ATLANTA — An affiliate of Valdosta, Ga.-based Ambling University Development Group (AUDG) has purchased an approximately 1.4-acre site near Georgia State University for $7.9 million. The site is located at 70 John Wesley Dobbs Ave. in downtown Atlanta. The former Ramada Hotel, rental car facility and parking garage on the property will be redeveloped in two phases. Phase I will include a 138-unit, 291-bed student housing facility that will open in summer 2013. A new tower featuring approximately 108 student housing units and 424 beds will open in summer 2014. Phase II will also include a new parking garage. John DeYonker of Bull Realty represented the seller in the transaction.
BETHESDA, MD. — Brasfield & Gorrie, in a joint venture with Walbridge, has completed the new Main Exchange Complex at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda. The $42 million, 151,450-square-foot design-build project began in July 2011 and the facility is now serving the campus. The complex is the largest Navy Exchange in metropolitan Washington, D.C., and was designed to serve the retail and personal needs of active duty, wounded warriors, reserve and retired military personnel. The Exchange was designed to be the first LEED Gold-certified exchange and was constructed to anti-terrorism and force protection standards. It includes a pharmacy, barber shop, beauty salon, clothing and jewelry retailers, food court, dry cleaner and uniform center. CMH Architects, Timmons Group and I.C. Thomasson served as the project architect.
GAINESVILLE, FLA. — The design-build team of Charles Perry Partners Inc., Ponikvar & Associates Inc. and Causseaux, Hewett & Walpole Inc. will break ground this month on the City of Gainesville’s $33 million Regional Transit System (RTS) Bus Fleet Maintenance & Operations Facility. The 140,000-square-foot project is funded by federal grants from the Federal Transit Administration. It will be located on Veitch Street and include dispatch, administrative and maintenance facilities.
NEW YORK CITY — More than 115 years after it began as a boarding school for boys' choir, Grace Church School (GCS) has opened the first phase of a new four-story high school division at Cooper Square in New York City. GCS, which became coed in 1947, already provides pre-kindergarten through 8th grade facilities nearby. The $9 million, 51,000-square-foot phase included construction of the the first and second floors, a library, a study commons and a cafeteria. The second phase, expected for completion in 2014, will include the renovation of the 17,000-square-foot third floor. The phase is slated to cost $3 million. In the third phase, crews plan to renovate the fourth floor and add a new gym for $5.1 million. Alspector Architecture is designing the project, which is slated for completion in 2018.
DAHLONEGA, GA. — Ambling University Development Group and North Georgia College and State University (NGCSU) have completed a four-year, $110 million transformation of the Dahlonega campus. It culminated in the renovation of Gaillard Hall, a 166-bed historic cadet residence hall. In addition to Gaillard Hall, other projects completed include the addition of 1,214 beds, a 1,080-space parking deck, a new multi-use building that houses the university bookstore, retail and health center as well as a 1,000-seat dining hall. Funding for the $110 million capital improvement initiative was provided through privately financed tax-exempt municipal bonds.
WILMINGTON, DEL. — Emory Hill & Co. is constructing a 13,135-square-foot juvenile facility on the campus of the Department of Services for Children, Youth & Their Families in Wilmington. The single-story building will be constructed at 1825 Faulkland Road. The building will feature multipurpose meeting rooms, a therapy room, library, media center and technology center. The project is slated for completion in the fall of 2013. Emory Hill will work with BSA+A Architects and the State of Delaware on the project.
BROOKLINE, MASS. — Kaplan Construction is building the new 12,000-square-foot Brookline Teen Center at 40 Aspinwall Ave. in Brookline. The facility will provide out-of-school activities for Brookline-based teens in grades seven through 12. Kaplan will renovate a former garage for the facility, and the new space will feature a bowling alley, gym, recording studio, lounge, outdoor patio, cafe, aerobics dance study, game rooms and a study hall. The facility is slated for completion in the summer of 2013. The project team also includes GLC Development Resources, Stantec, RSE Associates and WSP Flack & Kurtz.
FORT WORTH — Gladstone Commercial Corp. has purchased the National Archives and Records Administration's 208,234-square-foot Southwest Region Records Center in Fort Worth for $20 million. The mission-critical property includes office and research space, as well as archival storage space. The long-term lease is fully guaranteed by the U.S. Government.
FORT STEWART, GA. — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Savannah District, has selected McCarthy Buildings Cos. to complete the second phase of renovations at The Winn Army Community Hospital in Fort Stewart, approximately 40 miles southwest of Savannah. The fouryear, $38 million project includes a 43,000-square-foot addition and 55,000 square feet of renovated medical space. The new space will include emergency, administrative and nutritional departments, as well as an outpatient facility. With the new renovations, the emergency department and family medical clinic will double in size. After Phase II has been completed in October 2016, the hospital will have the capacity to serve 16,000 patients. Furthermore, the hospital is seeking LEED Silver certification. Leo A Daly is the project architect. Currently, McCarthy is working on Phase I of the project. The $23 million Phase I includes a 65,000-square-foot addition and 1,000-square-foot renovation to the hospital. The Winn Army Community Hospital opened in 1983 as part of a healthcare initiative to serve soldiers, military retirees and their families.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — J Street Cos. has represented Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church in the sale of its church and school building at 4115 16th St. in Washington, D.C., to Iglesia Ni Cristo (Church of Christ) for $9.2 million. Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church plans to build a new church in Silver Springs, Md. Andy Wolf of J Street Cos. and Tony Lofrumento of Summit Commercial represented the sellers, and Arlene Fernandez of Allison James Estates & Homes represented Iglesia Ni Cristo.