FORT WORTH, TEXAS — The Reserve at McAlister, a community for adults 55 and over in south Fort Worth near Burleson, is now open. General contractor KWA Construction began the project last fall. The 107,000-square-foot, 124-unit project from Ohio-based developer Miller-Valentine Group was designed by Kelly Grossman Architects to meet the needs of independent adults that are at least 55 years of age. KWA Construction specializes in multifamily construction with multiple projects in senior living, including Hillside West in North Oak Cliff and Heritage Village in Hurst, Texas. Located at 432 McAlister Road between Hemphill Street and I-35 West, the one- and two-bedroom apartment community offers amenities including fully equipped kitchens. The community grounds feature a fitness center, media and business centers and a swimming pool, as well as a multi-purpose community room with a kitchen and dining area.
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. — The Wolff Company, a private equity firm based in Scottsdale, has announced plans to begin development on six independent living communities in the first quarter of 2016. The developments are expected to break ground over the next six months in Issaquah, Lacey and Spokane, Wash.; Henderson, Nev.; Oxnard, Calif.; and Colorado Springs, Colo. Wolff intends to invest $300 million to $400 million annually in the development or acquisition of independent living and assisted living communities.
CHICAGO — S Loop Chicago Development LLC has received approval from the Chicago Plan Commission to develop the first phase of a residential development located at the southwest corner of Grant Park in the city’s South Loop neighborhood. Phase I will feature a 76-story apartment tower to be designed by Rafael Viñoly Architects. The tower, 1200 S. Indiana, is slated to become one of the tallest residential buildings in Chicago. Phase I of the apartment building will feature 792 units, multiple amenity floors and a total of 622 parking spaces. The tower will provide options ranging from studios to three-bedroom units. The building will also include an indoor and outdoor pool, a fitness center and gathering spaces. The proposal for Phase II includes a 648-unit residential tower on the west end of the Phase I parcel and will be connected by ground-floor retail and parking at the base. The Phase III proposal calls for a 100-unit development. Once completed, the development will represent one of the final pieces within the Central Station master plan, a development that was previously stalled by the recession. S Loop Chicago Development purchased the three-acre site in 2012. Construction on the first phase of 1200 …
MALTA, N.Y. — UC Funds has provided a $12 million ground-up construction equity investment for a multifamily development in Malta, a suburb 20 miles north of Albany, N.Y. The investment will be used to develop a vacant parcel of land into 292-unit, Class AAA multifamily property consisting of 16 two- and three-story buildings. The property will feature high-end unit layouts, including granite countertops, crown moldings and luxurious fixtures. Additionally, the community will feature a swimming pool, spa, fitness center and juice bar. The property will be located adjacent to a planned 1,414-acre nanotechnology hub, which is home to Global Foundries, a leading microchip manufacturer that employs 3,600 local residents.
NEW YORK CITY — New York City-based Hudson Cos. has acquired a development site at 94 N. Third St. in Brooklyn’s Williamsburg neighborhood for the development of a residential and retail project. The seven-story building will feature 75 studio, one- and two-bedroom rental units and 15,000 square feet of ground-level retail space. Additionally, 20 percent of the apartments will be reserved for affordable housing for low-income households. On-site amenities will include doorman and concierge service, a gym, tenant lounge, underground parking, bike storage and tenant storage. Tenants will also have access to landscaped courtyards and roof terraces equipped with gas grills and tables for dining. Marvel Architects is serving as architect for the project, which is slated to begin construction soon. Hudson Cos. received a $6.5 million bridge loan from W Financial to acquire the site.
TYSONS, VA. — Akridge and the Ronald D. Paul Cos. have acquired 1690 Old Meadow Road in Tysons, a Virginia suburb of Washington, D.C., for $7.6 million. The pair plans to redevelop the existing 13,000-square-foot training facility for GEICO into a 250,000-square-foot office building. Upon completion, the 11-story project will sit atop a five-story parking garage and offer ground-floor retail space and on-site amenities such as a conference facility, in-building wireless, a restaurant and a landscaped terrace with common space and bocce ball courts. The property sits directly across the street from the McLean Metro Station and planned Wegmans grocery store. KGD Architecture is designing the redevelopment. The sale of 1690 Old Meadow Road resulted from a tri-party agreement with GEICO and Merritt Properties. GEICO is relocating its current training facility to a new build-to-suit facility in Merritt’s Ashbrook business park in Ashburn, Va. Jeff Groh and Michael Blyumin of JLL represented GEICO, and Joseph Svatos of Akridge represented the buyers in the transaction. Andrei Ponomarev of Akridge represented GEICO in the development and construction phase of the project.
EL PASO, TEXAS — The Camino Real Regional Mobility Authority has awarded a $61 million transit contract to Paso del Norte Trackworks, a joint venture of Granite Construction Co. and RailWorks Track Systems Inc. The joint-venture team will be responsible for the construction of a new electric streetcar system linking the Mexican border, El Paso downtown business district, local hospitals, residential districts and the University of Texas El Paso. The work includes 4.8 miles of track, 27 streetcar stops, related street improvements, underground drainage, water and sewer improvements, two bridge modifications and a vehicle maintenance and storage facility near the existing Sun Metro Downtown Transfer Center. The Texas Department of Transportation is funding the project. Construction is scheduled to begin in December and will take approximately two years to complete.
WILLIAMSVILLE, N.Y. — Picone Construction is continuing the renovations at The Amberleigh, a seniors housing community located at 2330 Maple Road in Williamsville. Renovations include the conversion of existing space to 49 assisted-living residential units on the second and third floors, along with 16 memory care units on the first floor. Additionally, a new entry will be constructed, which includes a free standing porte-cochere and asphalt drop-off drive. The entry and first floor will include a reception area, waiting/lounge area, offices, conference room, new elevator, salon, activity room, dining room, craft room, private dining rooms, toilet rooms, staff lounge, laundry room, storage rooms and a secured fenced-in courtyard. The second and third floor common areas will include offices, toilet rooms, laundry rooms, living rooms and storage rooms. Each of the three floors will also include a nurse’s station with a hydrotherapy room. Foit-Albert Associates is the architect of record and Buffalo Engineering PC is the mechanical and electrical engineer for the project.
JANESVILLE, WIS. — Dollar General Corp. has broken ground on a new distribution center in Janesville, approximately 40 miles southeast of Madison. The facility, which will span nearly 1 million square feet, will be the retailer’s 14th distribution facility. The development is slated to come on line in December 2016. Clayco Inc. is serving as the general contractor for the project. Leo A Daly is the building design company, and Elan Design Lab is the civil design company. The new distribution center is expected to service more than 1,000 stores in the upper Midwest. Dollar General currently operates 122 stores in Wisconsin.
FORT WORTH, TEXAS — Anthracite Realty Partners and Bennett Benner Partners have selected Balfour Beatty Construction to provide construction services for a high-rise in downtown Fort Worth. Balfour Beatty is engaged in shaping the project’s final scope and contract, which includes the core, shell and interior finish-out of the 25-story, 323,415-square-foot Class A commercial office tower at 640 Taylor St., which will be known as 640 Taylor. The mixed-use tower will include ground-floor retail shops, a 12th-floor lobby and conference center and an eatery featuring a 3,400-square-foot dining deck overlooking Sundance Square and Burnett Park. Adjacent to the eatery will be a 3,200-square-foot roof garden. Scheduled for completion in December 2017, 640 Taylor will be the seventh tallest building in Fort Worth and the first one to exceed 200 feet since 2009. The project will include 900 new parking spaces.