ST. PAUL, MINN. — The Opus Group has completed a 41,500-square-foot expansion and renovation at St. Catherine University’s Aimee and Patrick Butler Center for Sports and Fitness in St. Paul. The two-phased project created more recreation and wellness facilities for students, facility and staff, while also improving the functionality of the major campus hub. The project included the renovation of 10,000 square feet in Fontbonne Hall and the construction of 31,500 square feet of new space within the Butler Center, featuring separate varsity locker rooms and lounge space, a cardio room with fitness equipment, a dance studio and a multi-purpose training center and field house. Construction for the first phase began in May 2014 and was completed in August 2014, while the second phase started in fall 2014 and was completed in January 2015. Opus Design Build LLC was the design-builder, while Opus AE Group was the architect of record.
GROTON, MASS. — New England Shirdi Sai Parviaar (NESSP) has hired Reading, Mass.-based NM Construction Corp. as general contractor to build the first phase of a Shirdi Sai Baba Temple at 719 Great Rd. in Groton. Designed by BD Nayak Architects, the two-story, 40,000-square-foot temple will be constructed in two phases and, once complete, will be the largest Shirdi Sai Baba Temple in North America. The first phase will include the temple building, a kitchen, a large dining hall and community rooms. The second phase will include three residential units for priests and a 500-seat auditorium. Construction will begin this month, with completion slated for July 2016.
EATONTOWN, N.J. — AC Donato Construction LLC, an affiliate of The Donato Group, and W. Lerman Architecture are redeveloping and renovating the 108-year-old former Fred G. Steelman School in Eatontown. Voyagers’ Community School, a private day school, will relocate from Farmingdale, N.J., to the renovated property upon completion of the $1.2 million first phase of the project in September. The second phase of the project includes the addition of 2,000 square feet to increase the building to a total of 20,000 square feet. In the interim, 5,000 square feet within in the building’s annex with be set aside for offices for a variety of independent, child-focused professional services, including occupational therapy, psychological counseling, speech therapy and medical services. Located at 215 Broad St., the renovated school features a commercial kitchen for cooking classes, art studio, a kiln, state-of-the-art computer and science laboratories, a music room, and an all-purpose room to serve a gymnasium and meeting space, as well as an outside area designed by students. Construction of the second phase is expected to start in summer 2016, with completion scheduled in time for the 2016-2017 school year.
EVANSTON, ILL. — Podolsky|Circle CORFAC has arranged the relocation and renovation of the Evanston Art Center in Evanston. The organization will relocate to a newly acquired 20,000-square-foot facility located at 1717 Central St. this summer from its current location at 2603 Sheridan Road. The Dobbins Group, serving as design-build contractor, renovated the new facility, which was a former office building. The art center features multi-disciplinary offerings, including programming and educational activities in the areas of culinary arts, design, digital fabrication, music and visual arts. Additionally the facility features gallery space and a coffee shop. Randy Podolsky and Adam Tarantur of Podolsky|Circle assisted in the acquisition of the facility for the 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Podolsky|Circle and Lebar Construction Management served as construction manager for the renovation project.
CARPENTERSVILLE, ILL. — Leopardo Cos. has completed the construction of the 230-student Jerri Hoffmann Child + Family Center in Carpentersville for Illinois-based Children’s Home + Aid, a nonprofit agency. Situated on seven acres at 229 Lake Marian Road, the 27,000-square-foot facility features 15 classrooms, a gross motor room, associated administrative and support spaces, a full-service kitchen and laundry room, as well as an outdoor play area for the students. The new facility replaces the Tom Thumb Community Childcare Center, but continues to serve at-risk children and families. Additionally, the facility is seeking LEED Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. Leopardo served as general contractor and Designhaus Inc. provided architectural services for the project.
CHICAGO — The Barack Obama Foundation plans to locate the future Barack Obama Presidential Center, which will include a museum, library, as well as office space for Foundation activities and events, in the South Side of Chicago. The site was selected over bids made by Columbia University in New York, the University of Hawaii and the University of Illinois at Chicago. The library is expected create hundreds of jobs and hundreds of millions of dollars a year in economic activity, according to Crain’s Chicago Business. A date for the development has not been announced. As a future neighbor and collaborator on the Center, the University of Chicago has pledged to make resources and infrastructure available to the Foundation in the near term for its planning and development work. The Foundation also intends to maintain a presence at Columbia University for the purpose of exploring and developing opportunities for a long-term association, and to work with the state of Hawaii to establish a lasting presence in Honolulu. Within Chicago, the Obama Foundation will additionally explore possible collaboration with the University of Illinois–Chicago.
MIAMI — Suffolk Construction has delivered the Judge Seymour Gelber and Judge William E. Gladstone Miami-Dade Children’s Courthouse to Miami-Dade County and the Eleventh Judicial Circuit. The 14-story, 371,500-square-foot courthouse is located at 155 N.W. 3rd St. The LEED Silver-certified courthouse features a multi-colored glass façade that was designed by HOK design. The building will be one of the only in the nation to house all court partners, as well as support agencies for the Juvenile Justice Community.
PORT WASHINGTON, N.Y. — Local voters have approved a $69.9 million construction bond issue for improvements and renovations at the Port Washington Union Free School District in Port Washington. The construction program will encompass seven schools, an administration building and athletic facilities owned by the district. The properties include Paul D. Schreiber Senior High School, Carrie Palmer Weber Middle School, John Philip Sousa Elementary School, Guggenheim Elementary School, John J. Daly Elementary School, South Salem Elementary School, Manorhaven Elementary School. BBS Architects, Landscape Architects and Engineers is providing architectural, interior design, mechanical, electrical and plumbing, civil engineering and site and athletic field design services for the entire project. The improvement and renovation plan is slated to begin this summer. The Port Washington Union Free School District serves grades K-12 with a current enrollment of 4,994 students.
NEW ORLEANS — The city of New Orleans will sell 1,786 adjudicated properties across the city through a new online auction process. The sale will provide winning bidders with full ownership of each property and with guaranteed title insurance. A property is adjudicated to the city when its property taxes have not been paid — becoming delinquent — and the city is unable to sell the property at a tax sale. The city will only auction properties where five years have elapsed from the date of an attempted tax sale. The first online auctions are expected to take place this summer.
GLEN CARBON, ILL. — Holland Construction Services Inc. began work on the new Father McGivney Catholic High School in Glen Carbon. The new 53,000-square-foot, two-story facility is located at the corner of Old Troy and Bouse roads. The new school includes classrooms, commons area, a chapel, library, gymnasium and a student lounge. Hurford Architects Inc. designed the new school, which is scheduled to open in August for the 2015-2016 school year.