GRAND PRAIRIE, TEXAS — The City of Grand Prairie, located just west of Dallas, has opened The Epic, a 125,000-square-foot fitness and entertainment center. Situated within EpicCentral, a 172-acre development that includes a water park and adult activity center, The Epic features fitness facilities, entertainment and event space, as well as multiple onsite dining options. Architecture firm HKS designed the facility. The grand opening was held Saturday, Nov. 17. The development team will also break ground in January on a 10-acre PlayGrand Adventures park, which will be also located within EpicCentral.
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MINNEAPOLIS — A joint venture between a subsidiary of Los Angeles-based Tutor Perini Corp. (NYSE: TPC) and Minnesota-based C.S. McCrossan has been awarded a $799.5 million construction contract from the Metropolitan Council for the Southwest Light Rail Transit project in Minneapolis. According to local media sources, the project carries a total price tag of about $2 billion, about half of which stems from federal funding. In addition, the project could create as many as 7,500 construction jobs. As the largest public infrastructure deal in Minnesota’s history, the regional project will deliver a 14.5-mile extension of the METRO Green Line. In addition to new light rail infrastructure, the project will deliver 44 bridges, two cut-and-cover tunnels and 16 new light rail stations. The new line will connect the southwestern suburb of Eden Prairie to downtown Minneapolis. New rail stations will also service the suburbs of Edina, Hopkins and Minnetonka. “This news is long-awaited and hard-earned,” Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton said last week. “The Southwest Light Rail Transit project is a critical economic development project. When complete, it will improve many thousands of lives from Eden Prairie to North Minneapolis. It will create new jobs, reduce highway congestion, and better connect Minnesotans to one …
StonebridgeCarras to Develop Virginia Tech’s $1B Campus in Alexandria, Near Amazon Headquarters
by John Nelson
ALEXANDRIA, VA. — StonebridgeCarras has been selected to build the Virginia Tech Innovation Campus, a $1 billion, 1 million-square-foot, technology-focused campus in Alexandria, less than two miles from Amazon’s HQ2 future site. Virginia Tech and the State of Virginia will each put forth $250 million to the new campus. Further funds are expected to come via private philanthropy, industry partnerships and other revenue streams. The new campus will be situated in River Landing, a newly branded neighborhood encompassing parts of Pentagon City and Crystal City in Arlington and Potomac Yard in nearby Alexandria. The land is owned by investment firm Blackstone Group LP. The campus will include 300,000 square feet of academic space and research and development facilities, 250,000 square feet of partner space dedicated to startups and corporate facilities, 350,000 square feet of housing space for students and faculty and 100,000 square feet of retail and support spaces. An expected date of completion was not disclosed, but Virginia Tech officials say the first 100 master’s program students will enroll next year in a temporary space. The school also announced Bethesda, Md.-based StonebridgeCarras and the City of Alexandria have agreed to expedite construction.
ANKENY, IOWA — Stahl has been awarded the construction management contract for a new 101,403-square-foot elementary school in Ankeny. Construction of the $20 million project is expected to begin in March 2019. The new school will serve 750 students in grades K-5. FRK Architects + Engineers is the project partner. Completion is slated for June 2020. Funding for the school came from an $18 million bond referendum approved by the community in February 2018.
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.
Hurricane Michael Wind, Storm Surge Causes Estimated $3B to $5B in Losses, CoreLogic Analysis Shows
by Amy Works
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.