Toyota Awards Contracts for San Antonio Plant

Nearly two years after Toyota announced that it had chosen a 2000-acre site in San Antonio to build approximately 150,000 Tundra full-size trucks annually, four contracts were recently awarded to the teams that will construct the new $800 million plant.

Walbridge Aldinger/Barlett Cocke Joint Venture to Build on Toyota Plant

Toyota Motor Manufacturing North America Inc. recently announced the contracts for its new San Antonio plant.

The Walbridge Aldinger/Bartlett Cocke joint venture was awarded the assembly building and press/body weld/plant office general contracts. Walbridge Aldinger, a global firm based in Detroit, and San Antonio-based Bartlett Cocke General Contractors formed the joint venture in May 2003 and has been performing work on the site's foundation.

The Graycor/Byrne joint venture was awarded the paint/general stores and utility zone general contracts. Graycor Industrial Constructors, a North American contractor based in Chicago, and Fort Worth-based Thos. S. Byrne Ltd. formed a joint venture in February 2004.

These general contracts will include: managing and coordinating the remaining portion of the structural steel packages, all mechanical and electrical work, enclosure (including metal siding and roofing), concrete (including floors and process pits) and all finish trades.

"We are pleased that our longstanding partners, Walbridge Aldinger and Graycor have partnered with Texas-based firms Bartlett Cocke and Thos. S. Byrne," said Jeff Caldwell of Toyota's plant engineering division.

"The combined automotive construction expertise of the national firms and the 'know-how' of the local companies will be a strong force in meeting our quality and safety standards."

Many of the major trade subcontracts have been awarded with more than 30 percent going to minority-owned businesses.

Cadence McShane Completes New Carver Museum and Library Expansion

The Carver Museum's new library and museum facilities in Austin.

Cadence McShane Corp., headquartered in Dallas, recently completed the new 30,000-sq.-ft. George Washington Carver Museum and Cultural Center for the city of Austin. The project expanded the existing historic Carver Museum and also included significant renovations and additions to the adjacent Carver Public Library. The facilities are situated on a 6-acre site.

Cadence McShane constructed the new museum of CMU and masonry that features an aluminum and glass front entryway. A 39 ft. clear height optimizes the staging of museum exhibits and artifacts. The construction included stage equipment, lighting and audio, a darkroom, exhibit/display and library equipment storage areas and the installation of a passenger elevator to provide for easy access to the upper floor. Cadence McShane also built a 140-seat theatre for drama and dance together with a children's learning center.

New McAllen Convention Center Breaks Ground

The new McAllen Convention Center, designed by Atlanta-based architects Thompson, Ventulett, Stainback & Associates Inc., recently broke ground. The convention center is the centerpiece of a 175-acre master plan intended to attract visitors to the South Texas border city. The Harlingen office of SpawGlass is the general contractor for the $50 million project.

Designed in partnership with Corpus Christi-based Gignac & Associates, the convention center is located 4 mi. from the Rio Grande River. The center includes a 60,000-sq.-ft. exhibit hall, a 10,000-sq.-ft. ballroom and 15,000 sq. ft. of meeting space.

The design reflects a "Texas Tropics" theme, blending traditional forms with high-tech details. Because McAllen is designated as an important world birding site, the facility flows from an exterior Palm Court, through the interior, and culminates in a sophisticated ballroom with a dramatic "Butterfly" ceiling. The clay-tile roof and high-quality granite and brick exterior fit into the vernacular of southern Texas architecture.

The master plan includes a 300-room headquarters hotel, a 2,500-seat performing arts center, a veterans memorial and more than 600,000 sq. ft. of retail space. It is defined by a monumental oval pedestrian arcade and fountain that draws the components together.

Manhattan to Build New Center for Advanced Medicine

Scott & White Memorial Hospital recently selected Manhattan Construction Co. to build the new Center for Advanced Medicine. Located on Scott & White's campus in Temple, the new center represents a major expansion to the existing facility and a continued commitment to serving the health care needs of Central Texas.

The New Center for Advanced Medicine consists of new five- and eight-story medical towers totaling approximately 465,000 sq. ft. The new facilities will include a new trauma center, emergency room and diagnostic areas at the ground level. Levels above will feature a new cardiology area, catheterization lab, intensive care unit, labor and delivery area and a neo-natal intensive care unit. The project also includes new patient rooms, the relocation of the heliport, construction of a new emergency room entrance and additional patient parking.

Construction began in January and the new center is scheduled to open in December 2006.