NEW YORK CITY — Crews have broken ground on the new Beacon High School at 521 W. 43rd St. in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan. Skanska recently signed an $88 million contract to convert an existing six-story New York Public Library book storage facility into a modern high school. The project will include extensive demolition and the construction of a gymnasium and auditorium for the school's 2,900 students. The high school is scheduled for completion in May 2015.
HARRISONBURG, VA. — Skanska USA has been awarded the $33 million renovation and expansion of the 65,000-square-foot Duke Hall at James Madison University, located in Harrisonburg. The renovation will include replacing of the building's main engineering, electrical, telecommunications, plumbing and mechanical systems. Additionally, new elevators will be installed and the visual art studios and labs will be updated to meet life safety codes. The building will also be expanded by 51,500 square feet for studios and classroom space for the School of Art and Art History. Completion is slated for November 2013.
NORTH BERGEN, N.J. — North Bergen opened a 13,000-square-foot municipal court and parking authority at 4225 Bergen Turnpike. The new building is located at the site of a former TD Bank branch. The township acquired the property in 2009 and paid $4 million to renovate and expand the building. DMR Architects worked with township leaders to redesign the space.
SUGAR LAND — The Sugar Land Development Corp. and Sugar Land City Council have approved a letter of intent with ACE Sugar Land to develop a 6,500-seat concert and performing arts facility, located on a 21-acre site near the U.S. Highway 59 and University Boulevard intersection. The letter of intent establishes funding to begin programming and schematic design. No timeline has been set for completion.
ORLANDO, FLA. — The Diocese of Orlando has broken ground on the $2.4 million, 14,000-square-foot Good Shepherd Catholic Church, located in Orlando. Additionally, the existing church, located at 5900 Oleander Drive, will undergo renovations that will transform the building into parish office space and meeting rooms. The new property will feature several green elements, including a high-reflective roof membrane, high-efficiency mechanical systems, low-flow water fixtures and increased building envelope insulation. Orlando-based SchenkelShultz Architecture designed the church. Completion is slated for spring 2013.
DOTHAN, ALA. — Batson-Cook has topped off the $25 million, 110,000-square-foot Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine (ACOM) in Dothan. The facility will be affiliated with Southeast Alabama Medical Center, which will accept 162 students for the program. KUD International is the developer for the property and Barrios Architects is the architect. The three-story building will include two auditoriums, laboratory space, study rooms, administrative offices, a student lounge and a teaching clinic. Completion is slated for April 2014.
CHICAGO — Construction is complete on the first phase of a $4.2 million renovation of a community clubhouse in the Pilsen neighborhood of Chicago. Tandem Construction has added 17,000 square feet to the original Union League Boys & Girls Club at 2157 West 19th St. The new space includes a new gymnasium, science lab and two multi-purpose activity spaces. The project will also include the renovation of an additional 18,000 square feet in the original building, which is a former saloon built in the late 1800s. The Union League Boys & Girls Club has occupied the space since 1920. The facility is set for completion at the end of the year. Antunovich Associates is the project architect.
WESTMINSTER, MASS. — The Montachusset Regional Transit Authority (MART) has purchased an 18.6-acre site in Westminster Business Park to construct a new commuter rail layover station for a reported $1 million. The new facility will support the planned extension of the Fitchburg commuter rail line. The project includes construction of a new passenger station and facilities, as well as upgrades to one of two existing mainline tracks from the present terminals of the Fitchburg Line to the MBTA layover facility approximately 1.2 miles west of the proposed station.
MCALLEN — FD Stonewater has sold a 24,000-square-foot, build-to-suit facility in McAllen that is fully leased to the U.S. Government as a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) outpost. The buyer was a New York City-based investment group focused on buying government facilities under long-term leases. The facility is under a 10-year lease to the government.
CHICAGO — Northwestern University Feinberg of Medicine has signed a 61,750-square-foot lease at 633 N. St. Clair St. in Chicago's Streeterville neighborhood. The school is filling space being vacated by the advertising agency Draftcb. Steve Smith and Craig Coupe of Jones Lang LaSalle represented the building owner, the American College of Surgeons, in the transaction. Kevin Duckler and Ashley Devick of Newmark Grubb Knight Frank represented the tenant. The deal is one of the 10 largest to be completed in the Chicago CBD so far this year, and the 27-story building is now fully occupied.