Health-Care Construction Healthy in DFW

A speculative project, a new hospital and a forensic science center for Dallas County are among the North Texas projects; school, luxury condos and distribution centers round out construction activity.

BremnerDuke Healthcare Breaks Ground on Baylor Med Center

BremnerDuke will oversee the design and construction of Baylor Regional Medical Center at Plano, which includes a skywalk to Baylor's existing Medical Pavilion I.

BremnerDuke Healthcare Real Estate, a division of Duke Realty Corp., broke ground recently on a new 141,000-sq-ft speculative seven-story medical office building at Baylor Regional Medical Center at Plano.

As part of the development, BremnerDuke will oversee the design and construction of the facility, which includes a skywalk to Baylor's existing Medical Pavilion I. In addition, an 850-plus space parking facility and skywalk will be built. The new medical office building will consist of seven stories, with 20,100-sq-ft floor plates.

In September, BremnerDuke established its health-care business in Duke Realty Corp.’s Dallas office. Once completed, the new medical office building will be owned by Duke Realty LP. The building's architecture was designed by PageSoutherlandPage of Dallas.

Ascension Group Awarded Design Work on New North Dallas Hospital

Ascension Group Architects of Arlington was recently awarded the design contract for Forest Park Medical Center in North Dallas. The full-scale medical/surgical hospital, estimated to cost $36.4 million, broke ground in late January.

The 66,100-sq-ft, two-story hospitalwill have 26 beds and eight operating suites. A large, multi-specialty group of Dallas-Fort Worth area physicians is developing the hospital. The operation manager will be Physician Synergy Group.

Forest Park's program manager is Dallas-based The Staubach Co. The Richardson office of Adolfson & Peterson Construction is the project's general contractor.

The hospital is scheduled to open in early-to-mid 2009.

Dallas County Institute for Forensic Science Tops Out

In early February, Dallas-based McCarthy Building Cos. Inc. topped out on the construction of the new $44 million, 112,000-sq-ft Dallas County Institute for Forensic Science, which will replace an existing forensic facility.

The institute will include a three-story forensics laboratory, a two-story administration area and a one-story autopsy and morgue facility, and will combine a family environment for visitors with enhanced security for emergency operations and teaching capabilities.

Construction on the Institute for Forensic Science began in June and is expected to conclude in spring 2009. The project architect is Dallas-based HKS Inc.

The project is McCarthy's second for Dallas County. The firm is currently working on the new $61.7 million Dallas County Detention Center South Tower.

Four Seasons Under Way in Austin

Austin developers Ardent Residential and Atlanta-based Post Properties Inc. broke ground in late January on Austin's newest downtown luxury residential tower, Four Seasons Residences.

The 32-story building will be located on the shores of Lady Bird Lake with all the services of the Four Seasons Hotel. The 400,000 sq-ft residential building is being constructed adjacent to the Four Seasons Hotel on what is currently the hotel's parking lot. Parking will be redirected to an underground facility.

The architect on the project is Michael Graves, based in New York City. The general contractor is Lyda Swinerton of San Antonio. Target opening was not released.

Cadence McShane Selected for Houston, Dallas projects

Cadence McShane Corp. recently completed and started a total of four projects ranging from an elementary school to mixed-use and distribution facilities.

The Houston office was selected by developer Exel to construct the new two-building, 500,000-sq-ft Hardy Distribution Center. Prior to groundbreaking, Hardy purchased the development from Exel, which will serve as development manager for the project on a 31.1-acre parcel at Greens Road and Central Green Boulevard in Harris County. Cadence McShane will construct the 248,480-sq-ft Building One of exterior tiltwall panels with a 30-ft clear height. Munson Kennedy Partnership of Houston will provide the architectural services for the development.

Cadence McShane will provide completion of Building One in April. Construction started in February for the 252,977-sq-ft Building Two facility with completion slated for October.

The firm has completed the new 97,887-sq-ft Pearl Hall Elementary School in Houston. The Pasadena Independent School District selected Cadence McShane to complete the construction assignment as part of a $300 million bond program for the replacement of five district schools.

Bay Architects Inc. of Houston provided the architectural services for theeducational project.

The Dallas office was selected by Dallas-based developer The MGHerring Group to provide comprehensive construction services for the first phase of The Village at Allen, a large, mixed-use, multi-phased project.

The master-planned development is currently under construction in Allen. The Village at Allen is a shopping, dining and entertainment spot that will offer 900,000 sq ft of mixed-use space consisting of big-box tenants, specialty shops, restaurants, a 7,500-seat event center and a 250-room hotel and convention center.

Cadence McShane will construct the first phase of the project that consists of a five-building, retail component totaling 153,014 sq ft situated on a 168-acre site. The team includes project architect Architecture+ of Troy, N.Y. Completion is slated for early 2009.

Developers Seefried Properties and AMB Property Corp., both of Dallas, chose the Dallas office of Cadence McShane Corp. to construct a new 397,202-sq-ft build-to-suit for CEVA Logistics (formerly Eagle Global Logistics) with offices in Grapevine and Fort Worth. The new office/warehouse facility will be located on an 8.07-acre site at 1901 West Air Field Drive on the grounds of the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport.

CEVA Logistics plans to consolidate four of its five operations in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex into a modern, efficient building but will maintain its operations at Alliance in Fort Worth. Cadence McShane and project architect, Alliance Architects Inc., will provide completion of the CEVA Logistics build-to-suit facility this month.

Corgan Associates Inc. Designing Byron Nelson High School

Architectural and interior design firm Corgan Associates Inc. of Dallas recently completed the design for the new Northwest ISD Byron Nelson High School in Trophy Club.

The $86.5 million, 500,000-sq-ft project will accommodate ninth and 10th-grade students the first year and new freshman classes will be added each following year. By August 2011, Byron Nelson High School could serve up to 2,200 ninth- through 12th-grade students. It is Corgan's second project for Northwest ISD. The firm completed an addition to Medlin Middle School in the school district in 2007.