Major Retail Projects Planned for Dallas

Also, Texas projects win national, state and regional awards in a variety of categories including landscaping, urban development and pavement.

Fashion Center Planned at the Geographic Center of Metroplex

Dallas-based Icon Partners LLC plans to develop The Shops At Mercer Crossing, a new 500,000-sq-ft upscale value fashion center to be located in Mercer Crossing, a 1,100-acre master planned development in the geographic center of the Dallas/Fort Worth  Metroplex.

Located at the intersection of IH-635/LBJ Freeway and Luna Road in Farmers Branch, the first phase of The Shops At Mercer Crossing will be built as a lakefront town center adjacent to existing upscale residential neighborhoods, golf courses, luxury and business hotels and more than two million sq feet of office space. 

The Dallas office of CB Richard Ellis is overseeing the marketing effort on behalf of Trammell Crow Co. of Dallas.

Texas Stadium Slated for Outlet Mall Conversion

An upscale outlet shopping center at the site of the old Texas Stadium in Irving is being planned by Tanger Factory Outlet Centers Inc. of Greensboro, N.C.

At the end of the 2008 season, the Dallas Cowboys will move to its new stadium in Arlington leaving about 400 acres of land available for redevelopment. Tanger’s plan is to take 50 acres for the shopping center is the first major project planned for the Texas Stadium Redevelopment Area.

The 380,000-sq-ft Tanger center will be located at the northwest quadrant of State Highway 114 and Loop 12, adjacent to the upcoming DART light rail line and station stop connecting downtown Dallas to the Las Colinas Urban Center, the Irving Convention Center and the Dallas/Fort Worth Airport. 

Tanger purchased the land from the University of Dallas. The Tanger Outlet Center in Irving will feature 90 brand name and designer outlet stores in a racetrack layout that will function as an open-air shopping center with covered and uncovered walkways.

Three Texas Developments Among AGC’s Top National Projects.

The Associated General Contractors of America presented its 2008 Aon Build America Awards, the highest and most sought-after awards in the construction industry to 17 projects.

Hensel Phelps Construction Co. in Austin was the co-winner for the new building projects for Samsung Fab A2 in Austin. Austin Bridge & Road of Dallas won for new highway project for State Highway 45, Section 8, in Austin. JE Dunn South Central Inc. of Houston won in the design-build renovation category for UT MD Anderson Cancer Center FEMA Flood Mitigation Project in Houston.

AIA Selects Two Texas Cities for Community Assistance Program

The AIA’s Center for Communities by Design has selected Fort Worth and Leon Valley as two of 10 communities to receive technical assistance under the Sustainable Design Assessment Team program in 2008.

The collaborative SDAT brings together architects and other professionals from across the country to provide a roadmap for communities seeking to improve sustainability – as defined by a community’s ability to meet the environmental, economic and social equity needs without reducing the ability of future generations to meet theirs.

 In its third year, the SDAT program is designed to help communities address neighborhood revitalization, transportation infrastructure challenges, as well as offer strategies to improve air and water quality and local economic development.

An architect-led team of professionals including planners, hydrologists, economic development specialists, and others will be selected based on their credentials and the specific needs of each community. The SDAT will work in conjunction with local stakeholders to help shape the community’s strategy to increase sustainability. To provide the most objective assessment, team members volunteer their time and expertise and are selected from areas outside the project communities.

 The scope of issues examined in Fort Worth includes air and water quality, growth management and economic revitalization. In Leon Valley, the issues to be examined include business development, housing-type variety and transportation facilities.

The communities were selected after submitting an application to the 2008 SDAT review panel outlining the economic, environmental and social equity challenges facing their region.

Fort Worth Museum Place Development Named Project of the Year

The Greater Fort Worth Commercial Real Estate Women selected Museum Place Development Group as project of the year as part of the group’s annual CREW Awards and luncheon.

Encompassing 11 acres, Museum Place will include 173,000 sq feet of specialty retail and dining, 130,000 sq feet of class A office space, 550,000 sq feet of residential development, with approximately 500 units and an upscale boutique hotel. Museum Place is the redevelopment of several existing central-city blocks.

When complete, Museum Place will be a pedestrian-friendly urban development, with public plazas, open spaces, abundant on-street parking and wide, tree-lined sidewalks. Museum Place Development Group Ltd., developer of the project, is an affiliate of JaGee Holdings LLP, a Fort Worth company that owns and manages more than one million sq feet of retail and industrial real estate, and TLCurban, a Fort Worth-based development company.

TBG Wins Landscaping Awards for Three Central Texas Projects

TBG, Texas’ largest landscape architecture and planning firm, won three honor awards from the American Society of Landscape Architect’s, Texas Chapter.

TBG received honor awards for its design of Dell Children’s Medical Center of Central Texas and Town Lake Park, both in Austin, and the Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort & Spa, located about 30 mi southeast of Austin in Bastrop County.

Town Lake Park is the first major park constructed along Lady Bird Lake (previously Town Lake) in more than 50 years and creates a gateway to downtown Austin and Lady Bird Lake’s hike and bike trail system.
 
For the 405-acre Hyatt Regency resort, TBG designed a resort oasis that combines shimmering active and passive pools with Crooked River, a lazy river linking various amenities, waterfalls, spray fountains and a two-story waterslide that throws guests into a 1,000-ft long pool.

U.S. 77/83 Project Team Wins Pavement Award

Ballenger Construction of San Benito and TxDOT’s San Benito area office were presented the Texas Asphalt Pavement Association award in the Full Depth Large category for the U.S. 77/83 Expressway project from SH 100 to FM 732 in Cameron County.
 
The project was selected due to the smoothness of ride and exceptional appearance. Ballenger Construction was the prime contractor for the project. The project consisted of reconstructing and widening the existing highway to three lanes in each direction and reconstructing one overpass. The project started was completed on in late 2006.

TxDOT/TxAPA Quality Asphalt Pavement Award is a joint effort between the two organizations and is intended to encourage and recognize quality built Hot Mix Asphalt pavements. TxMAPA has submitted the project as a nominee for the National Asphalt Pavement Association award.

CSI Presents 2008 Michelangelo Award to Arthur Gensler

The Construction Specifications Institute awarded M. Arthur Gensler Jr., FAIA, FIIDA, RIBA, the Institute’s 2008 Michelangelo Award. The award was presented during the Opening General Session of CONSTRUCT2008 and the Annual CSI Convention in Las Vegas.

Gensler is the founder of the international architecture and design firm of the same name- with offices in Dallas and Houston - that grew from a three-person office in San Francisco in 1965 to 30 offices around the world and more than 3,000 employees.

Houston Marketing Society Honors Area Design/Build Firms

The Houston Chapter of the Society for Marketing Professional Services honored members at the 14th Annual SMPS Design Awards by celebrating the accomplishments and creativity of professionals in the design/build industry.
 
First Place winners in the design award categories include Communications Plus for company overview brochure; Walter P Moore for new branded website; Gensler for special events material; CivilTech Engineering Inc. for special events material;  The Lentz Group for newsletter; Walter P Moore for target marketing; Kirksey for direct mail campaign; Kirksey for shoestring, corporate identity program and best of show; and The Letnz Group won peer’s choice.

Member achievement awards included the University of Houston as client of the year; Phyllis Boyea and Kay Lentz to the Hall of Fame; Kenny Ripkowski as member of the year; Diana Brown as rising star; Walter P Moore as member firm of the year; Tom Langley as rock of the chapter; and Andrea Goodwin for marketing excellence.

Skanska Opens New Office to Serve San Antonio Market

Skanska USA Building Inc., headquartered in Parsippany, N.J., has opened its newest Texas office in the Stone Oak area of San Antonio.

Texas Firms Finish Top in Construction Safety and Excellence Awards

The Associated General Contractors of America’s Construction Safety and Excellence Awards were recently presented in various division and occupational categories.

Finishing second place in the Construction Safety Excellence Awards in the building division for 100,001 to 300,000 work hours was Charter Builders Ltd. of Dallas. Taking second in the same division for 300,001 to 700,000 work hours was W.S. Bellows Construction Corp. of Houston. Finishing third place in the building division for 700,001 to one million work hours was Linbeck Group of Houston.

Also, in the the specialty contractor with more than one million work hours, T.A.S. Commercial of Houston.

Fluor Corp. Power Group Earns Nuclear Accreditation

Irving-based Fluor Corp.’s Power Group received several nuclear certificates of accreditation and authorization from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.

Fluor is receiving accreditation and authorization for N, NPT and NA stamps as well as NS accreditation for two locations at Fluor’s Greenville, S.C. offices.

An N designation authorizes the complete construction, including design, procurement, fabrication and installation of nuclear components, items and systems. NPT designation authorizes fabrication, with or without design responsibility, for nuclear appurtenances and supports. NA designation authorizes field installation and shop assembly. NS designation authorizes nuclear supports which no longer require individual stamps.