Lehigh Valley Health Network will be the anchor tenant of the six-story office building due to open next year as part of Allentown's hockey arena complex, according to sources.

Plans were unveiled last week for a 203,000-square-foot office building and 180-room hotel attached to the 8,500-seat hockey arena to be built at Seventh and Hamilton streets, but city officials would not reveal the hotel operator or the developer of the office complex.

However, four sources confirmed this week that City Center Investment Corp. will be the owner of the office complex, and that Lehigh Valley Health Network medical offices are expected to be its primary tenant.

Lehigh Valley Health Network spokesman Brian Downs said only that hospital officials have been discussing everything from sponsorship to marketing to medical offices involving the arena project.

"We've been discussing several opportunities to be part of the arena project, but nothing has been finalized," Downs said. "We would like to have an announcement sooner rather than later, but I can't confirm anything right now."

Owned by developers J.B. Reilly and Joe Topper, City Center was created last year to develop around the arena project. City Center Chief Operating Officer Jim Harbaugh echoed Downs' cautious tone, stressing that no deals have been signed.

"It would be great to have Lehigh Valley Hospital as a tenant," Harbaugh said. "But we can't talk about discussions while they are still in progress."

The sources, however, said that City Center has been chosen to own the proposed 200,000 office complex, and while several health care organizations have been considered to be part of a major sports medicine component of the hockey arena, Lehigh Valley Health Network is expected to become the building's anchor tenant.

Allentown is completing demolition of a square block of businesses between Hamilton and Linden streets and Seventh and Eighth streets. The on-site office building would face Hamilton Street; the onsite hotel would face Seventh Street.

The arena is scheduled to be home to the Philadelphia Flyers' top minor league hockey affiliate, the Phantoms, beginning in September 2013. City officials have said the cost of the hotel and office complex would be in addition to the $158 million cost of building the arena, and would be funded by private investors.

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Sources: Allentown arena office complex to house LVH

Allentown's downtown hockey arena complex is designed to include an eight-story hotel with a restaurant and one floor of meeting rooms, a six-story office building with a penthouse level and a 125-space underground parking garage that will be accessible from Eighth Street.

The historic Dime Bank building on Seventh Street will house the hotel lobby, and include a "party deck" at the same level as the arena's lower suites. Guests sipping cocktails before events at the hotel will be able to congregate on a catwalk that will line up with the fourth floor of the office building.

All of it is expected to be completed using domestic steel, priced out using union labor, and ready for occupancy by Sept. 13, 2013.

The authority, which is overseeing construction of the 8,500-seat arena at Seventh and Hamilton streets, has not announced a construction company or who will run the hotel or occupy the office building.

City officials, Allentown Commercial and Industrial Development Authority Executive Director Scott Unger and Hammes Company Sports Development Inc., which is overseeing arena construction, did not return calls seeking comment Monday.

The arena, estimated to cost $158 million, will host the Phantoms, the Philadelphia Flyers' American Hockey League affiliate, as well as concerts and other cultural and sports events. City officials have said they are negotiating with a private developer on the offices and hotel.

Interest in the project is high. The Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce sold all 300 seats to its forward-looking annual business breakfast featuring Mayor Ed Pawlowski on Wednesday. That's never happened before, said Miriam Huertas, the Chamber's Allentown representative.

Here are a few new details about the project, according to the ACIDA request for proposals:

The authority has a goal of using 15 percent minority and 5 percent women construction workers and contractors on the arena project.

The hotel and Hamilton Street retail and restaurant spaces should be ready for interior finishes by May 2013, offices by June 2013.

Link:
More details of Phantoms' Allentown arena, hotel, offices emerge

TYRE, Lebanon: The reconstruction of the Fishermen Unions office building in the area surrounding Tyres old port has met with objections from an association dedicated to preserving the citys historical heritage.

The International Association to Save Tyre is protesting mutilating the Phoenician port and bridging parts of it, which contradicts the principle of preserving heritage sites, and has led to UNESCO threatening to take Tyre off the list of World Heritage Sites.

Meanwhile, Tyres municipality is stressing the need to reconstruct the unions building, which was built in the late 1980s.

According to the construction manager at Madnat Contracting Company, Adham Mahmoudy, the new building is being constructed on the ruins of the old building according to standards that take into consideration the character of the place and the maritime facade.

We are not going anywhere near the historical [heritage] site and we are not building on any heritage spot. We are only constructing a new building instead of the old one. We are not destroying ruins or digging any up, Mahmoudy added.

According to the head of the municipal union of Tyre, Abdel-Mohsen Husseini, they [the association] are against development. We are the protectors of the city and its heritage. Where were they living when we protected Tyre from all the mutilation it underwent during the Israeli occupation? I regret that those who issued the statement are against Tyre. They increased destruction in Tyre.

In light of the dispute, a meeting was held last week at Tyres municipality, which included Tyre Mayor Hasan Dbouq, and a number of figures involved in the project. In the meeting, it was decided that construction should continue, while making an amendment to reduce the size of construction and focus more on aesthetics.

The building will represent a professional and social front and show the citys character and heritage by preserving the profession of fishing and fishermens tools which will be displayed to tourists and visitors in the lower part of the building, Dbouq said.

According to Dbouq, there is no alternative location for the facility, with the municipality unable to acquire any building in the area.

The building will take into consideration the aesthetic and heritage side and will be in harmony with the surrounding, Dbouq said.

Originally posted here:
NGO says Tyre reconstruction ‘mutilating’ historic port

BOSTON, March 6, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Margulies Perruzzi Architects, one of Boston's most innovative architectural and interior design firms, and Cutler Associates, an East Coast integrated design and construction management firm, today announced that the firms have been selected to design and construct a new medical office building in Holden, Massachusetts for Oriol Health Care.

As owners of the former Holden District Hospital property, Oriol Health Care launched a long-term collaborative process with the Town of Holden to develop a healthcare campus on the hospital site. The addition of a patient care building to house cutting-edge medical care was deemed a perfect fit for the expansion. Margulies Perruzzi Architects (MPA) and Cutler were selected for design and construction management services for a new three-story 36,000 square foot medical office building at the entry to the Boyden Road campus. The building, which will house a family medical practice and other healthcare providers, will complement Oriol's other medical arts buildings and a skilled nursing facility on the site.

"As healthcare design becomes more patient-centered with an ever-increasing focus on healthy outcomes, we are thrilled to be working with an innovator like Oriol Health Care," said GarthJohnson, LEED AP, vice president of senior living and healthcare at Cutler Associates, Inc. "Cutler has enjoyed a long working relationship with the Oriol family, and we are thrilled to be a part of the design and construction team as this project continues to take shape."

"Patients have become savvy consumers regarding their healthcare, and Oriol's focus on patient concerns has been paramount in the design of this new building," said Marc Margulies, AIA, LEED AP, principal at Margulies Perruzzi Architects. "Drawing on our prior experience working with Cutler, MPA is excited to partner again with Cutler on the clinical design of Oriol's new patient care building."

About Margulies Perruzzi ArchitectsConsistently ranked as one of Boston's top architectural and interior design firms, Margulies Perruzzi Architects creates buildings and corporate interiors for clients who value design. The firm services the corporate, professional services, healthcare, research/lab, and real estate communities with a focus on sustainable design. Clients include Manulife/John Hancock, Nuvera Fuel Cells, Fallon Clinic, Sapient, Hobbs Brook Management and Forrester Research. For more information, please visit http://www.mp-architects.com.

Media Contacts:Michele Spiewak Rhino PR for MPA 617-851-2618 MPArchitects@rhinopr.com

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Oriol Health Care Selects Margulies Perruzzi Architects and Cutler Associates for New Medical Office Building in ...

Rainier Medical Investments (RMI), a Dallas-based firm, has announced that the construction of the River Walk Medical Park I, an 82,000-square-foot medical office building that is fully connected on three levels to the Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Flower Mound is fully underway.

This medical office building is anchored by Texas Oncology and is the first of several medical office and retail buildings that will ultimately form the medical campus to be known as River Walk Medical Park in Flower Mound. The building will be completed late summer 2012.

We are very pleased to see the River Walk Medical Park vision begin to materialize, said Tim

steel beam structure growing everyday. A project that has been a vision for the town of Flower

Mound and its residents to have a premier medical campus is now becoming a reality.

Dallas-based Ridgemont Commercial Construction is the general contractor for the project.

Ridgemont is very excited to be the general contractor for the new River Walk Medical Park I

medical office building, added Jason Lillard, president of Ridgemont. This building will be

attached to the existing Hospital and will be an integral part of the new healthcare campus. This is a tremendous opportunity and we look forward to growing our relationship with Rainier and the Town of Flower Mound.

The River Walk Marquis, a second 27,000-square-foot building located at the highly visible

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River Walk medical park campus construction in full swing

By Cy Ryan (contact)

Monday, March 5, 2012 | 5:42 p.m.

CARSON CITY The Nevada Supreme Court has rejected a petition by Bank of America that it be allowed to foreclose on an office building in Las Vegas that reportedly has defaulted on a $12.2 million loan.

The bank says it loaned the money for construction of the building at Town Center Drive and the Las Vegas Beltway in August 2005, and the loan has been modified five times and the due date extended twice.

Bank of America said the office complex failed to come through in September 2011 with the full repayment plus interest as agreed to.

It sought a receiver to collect rent and planned to sell the property in February.

District Judge Elizabeth Goff Gonzalez, however, granted a temporary restraining order halting a foreclosure until the court has more hearings.

Bank of America, through its lawyers, asked the Supreme Court for writ of prohibition to overturn Gonzalez ruling.

The Supreme Court said Gonzales has not exceeded her authority in issuing the temporary restraining order.

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Court denies petition seeking foreclosure on office building

The former owner of Columbia Park Golf Course plans to build an office building and a restaurant just off Columbia Center Boulevard with some of the $2.46 million he earned in a lawsuit settlement with the city of Kennewick.

Gary Long Jr. has requested permits to build a 9,500-square-foot office complex and a 4,000-square-foot restaurant at 901 N. Colorado St., where the Tri-City Development Council, or TRIDEC, used to have its offices.

Nick Kovarik, Long's attorney, said construction could begin this summer if the site plan permits are done in time.

The site includes a strip of land that Long got from the city in May 2010 to resolve a second dispute with the city over taking back the golf course and reimbursing him for his long-term investments in the course.

The settlement approved was separate from Long's breach of contract lawsuit over developing the golf course amenities to include an RV park.

At the time, the city council agreed to give Long the strip of land in a 6-1 vote, with Councilman John Hubbard opposed. The agreement gave Long $250,000 in cash and a quit claim deed to the strip of land where the Toyota Center sign is located, said Kovarik, who is based in Spokane.

That strip will provide more spaces for parking for Long's new buildings. The marquee sign will remain in place.

"We plan to have landscaping all along Columbia Center Boulevard with trees," Kovarik said.

Long's two new buildings also will require removing a pork chop-shaped island at the intersection and repositioning of the light signals, which Kovarik said will make a safer intersection.

He declined to give more details on the plans for the buildings.

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Man to use lawsuit proceeds to build office complex, eatery

NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwire -03/05/12)- U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) President, CEO and Founding Chair Rick Fedrizzi, and Hearst Corporation CEO Frank A. Bennack, Jr., today announced that Hearst Tower is the first commercial office building in New York City to be recognized by the USGBC for achieving both LEED Gold for new construction and LEED Platinum for the operations and maintenance of its existing building.

Established by the USGBC and verified by the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI), LEED is a voluntary, consensus-based global rating system for buildings, homes and communities that are designed, constructed, maintained and operated for improved environmental and human health performance. In 2006, Hearst Tower became one of the first green office buildings in City history, and now with this second certification, Hearst has been awarded the highest possible rating for sustainable building operations and best maintenance practices.

Through this program, as well as energy efficiencies built in the Tower and regular evaluation of energy saving measures over the years, Hearst has reduced its total energy consumption by 40% -- putting the company in the top 10% of efficient commercial office buildings in the country. In addition, the company reduced total waste going to the landfills by 82% and became the first commercial office building in New York City to adopt an extensive composting program which composts 100% of its wet food waste. Hearst also has 100% use of reclaimed non-potable rainwater for hardscape/sidewalk cleaning and controlled water usage throughout the building that has reduced water usage at Hearst Tower more than 30% annually.

"Receiving this recognition from the USGBC is no small accomplishment and one all Hearst employees should take great pride in," Bennack said. "I would like to thank the LEED project team and everyone who has worked so hard to carry through on the forward-thinking vision that went into the creation of this Tower. As we begin to celebrate a remarkable 125 years since our company was founded, this certification of excellence is the most fitting tribute to William Randolph Hearst for it embodies everything he stood for, and reflects the company's commitment to being grounded in the past and inspired by the future."

"Hearst revolutionized the New York City skyline when it first earned LEED certification in 2006, and five years later it upholds its commitment to striving for high performance through green operations and maintenance," said Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO and founding chair, USGBC. "We applaud Hearst Corporation for the role it is playing to raise the bar everywhere for what we should expect from our built environment."

"Mayor Bloomberg has made the integration of sustainability and economic development a hallmark of his administration, and we are thrilled that Hearst Tower has become the first commercial office building in the city to achieve LEED Platinum status," Deputy Mayor Robert K. Steel said. "On behalf of Mayor Bloomberg, congratulations to Frank Bennack and the entire team at Hearst not only for this important sustainability accomplishment, but also for 125 years of success in New York City and around the world."

"We're so proud of the recent accomplishments of Hearst Corporation," said New York City Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn. "The company's actions are helping the City achieve its PlaNYC goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent by 2030. Hearst has set a great example and we look forward to seeing other buildings follow in its footsteps."

In order to achieve Platinum using the LEED for Existing Buildings: O&M rating system, Hearst Tower went through an extensive three month performance period process for the certification, which included: re-commissioning of all its major HVAC systems to identify all opportunities for improvements and addressing them; an energy audit to reveal low-to-no-cost energy efficiency measures and capital improvement measures; implementation of a high performance green cleaning program; a waste audit to measure how much trash is going in and out of the building and to the landfills (composting and recycling programs); and an indoor air quality audit to identify areas to improve on air quality in the building. All audits were performed and more stringent policies were implemented in the areas of energy efficiencies, water efficiencies and indoor air quality.

The Hearst LEED project team was led by Senior Director of Corporate Real Estate Lou Nowikas and LEED Project Manager Victor Liu. The team worked with its building partner, Tishman Speyer, which helped the Hearst Corporation originally construct the building and has managed it since it opened in a highly energy efficient, healthy and sustainable manner. Other partners included: Flack + Kurtz Engineering; ABM Cleaning Services; IESI Waste Services; Tea Environmental, IAQ services; and YRG Sustainability Consulting.

About Hearst CorporationHearst Corporation (www.hearst.com) is one of the nation's largest diversified media and information companies. Its major interests include ownership of 15 daily and 37 weekly newspapers, including the Houston Chronicle, San Francisco Chronicle, San Antonio Express-News and Albany Times Union; hundreds of magazines around the world, including Good Housekeeping, Cosmopolitan, ELLE and O, The Oprah Magazine; 29 television stations, which reach a combined 18 percent of U.S. viewers; ownership in leading cable networks, including Lifetime, A&E, History and ESPN; significant holdings in the automotive, electronic, medical/pharmaceutical and financial information industries; Internet and marketing services businesses; television production; newspaper features distribution; and real estate.

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Hearst Tower Upgraded From Gold to Platinum

As a state House member, Rep. Stan Saylor is paid more than $80,000 and will receive a pension that makes private sector employees envious, says constituent Bryan Yingling

But while Yingling is helping to pay Saylor's salary, the representative is one of several in the House who want to lower Yingling's wage, he said.

That's why the 54-year-old carpenter from Chanceford Township was one of about 40 construction workers who picketed outside Saylor's Main Street Red Lion office Monday, he said.

The issues: Members of the group were stationed at each corner of the square of Red Lion, distributing flyers addressed to the "Working Citizens of York County."

At issue are 12 bills Saylor supports, including prevailing wage reform and right-to-work legislation.

Under prevailing wage, workers are paid more to work on public projects, such as school construction. And right-to-work legislation, which has drawn ire from union advocates, would bar union contracts from requiring non-union members to pay representation fees.

"Take a look at his wages and benefits, and yet he wants to lower construction workers' wages," said Stanton Bair, 54, of Dover Township.

Members of the group said they represented no union or other organization, but were simply "concerned taxpayers."

And Saylor isn't the only York County legislator being targeted. They'll also soon make appearances at the office of state Rep. Ron Miller, R-Jacobus, who chairs the House Labor and Industry Committee, and others, they said.

Yingling said Saylor and other legislators claim prevailing wage is unfair because York County workers are paid the same wages as workers in areas where the cost-of-living is higher, such as Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. But Yingling said he's paid a lower York County rate, about two-thirds of the big-city pay.

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Construction workers protest outside state lawmaker's office

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WINSTON-SALEM Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center is about to begin construction on the first phase of its medical center in Davie County.

Consisting of an outpatient center and medical office building, the first phase is estimated to cost $79 million. Approximately 200 jobs will be created by phase one, excluding construction jobs.

The complex will be named Wake Forest Baptist HealthWest Campus. Site preparation has begun at the 88-acre tract on Highway 801 at Interstate 40 near the Yadkin River.

The medical office building will be larger than originally planned. It will be a four-story, 60,000-square-foot building containing physician offices. Originally, the building was projected to be 35,000 square feet.

The outpatient center will be 101,000 square feet. The three-level building will contain an emergency department, outpatient surgery and diagnostic imaging.

The increased size of the medical office building will enable us to meet more of the needs of residents of the Davie County, western Forsyth County and southern Yadkin County region, said John McConnell, M.D., chief executive officer of Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center. The larger size also is a reflection of the interest by a broad range of physicians in having full-time offices in a convenient location for patients.

In describing the architecture of the buildings, McConnell said the design is contemporary and progressive while being open and airy with a friendly feel.

The streams on the site meander between the footprint of the medical office building and outpatient center, making it a natural garden feature for the entire development, said Charles Auerbach, vice president of HKS Inc., the architect for the medical center.

HKS is working with Stimmel Associates of Winston-Salem, a landscape architectural and civil engineering firm, and Leach Wallace, a consulting engineering firm in Charlotte.

Continued here:
Construction to begin on new Davie County medical facility