what a metropolitan version of the Green New Deal, the national movement for a multi-trillion dollar, climate-friendly plan, might look like. The legislation is expected to create thousands of blue collar jobs and make it easier for the city to take advantage of future state and federal funding for clean energy projects …
NEW YORK CITY — Private education institution The Whittle School & Studios will open a 620,000-square-foot campus at The Wheeler, a 10-story tower in Brooklyn. Tishman Speyer recently completed construction of the tower, which is situated on top of a renovated Macy’s department store. The developer is finalizing construction of 11 Hoyt, an adjacent 48-unit condominium tower on the site of the former Macy’s parking garage. Shimoda Design Group was the architect of the project. The Whittle School will open its early learning program later this year, followed by its full Kindergarten through 12th grade program in September 2021. The Wall Street Journal reports that the project is expected to cost $300 million. Mark Aloia, Gary Rosenberg and Arielle Frost of Rosenberg & Estis P.C. represented Whittle in the lease negotiations.
Tony Schmitz, vice president and senior project manager at Dallas-based Hoefer Wysocki, has been leading the architecture and design firm’s sustainability initiatives across all sectors. With an academic foundation in environmental design, Schmitz has most recently taken his green building and design expertise to Collin College, in McKinney, Texas. Sustainability features of the up-and-coming campus include improvements in the areas of water conservation, design strategies and efficient technologies. At Collin College, Schmitz has made strides in the area of resource use reduction, primarily for water. As our most precious natural resource, water usage has recently come under scrutiny in the city of Dallas, where the city council unanimously passed the 2019 Water Conservation Plan. All of Schmitz’s projects have achieved or surpassed their goal of 40 percent water reduction for the last five years. This figure has become a standard for Schmitz, with a goal to increase to 50 percent water reduction and 100 percent for non-potable water reduction. Schmitz, spoke to Texas Real Estate Business about the process of integrating sustainability into all facets of the building industry, as well as the larger role design plays in the construction of highly adaptable and efficient facilities. His edited responses are …
CAMBRIDGE, MASS. — Square Mile Capital Management LLC has provided a $433.8 million construction loan for the next phase of Cambridge Crossing, a mixed-use development in the Boston area. The loan will fund construction of a nine-story, 479,000-square-foot life sciences and tech building with ground-floor retail space and below-grade parking. The loan will also finance the construction of a two-story, 19,000-square-foot retail and office building located on a separate parcel. The borrower was DivcoWest, a developer with five offices around the country. Cambridge Crossing will ultimately feature 2.1 million square feet of life sciences and tech space, 2.4 million square feet of residential space, 100,000 square feet of retail space and 11 acres of open green space.
MILWAUKEE — Wisconsin Center District has selected Gilbane Building Co. and CD Smith (Gilbane Smith) to serve as construction manager for the expansion of the Wisconsin Center convention hall. Gilbane Smith and the architecture team of tvsdesign and EUA will immediately begin working together to formulate the design and determine a cost estimate for the project. However, the Milwaukee Business Journal estimates project costs at $300 million. Renderings are expected early in the second quarter. The Wisconsin Center District Board is expected to vote on a financing package for the project at a meeting on Thursday, April 2. The district owner’s representative is CAA/ICON. Wisconsin Center District is a government body created in 1994 to fund, build and operate the Wisconsin Center.
ANN ARBOR, MICH. — Michigan Union at the University of Michigan has reopened following an 18-month, $85.2 million renovation. The project included electrical, mechanical and plumbing system improvements; elevator replacements and upgrades; replacement of the roof and windows; and restroom upgrades. The building now features more social space, meeting options and a newly created IdeaHub. Project architects included Integrated Design Solutions, Workshop Architects and Hartman Cox Architects. Walbridge Aldinger served as construction manager and contracted Full Spectrum Stained Glass to complete a preservation of the century-old windows. Originally built in 1919, the building spans 250,000 square feet. There are more than 44,000 enrolled students at the university.
Triad Lagoon Valley Acquires 840 Acres for Mixed-Use Development in Vacaville, California
by Amy Works
VACAVILLE, CALIF. — Triad Lagoon Valley, a Washington limited liability company affiliated with Seattle-based Triad Development, has purchased 840 acres from Lennar Corp. for an undisclosed price. The buyer plans to develop Lagoon Valley, a mixed-use community on the site. Lagoon Valley is approved as a conservation community, balancing jobs and housing, with more than 80 percent of its specific plan area entitled for open space/recreational use. Site grading is slated to commence in May, with building construction scheduled to begin in early 2021. Lagoon Valley will include Class A office space, 12 residential neighborhoods and a variety of recreational components. The office portion — Ascend @ Lagoon Valley — will feature seven four-story buildings ranging in size from 700,000 square feet to potentially 1 million square feet. Additionally, Ascend will offer a 30,000-square-foot amenity building with a fitness center, food and recreation space. Outdoor amenities at the property will include an amphitheater, sports courts and field space. Lagoon Valley is also surrounded by 2,000 acres of protected open space, including a 470-acre Lagoon Valley Park, 100-acre lake, a centrally located eight-acre public park and numerous neighborhood parks. The community will also include a fire station, a 50,000-square-foot town center …
Dougherty Mortgage Arranges $16.2M in Financing for Healthcare Clinic in Templeton, California
by Amy Works
TEMPLETON, CALIF. — Dougherty Mortgage has partnered with Community Health Care Centers of the Central Coast (CHCCC) to obtain $16.2 million in public and private financing for a new healthcare clinic and expanded community services in Templeton. CHCCC provides healthcare services to the Central Coast’s vulnerable and at-risk residents. Located at 1330 Las Tablas Road in Templeton, the clinic, which is open and welcoming new patients, will meet more of the needs in the community for primary care, dental and behavioral health services. The project was financed through two United States Department of Agriculture Rural Development programs. Half of the total investment was provided to CHCCC through the department’s Community Facilities Loan program, with the remaining $8.1 million invested as a loan guarantee to Dougherty Mortgage.
C.W. Driver Breaks Ground on $50M Language Arts, Social Science Building at Orange County College in California
by Amy Works
COSTA MESA, CALIF. — C.W. Driver Cos. has broken ground on Orange Coast College’s new $50 million Language Arts and Social Science Building in Costa Mesa. Slated for completion in summer 2021, the three-story, 107,760-square-foot building is part of a larger initiative to modernize the campus and accommodate its expanding enrollment. The building’s first floor will house classrooms, labs, an English as a Second Language computer lab, facilities for the Speech, Debate and Theater Team and a journalism newsroom. The second floor will feature classrooms and connect to the existing Mathematics Business and Computer Center Building, while the third floor will encompass division and faculty offices. Additionally, the building will include two elevators, a lactation room and gender-neutral restrooms on every floor. tBP Architecture is serving as architect on the project. The building is being financed through a combination of funding from California Proposition 51 and Measure M, a $698 million general obligation bond provided to construct education facilities for Coast Community College District.