Urban Nashville seemingly needs new office space.

Or so the experts say.

Developers are listening, with two Chicago-based Monroe Investment Partners and The Mainland Companies (co-based in Nashville and Portland, Oregon) having recently announced major office projects.

Monroe said in early January work will begin this year on the ambitious River North. Mainland said two weeks ago it wants to develop a 30-story tower on SoBros Korean Veterans Boulevard Roundabout.

And others want a piece of the office building action.

For example, Eakin Partners, which recently completed 1201 Demonbreun in The Gulch, is seeking to undertake mid-rise office buildings within both Rolling Mill Hill and the West End corridor.

Also, office space is a component of the mixed-use oneC1TY development on Midtowns fringe, the Germantown Union mixed-use project Atlanta-based TPA Group has announced and Spectrum | Emerys planned mixed-use Fifth + Broadway.

But at 125 acres, River North represents a much larger scale (picture Portlands South Waterfront) than the aforementioned developments. The site straddles the east bank of the Cumberland River, stretching from Jefferson Street on the south to the Interstate 65/24 split on the north. The segment scheduled to begin construction this year, to be called The Landings, is projected to span 40 acres, with office, retail, residential and hospitality buildings eyed.

Indeed, the River North land mass dwarfs the 15-acre LifeWay campus site soon to be reinvented within the central business district and the 32-acre land mass on which the Capitol View mixed-use development is underway in North Gulch. (Both to offer office space, no less.)

Not surprisingly, some wonder if the city can absorb such robust development in general and office building construction specifically. Could Monroes proposed venture, they ask, mark a new level of growth or a potential oversaturation?

While the citys capacity to effectively handle such new development may seem limited even strained these days, the general Nashville market actually is experiencing a period of relatively meager office building addition.

From about 1996 to 2000, 72 buildings totaling 6.5 million square feet were constructed in the overall Nashville market, according to Rob Lowe, senior managing director at Cushman & Wakefield.

In 2001 and 2002, the market witnessed the construction of 28 buildings with office space, totaling 2.86 million square feet, according to Katie Barton, the director of research for Colliers Internationals Nashville office. Cool Springs and Brentwood led the market in the collective square footage added then.

The boom of the mid-2000s saw the construction start, continuation or conclusion of 37 buildings for a collective 3.57 million square feet, according to the Colliers figures, with Cool Springs accounting for 60 percent of that number.

During this latest boom from 2013 to 2016 just 20 buildings with office space were constructed, accounting for 2.93 million new square feet. This comparatively light influx, however, was spread evenly throughout various Nashville submarkets. For example, a significant number of projects were undertaken in Cool Springs, Brentwood, Green Hills, Music Row and West End last year, an indicator that demand is still widespread and healthy.

With the size and variety of companies relocating to Nashville and even companies moving from place to place that are already located within the region there seem to be markets for so many different types of commercial and office spaces and in a variety of different locations, said Gary Gaston, executive director of the Nashville Civic Design Center. A company that wants to be downtown is going to be different from a company that wants to be in Cool Springs. It is all about offering a variety of office types spread throughout the region, which allows us to be most competitive [with peer cities].

Lowe said office construction projects expected to start over the next two years will yield about 4 million square feet, with the potential for an additional 5 million to start in 2019 and 2020. Based on those projections, he thinks the next eight years could bring yet another major boom in office space development.

But caution is warranted if you look at the total list of announced projects, which if built out to capacity, the maximum amount of office space could surpass 14 million square feet over 80-plus buildings, he said.

Lowe does believes that if previous booms are any indication, River North, the LifeWay campus and Capitol View all have the chance to be successful over time.

If you look at the historical absorption, the net amount of leasing activity, over each growth cycle, it is reasonable to predict that each of these developments will win their fair share, he said. But implicit in that assumption is that its unlikely that any of these larger, currently undeveloped projects will be completely build out simply due to the sheer amount of square footage each can deliver. Of course, there will be one that is more successful than the others and that is much harder to predict.

The key to success in real estate has always come down to location. Monroe Investment Partners expects River North to expand what we think of as downtown, the company said in a press release upon announcing the project.

As they eye office, retail, hotel and residential space, the developers of Capitol View (Boyle Nashville and Northwestern Mutual), the LifeWay site (Southwest Value Partners) and River North likely are banking on the opportunity, to an extent, of establishing new urban nodes within the greater downtown area.

But could the competitive creation of urban districts result in none of the nodes reaching maximum build-out?

If all the office projects get built out to their projected numbers, then the central business district will just about triple its current size, said Barry Smith, president of Eakins Partners, which is possible, but I cant imagine it happening any time soon.

River Norths location may be the deciding factor for its place among the others in a potential next up-cycle. Its hard to say if that bodes well for the project or not.

River North is a bit of a crapshoot, said Smith. When you look at the map, its north of Jefferson Street [and east of Germantown] and not just across the river from downtown. So, its more of a new submarket than just being directly across the river [and near Nissan Stadium].

Its difficult to predict where, or if, the form and function of the proposed urban nodes ringing the CBD. If one does, indeed, fully evolve, it could certainly mark a substantial new era of prosperity for the city as a whole.

The larger scope of these office developments is in line with many companies that are looking on a national basis for headquarters and regional headquarters, said Harrison Johnson, senior vice president for brokerage services with the local CBRE office. Nashville has traditionally only seen a smaller segment of this form of economic development in shared services and smaller headquarters. So, it is imperative that we have these interesting areas for larger relocating companies to consider.

It could well be River North that welcomes a major corporate headquarters. Ultimately, the viability of any new office development will be decided by demand from prospective tenants, those interviewed for this story said.

I truly dont see a single submarket being vastly better than another, and we are forecasting the development growth across virtually all submarkets, Cushman & Wakefields Lowe said. The key to understand is that each submarket presents its own value proposition to employers.

That being said, there is reason to believe that River Norths prospective location is set up for success, as long as the development delivers on its promise.

One only needs to look at other cities that have successfully developed both sides of their river Cincinnati and Austin for example to understand that the key element isnt one side versus the other but [rather] the concentration of amenities that office tenants demand, said Lowe.

River North will need these amenities to deliver successfully initially, he added. But in scanning the developers vision, it appears River North is planned for a broad delivery of uses and amenities.

Post Managing Editor William Williams contributed to this story.

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Crain's Chicago Business

Wooden office building planned on Goose Island Crain's Chicago Business That seven-story building, called T3, was the tallest heavy-timber office building constructed in the United States in the modern construction era, when most commercial buildings have been built with concrete and steel. Amazon recently leased space in ... and more »

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Wooden office building planned on Goose Island - Crain's Chicago Business

Dive Brief:

Seattle is currently one of the hottest markets for both commercial and residential development, in part because companies like Facebook, Amazon and Google are setting up shop there in order to access the ready pool of young, qualified workers. By the third quarter of 2018, Facebook will have taken over two office buildings, allowing the company to grow its Seattle workforce from 2,000 to 4,000. These offices are currently under construction, and the company will lease them when complete.

Google has made a deal with the same developer, Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen's Vulcan Real Estate, for a 600,000-square-foot office nearby.The company's new complex is expected to be complete in 2019, and Google has committed to 14-16-year leases for the space.

Seattle has also drawn foreign investors who are finding more reasonable deals than in more expensive cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York. Since 2015, non-U.S. companies have bought up more than $4 billion of commercial property, with Chinese companies leading the way.

Last year, the the Downtown Seattle Association announced that the city had 65 major projects and a total $3.5 billion worth of constructionunderway in 2016, topping Seattle's previous record of 50 major projects in 2014 and setting a new record since tracking began in 2005.

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Skanska invests $392M in Seattle office project - Construction Dive

wivb.com

Almost 85 percent of construction complete at Oishei Children's ... wivb.com BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) Construction workers are hard at work both inside and outside of John R. Oishei Children's Hospital on Ellicott Street. We've had as ... and more »

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Almost 85 percent of construction complete at Oishei Children's ... - wivb.com

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We are targeting neighborhood-oriented services and offering efficient floor plans for the small-business entrepreneur, said Robert Kantor of Red Sky Realty, one of the owners of a 4,600-square-foot office building soon to be under construction. Spaces will range from 525 to 750 square feet at the new building, which will be at 2103 Golf Course Rd.

Well have about eight suites in the building, said co-developer David Soule, a local engineer with extensive experience in subdivision creation and a real estate investor. Soule places the valuation of the project, with land and construction costs, at $500,000.

A lot of commercial space just isnt ideal for many small-business owners, said Soule. A lot of the existing spaces (available for lease) are either too dated or too big or charge too much He said the size of the suites at the new official building in Rio Rancho makes them ideal for single operators like insurance agents, real estate sales agents, chiropractors or mom-and-pop retailers.

Soule called the area a key block, given its proximity to the nearby Cabezon master-plan housing community. Rio Rancho has a lot of rooftops, said Soule, gesturing to nearby homes whose residents presumably could be either potential tenants or future patrons.

Albuquerque architect Robert Ponto, who is also the projects general contractor, is overseeing construction. Financing was provided by Washington Federal.

The plan is to have construction finished by late May with expected occupancy by mid-June.

Lender Lucero lauded by NAHB

The National Association of Home Builders has named Diana Lucero, vice president of construction lending for New Mexico Bank & Trust in Albuquerque, its Associate of the Year. The award was given earlier this month during the associations International Builders Show in Orlando, Fla.

The award honors someone who has made outstanding contributions to a local, state and national homebuilding industry. Lucero has been an active associate member for many years, serving in leadership roles for her state and local home builders associations, as well as at the national level for NAHB. Most recently, she served as chairwoman for the NAHB Associates Committee (representing approximately 85,000 associates nationwide), and is currently the education committee chairwoman for the Home Builders Association of Central New Mexico and associate vice president for New Mexico Home Builders Association.

Diana should be commended for her incredible dedication to our industry, said NAHB Chairman Granger MacDonald, a home builder and developer from Kerrville, Texas. Her contributions at both the national and local levels are truly impressive, and we are pleased to be able to recognize her for her years of hard work.

Diana is an amazing volunteer here at the HBA and we are grateful for her leadership both here in New Mexico and on a national level, said Scott Ashcraft, president of the Home Builders Association of Central New Mexico. She is our shining star.

Housing organizations: Things are looking up

Leaders from four statewide housing organizations told an overflow crowd at the Roundhouse that things are looking up for New Mexicos housing industry. Officials said 2016 was the best year for home sales, affordable housing and real estate-related industries since 2008. We know that, when the housing market is strong, things are better for New Mexico and its families, said Lt. Gov. John Sanchez, who addressed the audience. Thanks to a recovering market and strong programs, in 2016, a record number of families moved into quality homes that they could afford over the long term places where their children can grow and their families can thrive.

Some snapshots:

Steve Anaya of the Realtors Association of New Mexico said that 19,933 homes were sold in New Mexico in 2016. It is the highest number reported since 2008 and 6.4 percent higher than 2015, he said. In addition, the median home price rose to $185,000, which is almost to the pre-recession level.

John Garcia, executive vice president of the Homebuilders Association of Central New Mexico, said that, since the state Legislature implemented the Sustainable Building Tax Credit in 2007, 2,981 energy-efficient homes have been built in New Mexico. New Mexico is now considered one of the top green-built states in the country, Garcia said.

Susan Millspaugh of the New Mexico Mortgage Lenders Association said that foreclosure rates continue to drop in the state and are currently one-third of 1 percent. Millspaugh also said the regulations created and enforced by the state ensure that New Mexico lenders are highly trained and adhere to high ethical standards.

Mortgage money

After peaking at 40.8 million in 2007, the number of tax returns claiming the mortgage interest deduction has steadily fallen and, as of 2013, the latest year from which data are available, stands at just 33.3 million, according to Elliott Eisenberg, the Laughs and Graphs economist. Not surprisingly, the amount of mortgage interest paid also peaked in 2007 at $491 billion and is now $296 billion, while the average amount of MID claimed per filer has fallen from $12,052 to $8,900.

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Office suites will cater to small-firm entrepreneurs - Albuquerque Journal

Missoula broke a record for new construction in 2016, with nearly a quarter of a billion dollars worth of development construction costs permitted by the city.

From new banks to housing to multi-story business offices, the landscape of the Garden City was drastically changed as investors bet that the economy here is on the rise. That was good news for many workers, especially those in the construction industry.

According to Mike Haynes, the director of the citys Development Services office, the total market value of construction of building permits issued from January to December was a whopping $248.7 million. That shatters the previous record of $184 million worth of development in 2015.

Calendar year 2016 saw an unprecedented level of development activity in the City of Missoula with 1,529 building permits issued, Haynes said.

The largest commercial projects permitted included the new downtown Stockman Bank building worth $16.2 million, and the new nine-screen, dine-in Carmike Theater at Southgate Mall worth $7.9 million. There were also major projects at public institutions, including a $10 million Grizzly Champions Center addition on the University of Montana Campus and $12 million in local Missoula County Public Schools construction. Major renovations are happening at Rattlesnake, Lowell, Franklin and Paxson Elementary Schools, as well as Big Sky High School, part of the $158 million schools bond passed by voters in 2015.

The largest residential projects were the 164-unit Front Street Student Housing Project valued at $25.2 million, the 69-unit Cambium Place Apartments at the Old Sawmill District worth $16.1 million, the 114-unit Halling Farms Apartments on Mullan worth $8.5 million, the 2625 Dearborn Condos worth $8.5 million, the Polleys Square C building worth $4.2 million and the 36-unit 4100 condos worth $4.7 million.

The total number of residential units permitted in 2016 rose to an all-time high of 775 units, Haynes said. Total permits issued (including plumbing, mechanical and other permits) have risen steadily to almost 7,700 in 2016.

The market value of construction projects in Missoula the past four years.

The citys numbers are based solely on the cost of constructing the buildings. That means the total value excludes the cost of acquiring the land, demolition and site preparation and a myriad of soft costs like planning, design, engineering, financing costs and real estate fees. So, for example, the total project cost for the Front Street student housing project is actually $38 million, compared to the $25.2 the city recorded as construction costs. Therefore, the total investment made by developers in Missoula is much larger than the $248.7 million figure.

Since the start of the citys fiscal year 2017 in July, there have been 111 single-family housing building permits issued by the city for a total construction value of $11.82 million. Thats an increase over the same time frame in fiscal year 2016, when only 83 single-family homes were permitted for a value of $8.25 million.

Next year could see some huge projects in Missoula as well. A Bozeman developer will be building a $35 million hotel in downtown Missoula at the site of the Mercantile building, and a group of separate local developers intend to break ground on $150 million in developments at the Riverfront Triangle/Fox Site at the corner of Front and Orange streets. Several more projects at the Old Sawmill Project could be permitted in 2017, including possibly another large student housing project.

James Grunke, the president and CEO of the Missoula Economic Partnership, said that he's heard of plans for projects worth an estimated $500 million that could be set in motion over the next two or three years.

"I think the trend will continue for at least the next two or three years with very similar numbers," he said.

Grunke attributed the building boom partially to pent-up demand from the Great Recession, so developers are catching up on activity. He also believes more multi-family housing will be built in the next few years because there is such a lack of inventory right now.

"I'm pretty bullish about the future," he said. "And so are a lot of the people I talked to. At the economic outlook seminar presented by the Bureau of Business and Economic Research two weeks ago, they polled the audience, and that was the general tone."

Grunke said Missoula's main challenge will be attracting skilled workers to keep up with the growth in jobs. Missoula's low unemployment has business owners worried about a workforce shortage.

"It's not always a bed of roses, but I see good things happening," he said. "It's a good time to be in Missoula."

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City smashes development record with $250M in construction in 2016 - The Missoulian

Ausco Modular is a market leader in building transportable infrastructure for the construction industry.

With more than 50 years of experience in modular building, we take pride in continuously pushing the boundaries to offer the best possible product.

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No matter where the site, no matter what the conditions, Ausco Modular has a transportable building solution for you. From outback construction projects to urban developments, hiring a modular building from Ausco Modular offers a reliable solution that meets the needs of the site. These buildings can be easily moved from one site to the next or expanded to fit growing needs, saving you time and money.

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Our high-performing site offices boast open plan, light and airy office spaces that are first and foremost designed for comfort and maximum employee productivity. You can hire everything from the building to the high-end furniture and additions you need to turn it into a smooth-running and efficient office. Its up to you.

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Even on those smaller sites that you might not think a modular building will work, we have solutions that will suit the most complicated spacing requirement. Our modular designs are perfect for metro locations with complex needs and we can even create a vertical solution just for your particular site.

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Is it reasonable to think that a building can inspire employees to look forward to Monday?

Why not? Creating an atmosphere that is dynamic, practical and efficient is always first on our agenda. And it's been such throughout the nearly two million square feet of office facility construction and tenant improvement construction we've completed to date. And that excludes all the office work we've done for the United States Department of Defense.

At The Korte Company, we approach office-facility construction with the goal of creating an atmosphere that's exceptional. Decades of experience building office spaces for the likes of NASA and Boeing have taught us what businesses need in an office to help them get ahead not to mention getting their employees excited for that Monday status meeting.

Flow, allocation of space, size of waiting room we've thought about it all and have the expertise to help you make your office space smarter. Contact us and let's talk about your office facility construction or tenant improvement project.

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Green Office Building Construction | The Korte Company

Stovall Construction, Inc. is a company that specializes in commercial construction management. Our company possesses excellent general contractors that are highly skilled in the commercial construction industry and help our clients plan and build various types of commercial buildings. One of the areas we specialize in is office building construction, producing spaces that are comfortable, professional, and attractive.

We take into account many different factors when working on office building construction projects for our clients, including:

Our experience in commercial construction management has helped us realize that our clients have various needs when it comes to office floor plans. There are many different types of plans available. Open office floor plans allow groups of people to work together, talk about their work, and share ideas freely. Cubicles allow people to talk but make it more difficult to spy on individual projects. Enclosed offices allow an occupant or occupants to work in privacy. We will work with your company to help you find the floor plan suitable for your needs.

Office construction contractors also have a variety of meeting place designs to choose from when designing an office building. Enclosed meeting rooms allow a large or small group of people to consult in private. Open meeting areas allow for informal meetings. Some enclosed rooms are designed for specific purposes like work shop. Our experience employees will help you find the meeting space best suited to your companys needs.

Another aspect of office building construction is support spaces. These areas consist of a variety of areas that support secondary activities. Filing and storage areas fit into this category. Break rooms, kitchens, and locker rooms also fall into this category. Some modern office buildings have serviced office spaces which allow multiple companies to share some support facilities. We can help you choose and design the support spaces your company needs.

As a commercial construction management company, we understand that it is important for an office building to be both functional and attractive. With the excellent designs and contractor expertise of Stovall Construction, Inc., we can help your company build and design a space where you can work and relax. We will ensure that your work needs are met in a beautiful atmosphere that will promote productivity.

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Office Building Construction Texas - Stovall Construction ...

This article is about the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense. For the geometric figure, see Pentagon. For other uses, see Pentagon (disambiguation). The Pentagon

The Pentagon in January 2008

Location in the Washington, D.C. area

Pentagon Office Building Complex

The Pentagon is the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, located in Arlington County, Virginia, across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C. As a symbol of the U.S. military, The Pentagon is often used metonymically to refer to the U.S. Department of Defense.

The Pentagon was designed by American architect George Bergstrom (18761955), and built by general contractor John McShain of Philadelphia. Ground was broken for construction on September 11, 1941, and the building was dedicated on January 15, 1943. General Brehon Somervell provided the major motive power behind the project;[4] Colonel Leslie Groves was responsible for overseeing the project for the U.S. Army.

The Pentagon is one of the world's largest office buildings, with about 6,500,000sqft (600,000m2), of which 3,700,000sqft (340,000m2) are used as offices.[5][6] Approximately 23,000 military and civilian employees[6] and about 3,000 non-defense support personnel work in the Pentagon. It has five sides, five floors above ground, two basement levels, and five ring corridors per floor with a total of 17.5mi (28.2km)[6] of corridors. The Pentagon includes a five-acre (20,000m2) central plaza, which is shaped like a pentagon and informally known as "ground zero," a nickname originating during the Cold War on the presumption that it would be targeted by the Soviet Union at the outbreak of nuclear war.[7]

On September 11, 2001, exactly 60 years after the building's construction began, American Airlines Flight 77 was hijacked and flown into the western side of the building, killing 189 people (59 victims and the five perpetrators on board the airliner, as well as 125 victims in the building), according to the official report.[8] It was the first significant foreign attack on Washington's governmental facilities since the city was burned by the British and Canadians during the War of 1812.

Before the Pentagon was built, the United States Department of War was headquartered in the Greggory Building, a temporary structure erected during World War I along Constitution Avenue on the National Mall. The War Department, which was a civilian agency created to administer the U.S. Army, was spread out in additional temporary buildings on the National Mall, as well as dozens of other buildings in Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia. In the late 1930s a new War Department Building was constructed at 21st and C Streets in Foggy Bottom but, upon completion, the new building did not solve the department's space problem and ended up being used by the Department of State.[9] When World War II broke out in Europe, the War Department rapidly expanded in anticipation that the United States would be drawn into the conflict. Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson found the situation unacceptable, with the Munitions Building overcrowded and the department spread out.[10][11]

Stimson told U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt in May 1941 that the War Department needed additional space. On July 17, 1941, a congressional hearing took place, organized by Virginia congressman Clifton Woodrum, regarding proposals for new War Department buildings. Woodrum pressed Brigadier General Eugene Reybold, who was representing the War Department at the hearing, for an "overall solution" to the department's "space problem" rather than building yet more temporary buildings. Reybold agreed to report back to the congressman within five days. The War Department called upon its construction chief, General Brehon Somervell, to come up with a plan.[12]

Government officials agreed that the War Department building should be constructed across the Potomac River, in Arlington County, Virginia. Requirements for the new building were that it be no more than four stories tall, and that it use a minimal amount of steel. The requirements meant that, instead of rising vertically, the building would be sprawling over a large area. Possible sites for the building included the Department of Agriculture's Arlington Experimental Farm, adjacent to Arlington National Cemetery, and the obsolete Hoover Field site.[13]

The site originally chosen was Arlington Farms which had a roughly pentagonal shape, so the building was planned accordingly as an irregular pentagon.[14] Concerned that the new building could obstruct the view of Washington, D.C., from Arlington Cemetery, President Roosevelt ended up selecting the Hoover Airport site instead.[15] The building retained its pentagonal layout because a major redesign at that stage would have been costly, and Roosevelt liked the design. Freed of the constraints of the asymmetric Arlington Farms site, it was modified into a regular pentagon which resembled the star forts of the gunpowder age.[16][17]

On July 28 Congress authorized funding for a new Department of War building in Arlington, which would house the entire department under one roof,[18] and President Roosevelt officially approved of the Hoover Airport site on September 2.[19] While the project went through the approval process in late July 1941, Somervell selected the contractors, including John McShain, Inc. of Philadelphia, which had built Washington National Airport in Arlington, the Jefferson Memorial in Washington, and the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, along with Wise Contracting Company, Inc. and Doyle and Russell, both from Virginia.[20] In addition to the Hoover Airport site and other government-owned land, construction of the Pentagon required an additional 287 acres (1.16km2), which were acquired at a cost of $2.2million.[21] The Hell's Bottom neighborhood, a slum with numerous pawnshops, factories, approximately 150 homes, and other buildings around Columbia Pike, was also cleared to make way for the Pentagon.[22] Later 300 acres (1.2km2) of land were transferred to Arlington National Cemetery and to Fort Myer, leaving 280 acres (1.1km2) for the Pentagon.[21]

Contracts totaling $31,100,000 were finalized with McShain and the other contractors on September 11, and ground was broken for the Pentagon the same day.[23] Among the design requirements, Somervell required the structural design to accommodate floor loads of up to 150 pounds per square foot, which was done in case the building became a records storage facility at some time after the end of the current war.[19] A minimal amount of steel was used as it was in short supply during World War II. Instead, the Pentagon was built as a reinforced concrete structure, using 680,000 tons of sand dredged from the Potomac River, and a lagoon was created beneath the Pentagon's river entrance.[24] To minimize steel usage, concrete ramps were built rather than installing elevators.[25][26]Indiana limestone was used for the building's faade.[27]

Architectural and structural design work for the Pentagon proceeded simultaneously with construction, with initial drawings provided in early October 1941, and most of the design work completed by June 1, 1942. At times the construction work got ahead of the design, with different materials used than specified in the plans. Pressure to speed up design and construction intensified after the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, with Somervell demanding that 1,000,000sqft (9.3ha) of space at the Pentagon be available for occupation by April 1, 1942.[28] David J. Witmer replaced Bergstrom as chief architect on April 11 after Bergstorm resigned due to charges, unrelated to the Pentagon project, of improper conduct while he was president of the American Institute of Architects.[29] Construction was completed January 15, 1943.[30]

The construction of the Pentagon was done during a time when parts of the U.S. were under legally-mandated racial segregation. This had structural consequences to the design of the building. Under the supervision of colonel Leslie Groves, the decision to have separate eating and lavatory accommodations for white persons and black persons was made and carried out. The dining areas for black persons were put in the basement and on each floor there were double toilet facilities separated by gender and race. These measures of segregation were said to have been done in compliance with the U.S. state of Virginia's racial laws. The Pentagon as a result has twice the number of toilet facilities needed for a building of its size.[31][32]

U.S. President Roosevelt had made an order ending such racial discrimination in the U.S. military in June 1941. When the President visited the Pentagon before its dedication, he questioned Groves regarding the number of washrooms and ordered him to remove the 'Whites Only' signs. Until 1965 the Pentagon was the only building in Virginia where segregation laws were not enforced.[32]

The soil conditions of the Pentagon site, located on the Potomac River floodplain, presented challenges to engineers, as did the varying elevations across the site, which ranged from 10 to 40 feet (3.012.2m) above sea level. Two retaining walls were built to compensate for the elevation variations, and cast-in-place (Franki) piles were used to deal with the soil conditions.[33] Construction of the Pentagon was completed in approximately 16 months at a total cost of $83million. The building is 77 feet (23m) tall, and each of the five sides of the building is 921 feet (281m) long.[34]

Because of the pressing needs of the war, people started working in the Pentagon before it was completed. The Pentagon was built one wing at a time, and after the first wing was finished, employees started to move into that wing while construction was continuing on the other wings.

The Pentagon became a focal point for protests against the Vietnam War during the late 1960s. A group of 2,500 women, organized by Women Strike for Peace, demonstrated outside of Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara's office at the Pentagon on February 15, 1967.[35] In May 1967, a group of 20 demonstrators held a sit-in outside the Joint Chiefs of Staff's office, which lasted four days before they were arrested.[36] In one of the better known incidents, on October 21, 1967, some 35,000 anti-war protesters organized by the National Mobilization Committee to End the War in Vietnam, gathered for a demonstration at the Defense Department (the "March on the Pentagon"), where they were confronted by some 2,500 armed soldiers. During the protest, a famous picture was taken, where George Harris placed carnations into the soldiers' gun barrels.[37] The march concluded with an attempt to "exorcise" the building. On May 19, 1972, the American radicals known as the Weather Underground Organization successfully planted and detonated a bomb in a fourth-floor women's restroom in the Pentagon. They announced it was in retaliation for the Nixon administration's bombing attacks on Hanoi during the final stages of the Vietnam War.[38]

On March 17, 2007, 4,000 to 15,000 people (estimates vary significantly) protested against the Iraq War.[39] The protesters marched from the Lincoln Memorial, down Washington Boulevard to the Pentagons north parking lot.

From 1998 to 2011, the Pentagon underwent a major renovation, known as the Pentagon Renovation Program. This program, completed in June 2011, involved the complete gutting and reconstruction of the entire building in phases to bring the building up to modern standards, removing asbestos, improving security, providing greater efficiency for Pentagon tenants, and sealing of all office windows.[40]

As originally built, most Pentagon office space consisted of open bays which spanned an entire ring. These offices used cross-ventilation from operable windows instead of air conditioning for cooling. Gradually, bays were subdivided into private offices with many using window air conditioning units. With renovations now complete, the new space includes a return to open office bays, a new Universal Space Plan of standardized office furniture and partitions developed by Studios Architecture.[41]

On September 11, 2001, the 60th anniversary of the Pentagon's groundbreaking, a team of five al-Qaeda affiliated hijackers took control of American Airlines Flight 77, en route from Washington Dulles International Airport to Los Angeles International Airport, and deliberately crashed the Boeing 757 airliner into the western side of the Pentagon at 9:37am EDT as part of the September 11 attacks. All 59 civilians and the 5 terrorists on the airliner were killed, as were 70 civilians and 55 military personnel who were in the building. The impact of the plane severely damaged the structure of the building and caused its partial collapse.[43] At the time of the attacks, the Pentagon was under renovation and many offices were unoccupied, resulting in fewer casualties. Only 800 of 4,500 people who would have been in the area were there because of the work. Furthermore, the area hit, on the side of the Heliport facade, was the section best prepared for such an attack. The renovation there, improvements which resulted from the Oklahoma City bombing, had nearly been completed.[44][45][46]

It was the only area of the Pentagon with a sprinkler system, and it had been reconstructed with a web of steel columns and bars to withstand bomb blasts. The steel reinforcement, bolted together to form a continuous structure through all of the Pentagon's five floors, kept that section of the building from collapsing for 30 minutesenough time for hundreds of people to crawl out to safety. The area struck by the plane also had blast-resistant windows2 inches thick and 2,500 pounds eachthat stayed intact during the crash and fire. It had fire doors that opened automatically and newly built exits that allowed people to get out.[46]

Contractors already involved with the renovation were given the added task of rebuilding the sections damaged in the attacks. This additional project was named the "Phoenix Project," and was charged with having the outermost offices of the damaged section occupied by September 11, 2002.[47][48][49]

When the damaged section of the Pentagon was repaired, a small indoor memorial and chapel were included, located at the point of impact. For the fifth anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks, a memorial of 184 beams of light shone up from the center courtyard of the Pentagon, one light for each victim of the attack. In addition, an American flag is hung each year on the side of the Pentagon damaged in the attacks, and the side of the building is illuminated at night with blue lights. After the attacks, plans were developed for an outdoor memorial, with construction underway in 2006. This Pentagon Memorial consists of a park on 2 acres (8,100m2) of land, containing 184 benches, one dedicated to each victim. The benches are aligned along the line of Flight 77 according to the victims' ages, from 3 to 71. The park opened to the public on September 11, 2008.[50][51][52]

On March 4, 2010, at 6:40pm, two police officers working for the Pentagon Force Protection Agency were shot near an entrance to the Pentagon and fired back with their pistols at the suspect. The officers were slightly injured but were treated in a hospital and released. The suspect, identified as John Patrick Bedell (age 36), died at the hospital. No clear motive was established.[53] On October 19, 2010, shortly before 5am, an unidentified gunman shot at the south side of the building, shattering windows on the third and fourth floors.[54]

On August 23, 2011, a 5.8 magnitude earthquake in Mineral, Virginia, shook the Pentagon.[55] The building suffered minor damage, with flooding from broken pipes.[56]

The Pentagon, 1414 ft or 431m

The Pentagon building spans 28.7 acres (116,000m2), and includes an additional 5.1 acres (21,000m2) as a central courtyard.[57] Starting with the north side and moving clockwise, its five faades are the Mall Terrace Entrance faade, the River Terrace Entrance faade, the Concourse Entrance (or Metro Station) faade, the South Parking Entrance faade, and the Heliport faade.[45] On the north side of the building, the Mall Entrance, which also features a portico, leads out to a 600ft (180m) long terrace that is used for ceremonies. The River Entrance, which features a portico projecting out 20ft (6.1m), is located on the northeast side, overlooking the lagoon and facing Washington. A stepped terrace on the River Entrance leads down to the lagoon; and a landing dock was used until the late 1960s to ferry personnel between Bolling Air Force Base and the Pentagon.[57] The main entrance for visitors is located on the southeast side, where the Pentagon Metro station and the bus station are located. There is also a concourse on the southeast side of the second floor of the building, which contains a mini-shopping mall. The Pentagon's south parking lot is located on the southwest side of the Pentagon, and the west side of the Pentagon faces Washington Boulevard.

The concentric rings are designated from the center out as "A" through "E" (with in addition "F" and "G" in the basement). "E" Ring offices are the only ones with outside views and are generally occupied by senior officials. Office numbers go clockwise around each of the rings, and have two parts: a nearest-corridor number (1 to 10) followed by a bay number (00 to 99), so office numbers range from 100 to 1099. These corridors radiate out from the central courtyard, with corridor 1 beginning with the Concourse's south end. Each numbered radial corridor intersects with the corresponding numbered group of offices (for example, corridor 5 divides the 500 series office block). There are a number of historical displays in the building, particularly in the "A" and "E" rings.

Floors in the Pentagon are lettered "B" for Basement and "M" for Mezzanine, both of which are below ground level. The concourse is located on the second floor at the Metro entrance. Above ground floors are numbered 1 to 5. Room numbers are given as the floor, concentric ring, and office number (which is in turn the nearest corridor number followed by the bay number). Thus, office 2B315 is on the second floor, B ring, and nearest to corridor 3 (between corridors 2 and 3). One way to get to this office would be to go to the second floor, get to the A (innermost) ring, go to and take corridor 3, and then turn left on ring B to get to bay 15.[58]

It is possible for a person to walk between any two points in the Pentagon in less than seven minutes.[59]

Just south of the Pentagon are Pentagon City and Crystal City, extensive shopping and high-density residential districts in Arlington. Arlington National Cemetery is to the north. The Washington Metro Pentagon station is also located at the Pentagon, on the Blue and Yellow Lines. The Pentagon is surrounded by the relatively complex Pentagon road network.[60]

The United States Postal Service has established six ZIP Codes for The Pentagon, to which the place name Washington, D.C. is assigned, even though The Pentagon is actually located in Virginia. The Secretary of Defense, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the four service branches each have their own designated ZIP Code.[61]

The Pentagon Force Protection Agency (PFPA) is a United States government agency composed of sworn federal police officers, the United States Pentagon Police and civilian CBRN technicians, and non-sworn civilian anti-terrorism investigative and physical security personnel, and is responsible for the protection of the Pentagon. The Department of Defense created the PFPA after the September 11, 2001 attacks. The new agency absorbed the Defense Protective Service (DPS) and assumed its role of providing basic law enforcement and security for the Pentagon and Department of Defense sites in the 280 acre (1.1km2) "Pentagon Reservation" and greater National Capital Region (NCR). PFPA was also charged with providing force protection against the full spectrum of potential threats through robust prevention, preparedness, detection, and response measures. The United States Pentagon Police is the primary federal law enforcement arm of the Pentagon Force Protection Agency.

Located on the Pentagon's main concourse is the Hall of Heroes, a room dedicated to the more than 3,460 recipients of the Medal of Honor, the United States' highest military decoration.[62][63][64][65][66][67] There are three different versions of the Medal of Honor: the Army version, the Sea Service version (Marine Corps, Navy and Coast Guard), and the Air Force version. All three versions are displayed in the Hall of Heroes. Along the walls of the room are the names of each recipient. An asterisk next to some of the names denotes service members who received two Medals of Honor for two separate acts of bravery. Dots next to other names denote Marines who were under the command of the Army during World War I and received both the Army and Sea Service versions of the Medal of Honor for a single act of bravery.[66] The Hall of Heroes was opened during a Medal of Honor awards ceremony on May 14, 1968.[68] President Lyndon Johnson officiated the ceremony and awarded the Medal of Honor to four serviceman: Specialist 5 Charles C. Hagemeister, U.S. Army; Sergeant Richard A. Pittman, U.S. Marine Corps; Boatswain's Mate 1st Class James E. Williams, U.S. Navy and Captain Gerald O. Young, U.S. Air Force. It was the first time that all four services were represented in a Medal of Honor Ceremony. The medals were awarded in the Pentagon's center courtyard. Upon the ceremony's conclusion, President Johnson ascended a staircase to his rear and cut a red ribbon in front of a door at the top of the stairs providing entrance to the Hall of Heroes. At the time of the dedication, the Hall of Heroes was located on the Pentagon's second floor, A Ring, overlooking the courtyard.[68][69] As part of the Pentagon's renovation, the Hall of Heroes was moved to its current location on the main concourse.[66]

The Hall of Heroes is also used for promotions, retirements, and other types of award ceremonies.[70][71][72][73][74][75]

The Pentagon has over 20 of its own fast food operations, including Subway, McDonald's, Dunkin' Donuts, Panda Express, Starbucks and Sbarro, among others.[76] A multibranded KFC, Pizza Hut, and Taco Bell restaurant opened in 2003, when renovations to the food court were completed.[77] Food services are managed by the Navy Exchange. The Center Courtyard Cafe reopened in the spring of 2008,[78] replacing the "Ground Zero Cafe" snack bar that was previously there.

The Pentagon Athletic Center (PAC), a fitness center for military and civilian staff, opened in 2004[79] adjacent to the north side of the Pentagon, replacing the Pentagon Officers Athletic Club (POAC) which had operated for 55 years in a structure between Route 110 and the parade grounds. Each year, the Pentagon grounds are a major focus for hosting the Marine Corps Marathon and the Army Ten-Miler running events.

There is a Meditation and Prayer Room in the Pentagon, which was dedicated on December 14, 1970, by Secretary of Defense Melvin Laird.[80] On September 11, 2002 the Pentagon Memorial Chapel was dedicated.[81]

In conjunction with the 1976 American Bicentennial,[82] the Pentagon began offering guided tours to the general public. Tours were suspended after the September 11, 2001 attacks,[83] but are currently available to the general public with reservations 1490 days in advance.[84]

The Pentagon and its parking lots are used as a staging area for a number of large events, including the Army Ten-Miler, the Marine Corps Marathon and Rolling Thunder motorcycle ride. In 2005, the Department of Defense organized the "America Supports Your Freedom Walk" in the parking lot, an event held to show solidarity with the department's current and former employees.[85]

The roads of the Pentagon Reservation are used daily by thousands of commuters between Arlington, Virginia and Washington, DC.

The Pentagon was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989, and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1992.[2]

Notes

Bibliography

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Coordinates: 385215.56N 77321.46W / 38.8709889N 77.0559611W / 38.8709889; -77.0559611

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