AUSTIN, TEXAS — The U.S. Army has selected Austin as the site of its new Futures Command headquarters, a project that will bring about 500 new jobs to the state capital. The Army’s Futures Command division will occupy space owned by the University of Texas (UT) in downtown Austin, with a directive to assess new weapons technology and emerging threats. The Army expects the new headquarters to be fully operational by summer 2019.
HOUSTON — The Houston Astros have extended their lease at Minute Maid Park, where the professional baseball team has played since 2000, through 2050 following a positive vote by the Houston Sports Authority. The stadium, formerly known as Enron Field, was built in the late 1990s and seats about 41,000 people. The original lease was set to expire in 2030. The terms of the extension call for a $1 million increase in rent beginning this year and running through the remainder of the original lease period, and an additional $1 million increase for the 20-year period ending in 2050. The Astros beat the Los Angeles Dodgers in seven games to win the 2017 World Series.
DETROIT — Bridging North America, a partnership of Fluor and ACS Infrastructure Canada, was selected to design, build, finance, operate and maintain the Gordie Howe International Bridge project for Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority. The planned bridge and border crossing will span the Detroit River and connect Detroit to Windsor, Canada by linking I-75 and I-96 with the new extension of Highway 401 in Ontario. When complete, the bridge will be the longest cable-stayed bridge in North America. The scope of the project also includes building new ports of entry on both the U.S. and Canadian side of the Detroit River as well as improvements to existing infrastructure. Early work will start this summer in advance of financial close, which is set for this fall. Fluor and ACS will operate and maintain the facility for 30 years to performance standards that will be established by WDBA following completion.
ST. LOUIS — McCarthy Building Cos. Inc. has completed a 47,000-square-foot subterranean expansion and renovation of the Museum of the Gateway Arch. This is the final component of a $380 million redevelopment of the monument in downtown St. Louis. McCarthy also oversaw the transformation of the north and south grounds surrounding the Arch. The renovated museum and visitor’s center opened to the public on Tuesday, July 3. A new circular entrance and upper-level lobby replaces the previous underground entrances at the base of each leg of the Arch. The landmark remained open and fully operational throughout the three-year construction project. Cooper Robertson, James Carpenter Associates and Trivers Associates designed the museum expansion. Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates oversaw the landscape design. Gateway Arch Park Foundation and the National Park Service led the Gateway Arch Park redevelopment projects. Built as a monument to the westward expansion of the United States, the 630-foot Arch was completed in 1965.
CEDAR PARK, TEXAS — iSports Real Estate Development LLC, an Austin-based partnership, will develop a 157,000-square-foot athletic training and performance center in Cedar Park, a northwestern suburb of Austin. The facility will include an ice rink and indoor and outdoor turf fields. The project developers are also seeking tenants to operate competitive cheerleading and gymnastics, sand volleyball courts and a medical and sports rehabilitation practice, as well as sports retail stores. Plans for a family entertainment center with dining options and private events have also been introduced. The groundbreaking is slated for early fall.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — A joint venture between Akridge, Corporate Office Properties Trust (COPT) and Argos Group has broken ground on the redevelopment of Thaddeus Stevens Elementary School in Washington, D.C. Akridge and D.C. officials have collaborated for 19 years to establish a plan for the historic school, which was one of the District’s first public schools built for the education of African American children. As part of the redevelopment, the joint venture broke ground on a 190,000-square-foot office building, located at 2100 L St., on what previously served as the school’s playground. Designed by Martinez & Johnson Architecture, the building features floor-to-ceiling glass, 20,000-square-foot floor plates, a landscaped rooftop terrace and lounge, penthouse conference center, fitness center and an art gallery with outdoor terraces. The building will feature a rotating art gallery of works from African American artists, as well as a statue outside the building and a feature wall commemorating the property’s namesake, Thaddeus Stevens, who was a U.S. congressman. Law firm Morrison & Foerster LLP has preleased 43 percent of the building. The redevelopment will also include a renovation of the school building, which will reopen as a D.C. public school upon completion. The joint venture expects to …
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Easterly Government Properties (NYSE: DEA) has agreed to purchase a 14-property office portfolio across the United States for $430 million. The nearly 1.5 million-square-foot portfolio is 94 percent leased by the U.S. government and 99 percent leased overall. The seller was undisclosed. “We believe the acquisition of this portfolio is a wonderful opportunity for the company,” says William C. Trimble III, CEO of Easterly. “This acquisition is expected to grow our portfolio by approximately 39 percent on a rentable-square-foot basis, while still maintaining the same high-quality standard of assets Easterly is known for.” The portfolio includes the following assets: • A 267,766-square-foot office building in Buffalo, N.Y., housing Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and a regional office for the National Labor Relations Board • A 239,331-square-foot building next to Chicago O’Hare International Airport that houses the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Great Lakes Regional Office and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) • A 225,057-square-foot facility in Portland, Ore.’s Central City Plan District housing the USDA, U.S. Army Corp of Engineers (ACOE), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) • A 182,500-square-foot build-to-suit property in Parkersburg, …
LOS ANGELES — Delta Airlines, in a partnership with Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA), has unveiled plans for the $1.86 billion Sky Way project at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). The undertaking calls for upgrades to two of the existing domestic terminals, as well as the Tom Bradley International Terminal, and delivery of infrastructure that connects the hubs. Construction of the project is scheduled to begin this fall. Upon completion, the terminals will offer a greater capacity for security screening with automated lanes, as well as more gate-area seating. Terminals 2 and 3 will feature 27-gate complexes with a secure connection to the international terminal. “LAX is one of the most important hubs in our network where we operate more than 170 daily flights and connect more passengers to our partner airlines than anywhere else in the U.S,” said Delta CEO Ed Bastian. “The Delta Sky Way at LAX project is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to invest in and transform the airport experience in partnership with LAWA and the City of Los Angeles.” Delta, which launched a new slate of retail and dining options for Terminal 3 in December 2017, will continue to adjust the shopping and restaurant options at the …
HOUSTON — McCarthy Cos. has completed Phase I of an expansion project for the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston. The project revamped the Glassell School of Art, essentially doubling its size to 40,000 square feet and enabling the school to now serve more than 7,000 students per year. The school links to two gallery buildings and a sculpture garden as part of the redevelopment of a 14-acre portion of the campus. McCarthy self-performed certain aspects of construction, including the casting of 177 unique concrete panels.
HOUSTON — Stages Repertory Theatre, a production and promotions company for the performing arts industry, has broken ground on The Gordy, a $30.5 million theater complex in Houston. The property will feature three performance stages and total approximately 67,000 square feet, according to local magazine Houstonia. The complex will also offer rehearsal studios, production and design workshops, meeting and event space and a full administrative suite. The Gordy is expected to open during the 2019-2020 theater season.
