PHILADELPHIA — The Franklin Institute has broken ground on a new, $64 million building addition. The project will expand the Philadelphia-based science museum by 53,000 square feet. Skanska USA will construct the addition, which will be called the Nicholas and Athena Karabots Pavilion. The space will include education classrooms and meeting space. The project is scheduled for completion by 2014.
FORT WORTH — The Erma Lowe Hall, home of Texas Christian University's (TCU) School of Classic and Contemporary Dance on the TCU campus in Fort Worth, has received LEED Gold certification by the U.S. Green Building Council. Michael Bennett of Fort Worth-based Bennett Benner Pettit designed the facility, which features large windows, motion sensors and timers for lighting, locally sourced materials and low-flow water fixtures. Approximately 75 percent of the original building has been used in the design, 75 percent of construction waste has been diverted from the landfill and the water usage has been reduced by approximately 50 percent.
SAN ANTONIO — The University of Texas-San Antonio (UTSA) has selected HKS Sports & Entertainment Group to build a sports complex on the 125-acre UTSA Park West Campus. The complex will be constructed in multiple phases, and Phase I will include the construction of a 1,000-seat soccer stadium, a 1,000-seat track-and-field stadium and a 500-space parking lot. HKS is working with San Antonio-based Overland Partners Architects on the project's design. Bartlett Cocke General Contractors is providing construction services for Phase I, which is slated for completion in fall 2013.
ENFIELD, CONN. — Grace & Glory Apostolic Church Inc. has purchased the former Nassau Furniture store, and an adjacent 18 acres of land in Enfield. The 27,000-square-foot building and parcel were sold for $1.8 million. Nicholas Morizio of Colliers International's Hartford, Conn. office represented both parties in the deal.
DANVERS, MASS. — Danvers High School in Danvers is undergoing an $82 million renovation, which is slated for completion this September. The 309,000-square-foot project will include the addition of a science wing, technical education rooms, a cafeteria and main entrance. Rhode Island-based Bacon Construction Co. is the general contractor for the project and DiNisco Design Partnership is providing architectural services. Coreslab Structures Inc. is the exterior cladding contractor for the project.
ORLANDO, FLA. — The design-build team of SchenkelShultz Architecture and McCree General Contractors has commenced construction on the $13.3 million, 59,511-square-foot Valencia College West Campus Building 10, located at 1800 S. Kirkman Rd. in Orlando. The three-story facility will house Valencia's Continuing and International Education office, the Office of Information Technology, classrooms, a testing center, administrative offices and meeting rooms. Completion is slated for January 2013.
BOSTON — ARC/Architectural Resources Cambridge has completed the first phase of a renovation at the Tufts University School of Dental Medicine. The full project includes 60,000 square feet of clinic, office and support space in the building, which is located at 1 Kneeland St. in Boston's Chinatown neighborhood. The first phase of the project included 20,000 square feet. The project has received LEED Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.
NEW YORK CITY — ICS Builders and BKSK Architects have completed the new, $4.1 million Community of the Holy Spirit (CHS) St. Hilda's House convent building in Manhattan. ICS served CHS, a monastic community for women in the Episcopal Church, as general contractor. The 10,600-square-foot building includes a lobby, chapel, community dining room and an art room. The project team also included structural engineer Weidlinger Associates and lighting designer Horton Lees Brogden Lighting Design. The building is located at 454 Convent Ave.
NEW YORK CITY — Stokholm-based Kunskapsskolan schools has inked a 10-year lease for 15,000 square feet at 38 Delancey St. on the Lower East Side. The building will house the company's first leased school in the U.S., Innovate Manhattan. The charter middle school will include grades 5 through 8. Kunskapsskolan operates 34 schools in Sweden and in the United Kingdom. Peter Braus of Lee & Associates represented the tenant in the transaction. Michael Chen of Bond New York represented the landlord.
CAPE CORAL, FLA. — A 20,695-square-foot charter school building, located at 2107 & 2119 Santa Barbara Blvd. in Cape Coral, has sold for $2.29 million. Dan O'Berski of Fort Myers, Fla.-based Trinity Commercial Group represented the seller, 2103 SBB Cape Coral, in the transaction. Randal Mercer and Brandon Stoneburner of CRE Consultants' Fort Myers, Fla., office represented the buyer, CDW 10995 Metro Pkwy.