HOUSTON — The Houston Independent School District (HISD) Board of Education has chosen construction management firm Kwame Building Group for four of its upcoming new construction and renovation projects in the Houston school district. The undertakings, valued at a total of $35 million, include two new Early College High Schools, major improvements for Washington High School and sizeable additions and repairs to Worthing High School. Construction is set to begin in 2014. These projects are part of HISD’s larger $1.89 billion bond program, which was approved by Houston voters in November 2012 and is scheduled to last eight years.
LEXINGTON, KY. — Skanska, a construction and development firm based in Stockholm, Sweden, has signed a contract with the University of Kentucky for the expansion and renovation of its Gatton College of Business and Economic building on its Lexington campus. The contract is valued at $53 million. The project will consist of nearly 59,201 square feet of additions and about 139,931 square feet of renovations. Skanska is expected to begin work on the project in November and wrap up construction in March 2016.
ALPHARETTA, GA. — Choate Construction Co. has completed a $7.8 million expansion of King’s Ridge Christian School in the Atlanta suburb of Alpharetta. The project featured the construction of the 41,407-square-foot High School building, which contains more than 19 classrooms including science labs, an art room, ceramics room and music room. It can serve approximately 300 students and is the first of a two-phase expansion. The project also included the construction of the 4,015-square-foot Kendrick Center for Life Impact, which contains gathering space, counseling and guidance facilities and multipurpose space. The project architect was Chapman Griffin Lanler Sussenbach Architects.
LAUDERDALE LAKES, FLA. — Construction is complete for a new facility for the Florida Department of Corrections. The building totals 5,855 square feet and is located at 3714 W. Oakland Park Blvd. in Lauderdale Lakes. It will contain offices for the department’s probation and parole divisions. Berger Commercial Realty was the construction manager for the project.
INDIANAPOLIS — The Boulder Group has completed the $2.9 million sale of the single-tenant, net-leased Goddard School portfolio, including two properties located in the Indianapolis metro area. Each of the properties is fully leased to Goddard School, a preschool for children that has more than 386 locations in 34 states. The school located at 2291 Greenfield Ave. in Noblesville has five years remaining on its lease. The property located at 10925 Cork Place in Indianapolis has three years remaining on its lease. Randy Blankstein and Jimmy Goodman of The Boulder Group represented the seller, a Midwest-based partnership, in the transaction. The buyer was an East Coast-based investment firm.
NEW ORLEANS — Construction will be complete in October for the $52 million renovation of the historic Saenger Theatre in New Orleans. The building was first constructed in 1927 at the corner of Canal and North Rampart Street, and it has been the focus of redevelopment since being damaged by Hurricane Katrina ion 2005. The City of New Orleans, Canal Street Development Corp. and Houston-based ACE Theatrical Group are overseeing the project. The interior paint and veneer is being stripped and replaced with the original color palette. Historic decorative elements are being installed. The stagehouse is also being expanded. The project architect is Washington, D.C.-based Martinez + Johnson, and the general contractor is Metairie, La.-based Broadmoor Construction.
HOUSTON — Cadence McShane Construction Co. has completed the new 86,000-square-foot Atherton Elementary School in Houston. The $16 million school is located at 2011 Solo St. in Houston. The new school can accommodate more than 750 students. The school features 30 classrooms, two science laboratories, library, full-service cafeteria, practice gymnasium, music and choir room and a performing arts area. IDG Architects provided architectural services for the new school.
ST. PAUL, MINN. — Welsh Construction has broken ground on the conversion of the former Church of St. Andrew into the Twin Cities German Immersion School. The 60,580-square-foot project is located in the Como Park area of St. Paul and will include renovating the existing school, converting the worship space into a gym and auditorium and constructing a new building to connect the existing structures. Construction is slated for completion by the end of November.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Ground has broken for the first project at St. Elizabeths East Campus, a 183-acre campus located in southeastern Washington, D.C. The Gateway Pavilion will be a $5 million outdoor space that will provide venues for casual dining, a farmers market, and cultural and entertainment events while the rest of the campus is under development. The D.C. Office of Planning & Economic Development has proposed several adaptive reuse projects for Phase I of St. Elizabeths including: 500,000 square feet dedicated to academic and innovation-minded companies; a 400,000-square-foot, mixed-use town center; approximately 100,000 square feet of trophy office space; and civic space.
ATLANTA — The Georgia Institute of Technology has selected Cooper Carry as the architect of record for the school's new 218,000-square-foot Engineered BioSystems Building. The $100 million project, located on the university's campus in Atlanta, will bring the College of Science and College of Engineering together for collaborative bio-engineering research. The project is the first phase of a four-phase expansion for Georgia Tech's bioscience research department. Lake Flato will serve as the design architect for the project and McCarthy Building Group is the general contractor. Completion is slated for 2014.