DALLAS — Gary Gene Olp, founder and president of GGOArchitects, has been elected chairman of the North Texas Green Council chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). The North Texas Green Council was formed in 2002 by 12 individuals to pursue a stronger and more sustainable building practice in North Texas. The chapter now has more than 900 members and serves as a resource for information and education on sustainable practices in the North Texas region. Olp has been involved with the LEED rating system since the inception of the USGBC and has acquired Silver certification for five buildings, Gold certification for two buildings and Platinum certification for one building.
DALLAS — The Stephen B. Swann Athletic and Wellness Center at the Episcopal School of Dallas, located at 4100 Merrell Rd. in Dallas, has received LEED Gold certification. Opening last fall, the 114,000-square-foot facility includes a gymnasium, an indoor running track, strength and conditioning workout rooms, sports medicine facilities, a dance studio, locker rooms, a team room and coaching offices. ARC/Architectural Resources Cambridge and The Beck Group of Dallas completed the project for the Episcopal School of Dallas. A significant feature includes daylight sensors on all light fixtures within 15 feet of exterior walls.
ORLANDO, FLA. — Emerson International has purchased a 7-acre land site at Central Florida Research Park in Orlando for the development of a Florida Technical College campus facility. Construction for the 40,000-square-foot headquarters is expected to begin in March, with completion slated for October. First Builders Inc. is serving as general contractor and Lincoln Property Co. is managing the construction project. The property was acquired from O53A LLC for an undisclosed price. Jeff McFadden of McFadden Realty Advisors represented the seller.
PLANO — Plano Independent School District (ISD) has selected Cadence McShane Construction Co. to construct the new single-story, 77,000-square-foot Memorial Elementary School that will be located at 2600 Avenue R in Plano. Cadence McShane will also renovate Weatherford Elementary School, located at 2941 Mollimar Dr. in Plano, on behalf of Plano ISD. It will enhance 64,969 square feet of the existing school facility in addition to the construction of 3,396 square feet of new space. PBK is providing the architectural services for Memorial Elementary School that is scheduled for an August 2012 completion. Perkins + Will is serving as the project architect for Weatherford Elementary School, slated for completion in September 2012.
PLANATION, FLA. — Fort Myers, Fla.-based Brenner Real Estate Group has brokered the sales of two properties in Planation. In the first transaction, Xenia Management Corp. acquired a 5-acre land parcel located on the north side of West Sunrise Boulevard between University Drive and Pine Island Road. The site will be used for a 60,000-square-foot, build-to-suit facility for the GSA Social Security. Pine Island Commons LLC sold the property for $3.5 million. Lloyd Nettles of Capital Land Investments represented the buyer; Scott Brenner of Brenner Real Estate represented the seller. In the second transaction, Brenner and Bert Freehof, of Brenner Real Estate, along with Doug Mandel of Marcus & Millichap, represented Federation Holdings II in the disposition of a 6.6-acre land site at the corner of Northwest 11 Place and Northwest 66 Avenue. The City of Planation acquired the property for $2.47 million.
GEORGETOWN — SHW Group, an educational architecture and engineering firm, has been selected by the Georgetown Independent School District (ISD) to design two elementary schools — McCoy Elementary School to the southwest of Georgetown and a second, unnamed elementary school to the southeast — for a total project cost of $31.2 million. The existing McCoy Elementary School will be repurposed into an administration support facility. Plans for the new two-story, 88,000-square-foot McCoy Elementary School include sustainable features such as rainwater collection, a green roof, local construction materials and day lighting. It will serve 800 kindergarten through fifth grade students. Construction on the new McCoy will begin this spring and is scheduled for completion in fall 2012. The second, unnamed elementary school designed by SHW Group will open no later than 2014. Together, the two new elementary schools will serve 1,600 students.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The City of Charlotte has acquired a 2.9-acre lot at the corner of South Tyson Street and Westinghouse Boulevard in Charlotte for $1.69 million. The city plans to development a facility for the Steele Creek Division Police Station on the site. Jim Plyler and Steve Gentry of Piedmont Properties/CORFAC International represented the local undisclosed owners in the transaction.
PARSIPPANY AND WEST ORANGE, N.J. — The Hampshire Companies has acquired two daycare facilities in New Jersey for an undisclosed amount. The two properties total 16,320 square feet and were previously owned by New Dimensions Learning Corp., which operates them as Clockwork Learning Centers. One is located at 627 Mount Pleasant Ave. in West Orange and the other is located at 920 Edwards Road in Parsippany. Matt McDonough of CB Richard Ellis represented both sides in the deal.
LUFKIN — A 37,000-square-foot medical outpatient clinic building in Lufkin, which is 100 percent occupied by the GSA/Department of Veterans Affairs, has been sold to Pomona, N.Y.-based RJ Block Properties. Located on seven acres at 2216 N. John Redditt Dr., the property was built in 2009 and has a long-term, 20-year modified gross lease with the GSA/Department of Veterans Affairs. Brett Butler of Stan Johnson Co. represented both the buyer and the seller, Lufkin-based LD Lyndon Properties.
CHICAGO — Leopardo has completed the construction of a $10 million build-out for Alder School of Professional Psychology in Chicago. Located at One N. Dearbon St., the new 101,000-square-foot campus features a private ground-floor entrance lobby, high-tech classrooms, conference rooms, a library, collaborative spaces and administrative offices. Leopardo served as general contractor with ConopOp serving as project manager. OMP/P Cannon Design provided architectural services.