Aventura Hospital and Medical Center, Aventura, Florida (Google Earth)

Health systems in central Florida are expected to decelerate the rate at which they acquire physician groups, according to a new report by Cushman and Wakefield.

Part of the reason, the report said, is because independent doctors are largely entering into partnerships with each other, or working under large management groups that prefer to build their own facilities as opposed to leasing them.

Because of that, the great majority of medical office building construction in the state is either by hospital systems or large, independent physician groups. The latter tend to build their facilities as owner-occupiers.

This year could well see an increase in new construction by both of those groups, many of which are expected to have some kind of specialty component, such as cancer or surgery centers. At the moment, the only non-hospital or physician-related business under construction is a mixed use project that contains a blend of medical and professional office uses.

Hospital expansions are being fueled by Florida's fast-growing population, the report said, with the "big three" healthcare systems -- Orlando Health, Florida Hospital and HCA -- all competing for market share. Changes in healthcare delivery are accelerating that, with a focus on overall life improvement and community wellness.

In addition to that trend, vacancies at medical office buildings are dwindling. At 9 percent last year, those vacancies are now down to about 6 percent, and according to the report, that trend is likely to continue.

Twitter: @JELagasse

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Florida hospitals scaling back on acquiring physician practices, report finds - Healthcare Finance News

The 173-acre TechnipFMC John T. Gremp Campus is the first element in north Houstons Generation Park planned community. The 1.7 million-sf complex was completed in March 2016. Two months later, FMC Technologies and European oil and gas equipment technology company Technip formally announced their merger.

The new campus consolidates manufacturing, offices, and amenities for thousands of employees who were spread across six locations in the Houston area.

The Building Team, led by design giant Gensler, developer Trammell Crow, and contractor D.E. Harvey Builders, successfully dealt with requests from the owner after work had already begun.

First, TechnipFMC wanted to change two primary office buildings that were connected at only one level into a single building that would be connected on all levels. The project team used 3D visualization for fast design approval to insert a multi-level vertical connector into shared amenity space on each level.

Next, the owner added a new sophisticated process equipment product line to the project scope very late in the design process. The Building Team created a new design that allowed for placement of an in-ground rail system, underground utility distribution system, and automated welding machine system; all this, after most of the structure was already built.

TechnipFMC then announced that it was developing a new subsea equipment system that was significantly larger and heavier than the original building was designed for. The Building Team modified floor thicknesses, added 50 tons to the crane capacity, revised equipment circulation, and increased the size of the testing area without affecting foundation pours that were already in progress.

The Technip FMC campus in north Houston is marked by a 369,000-sf LEED Gold office building. The 2,036-space parking garage gives priority space to fuel-efficient vehicles. Landscape irrigation uses non-potable water. Photo: RyanGobuty/Gensler.

Building Team Submitting firm, architect, interior architect Gensler Developer Trammell Crow Co. Structural engineer Cardno Haynes Whaley Mechanical engineer Wylie Consulting Engineers Contractor D.E. Harvey Builders

General Information Size 1.7 million sf Construction cost Confidential Construction period April 2014 to March 2016 Delivery method Design-bid-build

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Texas technopark: TechnipFMC John T. Gremp Campus - Building Design + Construction (press release) (registration)

EASTHAMPTON When he started his one-man construction company out of high school, Kevin Perrier specialized in remodeling kitchens and building porches to pay the bills.

Seventeen years later, the 35-year-old manages a multimillion dollar construction business that is leaving a footprint statewide from work at Logan International Airport to hospital additions, hotels, luxury condos and government projects so secret he cant talk about them.

In the beginning, however, Perrier, CEO and president of Five Star Building Corp. of Easthampton, kept his roots close to home and focused on residential work primarily in Easthampton, Northampton and Southampton. The Easthampton High School graduate ran his business out of a warehouse on Loomis Way and his clients were neighbors throughout the Valley.

Like many successful contractors, his smaller residential projects turned into mid-size projects such as commercial renovations. That work, in turn, led to ground-up projects for private corporations and municipalities, meaning Five Star oversaw new construction projects from start to finish at an average project cost of $10 million.

Whats the key to Perriers success? He says the right employees.

Weve always tried to hire a talented staff, Perrier said. And quite honestly, hire people that may have more experience than you or more knowledgeable in a certain sector.

He said an employee can make or break a job.

Its crucial we hire a talented staff that serves our clients well and we continue to grow, he said.

And while the Valley is still Five Stars headquarters, Perrier this spring cast his companys net much further east by opening a satellite office in Charlestown. The goal, he says, is to have a physical presence in the Boston area where much of the firms larger projects are located. The new office is staffed with five full-time employees.

Perrier said the expansion in the Boston area is being driven by the large number of $10 million to $20 million projects in cities east of Worcester.

Five Star has worked on almost every inch of Logan Airport, Perrier said, including major infrastructure projects, electric upgrades to terminals to remodeling concourses and installing glycol tanks for de-icing. Perrier cant speak about much of the work at the airport, noting that security measures are tight and ever-changing.

Additionally, the company has completed various projects for Southwest Airlines at both Logan and Bradley International Airport in Hartford over the years.

Other projects served out of the Charlestown office include a $9 million fire station in Uxbridge, a $10.5 million Forbes Municipal Building in Westborough and a $9 million Rising Tide Charter School in Plymouth.

Closer to home, Five Star has worked on the Fairfield Inn on Conz Street in Northampton and the Springfield Senior Center.

Perrier said the company has a long-term relationship with Baystate Medical Center and has worked on projects at each of the centers campuses.

Working in hospitals require training in areas such as infection control.

Its a very specific skill set, Perrier said.

Five Star is expected to top $70 million in sales this year, a figure that could more than double by 2022 with the companys East Coast expansion, Perrier said. Thats a long ways from the $150,000 in sales during the contractors early years.

The company is based out of the Easthampton office at the Button Building, 123 Union St., and houses 15 full-time employees.

The biggest challenge is staying up with technology, design methods and mechanical systems.

When we started, things were pen and paper, Perrier said. Everythings electronic now. We have very sophisticated project management software, scheduling software.

One software allows blueprints and design models to be viewed in 3-D.

We can do a 3-D walk-through before a building is even built, he said. It allows us to see conflicts in the MEPs (mechanical, electrical and plumbing). So we can see if a plumbing pipe is going to interfere with the duct work before its built. And the software picks up those trouble spots.

The program helps with cost estimating as well. With the click of a button, Perrier said, he can see how many 3-foot doors are in the design.

Perrier said from the start he always wanted to get into commercial work, but never imagined hed have $70 million worth of work on hand.

But now weve really built a foundation for growth, Perrier said of the companys resources such as employees, technology and office space. All the pieces are there to allow us to continue to grow.

Caitlin Ashworth can be reached at cashworth@gazettenet.com.

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From the ground up: Five Star Building in Easthampton opens office in Boston area - GazetteNET

Construction continues on a new storage facility near the corner of Goodlette-Frank Road and Ridge Street on Thursday, June 8, 2017, in Naples.(Photo: Luke Franke/Naples Daily News)Buy Photo

Out of room?Don't panic more self storage is coming.

New projects aresprouting out of the ground, and others are in the works across Collier County.

Since last year at least 10 projects have been eyed by prospective developers in the county. Not all of them are expected to be built, but a handful of those areunder construction, with more expected to break ground soon.

Why the sudden interest in building self storage? One of the reasons isa shift toward smaller homes and apartments of less than 2,000 square feet, which leaves little room for storage, said Mark Strain, the county's hearing examiner and chairman of the Collier County Planning Commission.

"The average size houseused to be huge," he said. "They would be several thousand square feet, 2,500 to 3,400 or 4,000."

Some new residents, relocating from the North, struggle to find enough storage for all their belongings because they don't have basements here and their attics here might be smaller, or they might not even have one.

Construction continues on a new storage facility near the corner of Goodlette-Frank Road and Ridge Street on Thursday, June 8, 2017, in Naples.(Photo: Luke Franke/Naples Daily News)

Owners who live here part time, or who rent out their homes part of the year,also rely on self storage to keep some of their belongings safe when they're away.

David Kovalik, a vice president of project management for Naples-based DeAngelis Diamond, which has been awarded a handful of contractsto build self storage over the past few years locally, offered other reasons for the uptick in construction:

A growing population.

Developers are playing catch up after projects ground to a halt due tothe Great Recession.

Financing is easy to get.

Good returns.

Land costsare lower for storage projects because they don't requireas much parking or asphalt asmore-intense developments, such as shopping centers or office buildings, and self-storage doesn't require many employees. Withjust a few people needed to manage, maintain and run a facility, overhead costs can be kept low, making it an attractive investment, Kovalik said

Storage units are also in higher demand because more small businesses are using them as a base for their operations, or to support their growth, hesaid.

Over the past two years, Johnson Development Associates, a real estate developer headquartered in Spartanburg, S.C., has tapped DeAngelis Diamond to build four self-storage projects in Collier, Hillsborough and Pasco counties. Combined, the projects will have more than 2,750 air-conditioned units.

Johnson Development's projects range in size from 80,000 to 100,000 square feet. They're all Class A, meaning they're built with higher standards and better-looking finishes.

One of the developments awarded to DeAngelis Diamond in Collier is on Kramer Drive, west of Interstate 75, behind the RaceTrac gas station on Pine Ridge Road. The 79,560-square-foot storage facility will have 575 units. It's expected to be finishedby early next year and will be managed by Extra Space.

Another, known as Rattlesnake Self Storage, is still in the contracting and preconstruction phase. It will have 776 units and will also be managed by Extra Space.

Construction continues on a new storage facility near the corner of Goodlette-Frank Road and Ridge Street on Thursday, June 8, 2017, in Naples.(Photo: Luke Franke/Naples Daily News)

"Right now it seems the two biggest management companies are Extra Space and Cube Smart," Kovalik said.

Johnson Development also has a storage project planned on Bonita Beach Road in Bonita Springs and recentlyhiredWaltbillig & Hoodgeneral contractors, based in North Naples, to build a three-story, 105,000-square-footself storage projectnear the southwest corner of Immokalee Road and Juliet Boulevard, which will have 757 units.

The growth in self storageis happening across Florida, especially in larger cities such as Miami, and it's part of a national trend that has some questioning whether all the constructioncould lead to overbuilding in some markets.

Based on U.S. Census data, the value of new self-storage construction was estimated at about $2 billion last year, a sharp increase over 2015.

Earlier this year Collier County commissionersconsidered putting ayearlong ban on specific land uses, including self storage, along a 7-mile stretch of U.S. 41 in East Naples after Commissioner Donna Fiala said the area was looking "like a slum."

But the boardinstead directed staff to come up with a plan to encourage more-desirable land uses, such as restaurants, hotels and stores, without imposing a moratorium.

Michael Fernandez, owner of Planning Development Inc. in Naples, recently got a conditional use approvedfora storage project off U.S. 41 East between Rattlesnake Hammock Roadand Collier Boulevard.

The three-story project will span about 92,000 square feet. Final drawings are in the works, and construction is expected to begin by the end of the year.

The development will be called Carl's White Glove Personal Storage. Fernandez no longer owns the property but said the new owners are considering a business that's more personalized.

"This is third-generation," he said. "These new interior-only facilities, they are smaller, they are personalized. Some of themhave concierge services."

Concierge services may includepicking up and dropping off boxes at the doorstep or having boxes ready for pickup on arrival at storage.

Premier Storage Investors, a self-storage real estate investment and development company based in Memphis, Tennessee, is building a project at the southwest corner ofGoodlette-Frank Road and Ridge Street in Naples on a3.24-acre lot.

Construction recently began on a multistory 95,396-square-foot building and a one-story 11,300-square-foot building.

"Our interest was due to our feeling that the market is undersupplied," said Chip Campbell, chief analyst for Premier Storage.

While Premier isn't ready to take reservations yet, Campbell expects demand for the units to come from both residents and businesses.

The property will be managed by CubeSmart and carry its name.

Michael Dalby, president and CEO of the Greater Naples Chamber of Commerce, said he's not too concerned about the boom in self-storage projects, in part because they are more likely to be built on retail sites rather than eating up land that could be used by other commercial enterprises.

"As we consider land use plans in the future, we might want to consider separating them from retail uses," Dalby said. "But I can tell you that the demand is high in any resort community (think condos with very small or no garages). It's almost an 'amenity,' and if we didn't have them, it would be a hassle for many residents and part-time residents."

Craig Timmins, a principal in Investment Properties Corp., a Naples-based commercial real estate brokerage firm, said with the latest wave of development, the good spots for self storage are running out.

"We're probably reaching the point where you will see a slowdown in new product after this wave gets done," he said. "Developers will want to see the buildings that are being constructed now be absorbed into the market."

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More self storage in store, with another wave of construction in Collier County - Naples Daily News

Prior to Thursdays public hearing, members of the Local Government committee met to discuss items including the Public Records Policy and options regarding a new location for the Dyer County Clerks Office.

RACHEL TOWNSEND

rtownsend@stategazette.com

Thursday morning, members of the Local Government committee convened in the Richard Hill room of the Dyer County Courthouse to discuss items on the agenda including the Dyer County Public Policy and discussion regarding building considerations for the Dyer County Clerks Office.

Opening the meeting, Dyer County attorney Mike Gauldin presented committee members each with a copy of the countys Public Records Policy.

Effective July 1, the policy was mandated by the state earlier this year, and will [according to the Tennessee Coalition for Open Government (TCOG)] add unique biometric data, such as fingerprints, voice prints, retina or iris images, or other unique physical representations and unique electronic identification numbers, addresses, routing codes or other personal identifying data which enables an individual to obtain merchandise or service or to otherwise financially encumber the legitimate possessor of the identifying data.

Essentially, the policy is expected to make accessing public records a more efficient process, as the bill specifies the policy cannot impose requirements on those requesting the records, which would prove more problematic than those required by state law.

TCOG also noted the new law to include the following criteria:

The process for making requests to inspect public records or receive copies of public records and a copy of any required request form;

The process for responding to requests, including redaction practices;

A statement of any fees charged for copies of public records and the procedures for billing and payment; and

The name or title and the contact information of the individual or individuals within such governmental entity designated as the public records request coordinator.

Dyer County Mayor Chris Young also took time to discuss the current state of the Dyer County Clerks Office. County Clerk Diane Moore, who was present at the meeting, has been working from within the commercial building of the Dyer County Fairgrounds since March storms devastated the downtown operation.

While forward progress has been made on the repair of the building, Young feels the option to build a new facility for the clerks office may be a more desirable and efficient option going forward.

Options pointed out for the relocation of clerks office operations included occupying the former Simmons Bank location at 213 N. Church Ave., new construction of a facility to be located at the Dyer County Fairgrounds, or new construction at the countys lot located on the corner of Market Street.

According to Young, the Simmons Bank building would effectively cost the county roughly $500,000, and would prove to be an ineffective solution, as the building would be larger than needed by the office.

In agreeance with Young, committee member Debra Roberson pointed out the wasted utility funds, which would be spent heating and cooling the second floor of the facility, which would not be occupied.

Members of the board approved a motion to remove Simmons Bank from the list of options.

On a separate motion, construction at the Dyer County Fairgrounds was also removed the list of options to be considered by the committee, as it was preferred to keep the operation in Dyer Countys downtown venue.

With the removal of two options, committee members were left to decide whether to return the operation to its former location or build anew at the Market Street. property.

Young says the costs attached to a new 3,500 sq. ft. construction will average roughly $210,000 [$60/ sq. ft.] in addition to $63,000 for a metal building, and $175,000 for the lot. Young also pointed out that new construction would be beneficial as equipment to the facility would be under warranty.

Young stated there to be approximately $400,000 available for new construction in the 2017-18 budget.

Young says the former building is also a possible option; however, parking is limited and expenses toward the repair of the building, after furnishings are added, would exceed the value covered by insurance. Young also noted the 8,000 sq. ft. building, when occupied by the clerks office, to have an excess of unused space.

We need to decide what we are going to do pretty soon, said Young. Whether we decide to keep the former building for other county purposes or sell it or whatever we decide to do. The money we get back from the insurance company for Dianes office can be spent wherever we chose to spend it.

Youngs ideas on selling the building as a shell were met with concerns from Roberson, who posed the question, What if we built a new building and couldnt sell the former one? How much would it cost for us to make it functional?

Young says he feels good about the countys ability to sell the building; however, unable to find a buyer, the county would have to invest money into the facility during another budget year.

Committee members will spend the next four weeks considering the proposed options for further action, and reconvene at later date.

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Building options for county clerk's office, public records policy discussed at meeting - State Gazette

Drive down any major street in South Carolina's largest cities, and it's not hard to miss the mass of workers in hardhats or the construction cranes towering over once-vacant lots.

From apartments to hospitals and hotels to homes, the building boom is at full throttle.

But before any of those structures get off the ground, they need a blueprint. That's where architects come in.

The people who draw up plans and pencil in details sit on the front line of the economic upswing enveloping the country, and many are busier than ever.

Firms with offices in Charleston and projects across the state and elsewhere say workloads are healthy, competition is steep and the foreseeable future shows no signs of a slowdown.

Tom Hund is principal and Charleston office director of Upstate-based McMillan|Pazdan|Smith Architecture. Brad Nettles/Staff

"The Southeast is hot," said Tom Hund, a principal who leads the Charleston office of Greenville-based McMillan|Pazdan|Smith Architecture. "It's one of the best growth zones in the country. It's quality of life. It's manufacturing. It's retirees. And when you narrow it down regionally, the Charleston region is leading the charge."

He pointed to diversity in the growth of manufacturers such as aerospace and automotive suppliers along with upticks in housing, retirement communities, resorts and tourism as all contributing to the demand.

"In all of those markets, there is great activity," Hund said.

"We were once known as a tourist city and now we are known as a manufacturing and tech city, too," Hund said of Charleston. "As one market may grow, another may slow, so we have an opportunity for balance. I see a really nice diversity here."

Marc Marchant is a principal at LS3P and head of the regional firm's Charleston office. Provided

Marc Marchant, leader of LS3P Associates Ltd., a regional firm based in Charleston, characterized the design market across South Carolina as "shifting into high gear."

"We are all optimistic about the future and continued growth," he said, pointing to expansion of the automotive sector near Charleston, a tire manufacturer coming to Orangeburg and continued industry expansion across the Upstate. "I think there is plenty of room for more growth."

At Liollio Architecture of Charleston, which focuses mainly on public-sector projects, principal Dinos Liollio is bullish on the market across the state and the region.

"I think it's strong, and I'm very optimistic that it will remain strong," Liollio said. "Even with a little bit of increase in interest rates, I don't think it will disturb the building program. Public entities and foundations are in pretty good shape to invest in a robust building program."

The Midlands market is "robust" as well, according to Doug Quackenbush, president of Quackenbush Architects + Planners. His Columbia firm handles public-sector projects such as schools, where work is more steady than the cyclical nature of private-sector buildings such as apartments, hotels or office buildings, but in talks with colleagues working with private-sector designs, Quackenbush said, "It seems like right now both are pretty healthy."

He believes escalating construction costs will eventually lead to a slowdown, especially in the private sector, but the need in K-12 education is so great across the state, the explosion of work will continue.

Among some of the projects Quackenbush is now working on are two elementary schools in Rock Hill, a renovation and addition to an elementary school in the Conway/Myrtle Beach area and an addition to a middle school in Chapin near Columbia.

Quackenbush believes prospects for higher education construction projects are more muddled because of funding restraints, but his firm is involved in the design of the $50 million football operations center which recently broke ground on Bluff Road for the University of South Carolina.

The design and construction market along the Grand Strand shows few signs of letting up either.

"Similar to Charleston, the Myrtle Beach market is growing," said Marchant of LS3P, which also operates an office in the resort city. "We are seeing more beachfront opportunities, more restaurants and renovations."

Two of the larger retail projects LS3P is involved with are the redevelopment of Barefoot Landing and Broadway at the Beach.

"They are regenerating the retail experience in many locations, including those two," Marchant said.

Because of all the construction going on now, Hund said some municipalities, such as Charleston, struggle with how much is too much.

"The architects have to respond to that and remain innovative and creative, which is a challenge," he said. "The better ones get it done."

There is so much work, it is putting pressure on the design and construction industries to keep up, architects say. Not surprisingly, clients also are finding it more of a challenge when looking for help, especially for home additions and other smaller jobs.

In Charleston, design is strictly regulated with standards on the cusp of being tweaked, adding another layer to detailed plans. But Hund said proposed changes to the city's architectural standards actually mean the construction industry is doing so well that new guidelines merit attention.

"That all points to a booming economy and efforts to preserve a quality way to design," he said. "We want to contribute to our community through the architecture."

McMillan|Pazdan|Smith Architecture helped to design the new Children's Hospital under construction at the Medical University of South Carolina. Provided/McMillan|Pazdan|Smith and Perkins & Will

Among construction projects McMillan|Pazdan|Smith is involved in are the Medical University of South Carolina's Shawn Jenkins Children's Hospital, the proposed 225-room hotel slated for the current site of the State Ports Authority's headquarters on Concord Street, a new high school in Mount Pleasant and retail village at the developing, mixed-use Nexton community near Summerville.

The firm also is designing an expansion for the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center in the Midlands.

No one knows when the next downturn will hit some economists say it's two years out at the earliestbut larger projects, such as apartments or hotels just now taking shape, will take about two years or so to develop and there are other developments in the pipeline, according to architects.

"It's cyclical, so we have to be prepared for that," Hund said.

At LS3P, some of the more recently completed projects include the seven-story Tides IV condominium building in Mount Pleasant and the expansion of Myrtle Beach International Airport's terminal.

Among the firm's 300-plus projects being designed or under construction at any given time are plans for MUSC's pediatric ambulatory surgery center headed for the corner of Mall Drive and Rivers Avenue in North Charleston.

Architecture firm LS3P Associates Ltd. designed the seven-story apartment building slated for the corner of King and Spring streets in downtown Charleston. Provided/LS3P

Its work also will soon be seen in downtown Charleston with the development of a multistory apartment building at the juncture of Spring and King streets and two others on upper Meeting Street near where the former Cooper River bridges touched down.

With seven other offices across three Southeastern states, the firm recently completed work on an Institute of Innovation for Richland County School District 2 near Columbia.

Marchant said it's refreshing to see a focus on such educational facilities because they help to train students for the technical jobs sprouting up across the state, not only from local companies but also outside investors. He pointed to the firm's design work on the new aeronautics training center being developed at Trident Technical College as another example.

Marchant noted the educational facilities also will help with one of the challenges facing the construction industry in a revved-up economy: qualified workers for subcontractors.

"As more projects come out of the ground, for subcontractors, so many of those markets become strained," Marchant said. "Will they be supported by people coming from outside or will they grow locally? And how do we support it from an education standpoint, which is where the technical education system is very helpful?"

Because of the volume of work going on in Charleston and across the state and nation, competition for workers is steep.

Dinos Liollio is a principal at Liollio Architecture in Charleston. Provided

"If there is any issue, it is trying to find qualified help," Liollio said.

Quackenbush, too, noted, "It's very hard to find good people."

Marchant added, "We are competing with firms all over the country to attract good talent. That's a healthy thing for talent and work. That means the industry is strong."

Hund, too, pointed to architects working in the firm's Calhoun Street office and said they get calls from other agencies trying to lure them away.

"It's very competitive right now," he said.

Liollio characterized the building and design industry across the state as "very healthy" and said, "Most architectural firms are very busy."

His firm is seeing a lot of activity in municipal work and more emphasis on senior living facilities as the huge bubble of the population known as baby boomers slips into retirement.

"One of the things we are seeing right now is more optimism out of our clients as far as their building programs," Liollio said. "They are more optimistic about the economy going forward."

His small firm, with 27 employees and plans to add three more, is working on about four dozen projects in South Carolina and beyond, including the planned new business school for The Citadel.

Liollio's work includes a preservation project at the Caroliniana Library at the University of South Carolina in Columbia and renovation of one of the student housing units on the historic Horseshoe at the state's flagship college.

Other projects include work at Historic Brattonsville in York County, the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama and Abraham Lincoln's birthplace in Kentucky.

Liollio Architecture of James Island was involved in the $200 million expansion and renovation of Charleston International Airport along with Fentress Architects of Colorado. Leroy Burnell/Staff

His firm helped with the award-winning makeover of Charleston International Airport and is helping to draw up plans for a new parking deck at Cannon Street and Courtenay Drive near the Medical University of South Carolina.

Marchant of LS3P, which has three other South Carolina offices in Columbia, Greenville and Myrtle Beach, noted one of the biggest changes during the past five years is interest from outside investors, bringing more work to local architects.

For every project rising from the ground, he said five studies might have proceeded it for the site's highest and best use.

"We have a lot of other clients who are prospecting," Marchant said. "They want to know, 'What can I put there? What's the feasibility of that? What's the return on investment?' We do a lot of study work with different clients. People are still very much interested in Charleston and the Lowcountry."

He also pointed out Charleston is now on a national stage with its high-profile industries and tourism accolades, and that means more competition for contracts.

"In a project of any substantial size, say $10 million or more, we are seeing a lot of interest in design across the Southeast competing for work here," he said. "We sort of have to earn our keep."

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Blueprint for business: South Carolina architects on front line of building boom - Charleston Post Courier

McHenry Row developer Mark Sapperstein received approval Thursday from the city's Urban Design and Architecture Review Panel for an office building and Courtyard Marriott hotel planned for the 20-acre South Baltimore site.

The office building will be smaller than originally proposed four floors instead of six to address concerns about vehicle and foot traffic in the project area, which already includes a Harris Teeter grocery, apartments, restaurants and retail, said Sapperstein of 28 Walker Development. A 223-unit apartment building will open in September, adding to existing traffic.

The new plan also eliminates a level of ground-floor parking in the building, filling the space instead with 15,000 square feet of retail or office space.

The 64,000-square-foot warehouse-style building connects to an existing 600-space parking garage, which will be shared with the soon-to-open apartment building and hotel.

Plans for the eight-floor, 126-room hotel remained largely unchanged.

While greenlighting the project's design, the panel asked Sapperstein and his design team to seek solutions to minor issues raised by panel members, such as whether Marriott would consider adding more windows to the front facade of the hotel before presenting the project to the city's planning commission.

Construction is expected to begin this fall, with the office building's first tenants moving in about a year later, Sapperstein said. The hotel's timeline will likely lag by a few weeks, he said.

The panel also reviewed a revised master plan for the second phase of another 28 Walker Development project, Canton Crossing.

The second phase of the Canton shopping center calls for 86,250 square feet of retail space, occupied by Nordstrom Rack, Petco and other retailers that have yet to be named.

Sapperstein and design team BCT Architects and Kimley Horn were asked to come back to the panel with plans to address concerns panel members expressed about parking and pedestrian safety.

sarah.gantz@baltsun.com

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McHenry Row office building, hotel, get design panel approval - Baltimore Sun

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

PSA members approve sale of North Shore riverfront parcel to developer Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Pittsburgh Stadium Authority board members approved the sale of a North Shore riverfront parcel to a Columbus developer Thursday, setting the stage for the construction of a seven-story office building to be anchored by German software firm SAP.

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PSA members approve sale of North Shore riverfront parcel to developer - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Rendering of the proposed 63,800-square-foot, three-story office building. (Cushman & Wakefield | Thalhimer)

The developers behind the Cookie Factory Lofts along Boulevard have another big project cooking for the former Interbake site.

Midlothian-based Rebkee Co. and developers Dan Gecker and Steve Leibovic with Richmond-based Serabi LLC are in the early stages of a plan to raze the Interbake Foods Warehouse at 949 Myers St. beside their existing apartment building at the former bakery to make way for a 63,800-square-foot, three-story office building.

We really believe in the concept and making it happen, Leibovic said. This is the perfect addition to this area because Scotts Addition is exploding.

Leibovic would not disclose cost estimates for the nearly 2-acre project. He said no general contracto has been chosen to develop the site, and plans for the development must be approved by the city.

Jason Guillot, a broker with Cushman & Wakefield | Thalhimer, has been retained to market and lease the proposed building. Architecture firm Price Simpson Harvey designed the building.

Once the office building is 70 percent pre-leased, we would start construction, Leibovic said. It just depends on the type of interest we get on the development.

Initial plans include a rooftop terrace and balconies for office tenants that will offer views of the Redskins training facility and surrounding neighborhood, Leibovic said. The building also will include a patio with landscaping and bike racks.

Developers plan to raze the Interbake Foods Warehouse at 949 Myers St. (Kieran McQuilkin)

Tenants that lease more than a third of the building may have the opportunity to place their firms name on the structure.

If tenant interest outpaces the buildings proposed footprint, Leibovic said, the developers may pack on more square feet.

Given what were seeing in the office market in Scotts Addition, we expect to see a lot of interest in this building, hesaid. We believe in walkable spaces, and this site allows us to add to that element, which is all over Scotts Addition.

Meanwhile, office users are lining up to call Scotts Addition home.

Richmond-based Spy Rock Real Estate Group and Holladay Corp. from Washington, D.C., are finishingconstruction on their 60,000-square-foot office building at the Symbol Mattress factory site at 3200 Rockbridge St. The commercial building, which should be complete by September, has leased all but 1,400 square feet.

The Summit Suites project, a planned conversion of three aging office properties at 3122, 3113 and 3015 W. Marshall St. into modern workspaces, has topped off the first of its three buildings.

Rebkee and Serabi partnered on the Cookie Factory Lofts, which converted the factory into 180 apartments and was completed in late 2014.

The Interbake developers also own an adjacent lot where construction on a $5 million bowling alley called River City Roll has just begun.

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New office building proposed for former Interbake warehouse - RichmondBizSense

A $12 million medical and professional office complex envisioned at the base of Spokanes lower South Hill is in the early planning stages.

Baker Construction & Development Inc., of Spokane, recently submitted a predevelopment application to start the citys planning process for the project planned at 307 W. Fourth.

The plans say the project will include a six-story, 68,000-square-foot building on a vacant, 1-acre site at the southwest corner of Fourth Avenue and Bernard Street, just south of Interstate 90.

The project also will include a five-level parking structure fronting Bernard and Fifth Avenue on the south side of the planned building, the application says. A preliminary site plan shows the parking structure will have about 350 parking stalls.

Ed Hatcher, a project manager for Baker Construction, declines to identify the groups planning to develop and occupy the building.

We have a couple of doctors groups, and were trying to find if more groups are interested, Hatcher says.

Spokane County Assessors records show the property owner as GVD Commercial Properties Inc., the Spokane real estate development company headed by Jerry Dicker.

A GVD representative couldnt be reached immediately for comment.

Hatcher says Baker Construction hopes to begin work on the project this year.

Hatcher says Baker Construction initially filed a predevelopment application with plans to construct a medical professional building at 960 E. Third, where the Daybreak Youth Services administrative offices are located, but that site didnt work out.

Reporter Mike McLean covers real estate and construction at the Journal of Business. A multipurpose fisherman and vintage record album aficionado, Mike has worked for the Journal since 2006.

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$12 million medical office building eyed on lower South Hill - Spokane Journal of Business