Dallas-based Hunt Construction Group and its Corpus Christi partner Fulton Coastcon have been awarded an $18 million contract to build a new double-A minor league ballpark in Corpus Christi.

With a completion date scheduled for early 2005, the three-level stadium will consist of about 128,300 sq. ft., 19 suites and the capacity to accommodate about 6,000 fans.
The project is partially being funded by Nolan Ryan, who will own the city's new AA home team.

Hunt Construction also served as the owner's representative on the double-A minor league Dr Pepper Seven Up Ballpark in Frisco, a 10,000-plus-seat facility that was completed in August.

Hoar Hits a Homer in Houston

Houston-based Hoar Construction recently completed work for Landry's Restaurants Inc. on the 150,000 sq.-ft. Inn at the Ballpark, a baseball-themed boutique hotel across from Minute Maid Park in downtown Houston. Renovation of the 201-room hotel included the addition of a four-story atrium with a 4,000-sq.-ft. skylight.

Kirksey Architecture of Houston served as the project's designer. It was completed in just 16 months and the hotel opened two months ahead of schedule.

Cadence McShane Completes Houston Polymers Terminal

Houston-based Cadence McShane recently completed construction of the 1,200,000-sq.-ft. Houston Polymers Terminal complex on a 72-acre site in La Porte.

The initial construction assignment for Katoen Natie Gulf Coast Inc. included two warehouse and distribution facilities totaling 581,000 sq. ft. and a 70,000-sq.-ft. office and laboratory facility. Subsequent phases included two warehouses, one 252,000 sq. ft. and the other 280,300 sq. ft., and a 3,680-sq.-ft. office component. The new facility provides expansive, rail-served warehousing for raw materials and processed polymers; sophisticated bagging equipment; and compounding, blending, drying, sieving and container-handling equipment.

Katoen Natie Gulf Coast developed the complex to position the firm for future growth in the plastic resins and petrochemical industries. The Houston Polymers Terminal includes processing areas, warehouse facilities, distribution points and an office and laboratory that includes a five-story mezzanine.

McCarthy Building a Beauty

Dallas-based McCarthy Inc. recently broke ground on the Sally Beauty Worldwide Support Center for Sally Beauty Co. Inc. in Denton. The $14.5 million project features a four-story, 200,000-sq.-ft. office-building shell, which includes a 15,000-sq.-ft. garden-level warehouse and a full-service cafeteria surrounded by parking for up to 800 cars.
Lush landscaping complementing existing wooded areas will highlight the 23.7-acre site.

"The McCarthy team is helping us to create a beautiful facility that incorporates some very unique elements," said Gary Robinson, CFO and senior vice president of Sally Beauty Co.

The office building will feature a two-tone architectural precast exterior skin supported by a concrete frame structure. The interior design of the building will incorporate some of the authentic design of the site, such as natural stone serpentine walls.

Clayco Working on Aggressive Timeframe

The Irving office of Clayco Construction Co. is building a 592,311-sq.-ft. distribution facility in Terrell (about 25 mi. east of Dallas) on a 66-acre site in the Airport Industrial Park.

The project for the Walker Companies of Atlanta is on an aggressive time frame, with partial occupancy scheduled for early next month, just 168 days after the start of construction. Total completion is slated for July.

The project features a tilt-up concrete and structural steel construction. The new facility will have 28,000 sq. ft. of office space, a 32,634-sq.-ft. flammables storage area and an 18,784-sq.-ft. aerosols storage room. The distribution area will have 75 dock positions with six additional exterior dock positions and 13 knockout panels.

The facility will be fully racked and have three three-level pick modules. It will also have an expansion capability of up to 297,840 sq. ft.

In addition to the aggressive time frame, the team had to "moisture condition" the building pad and paving areas prior to construction to treat the highly expansive clay soil conditions in the region.

More than 400,000 cu. yds. of earth had to be moved before foundation work could begin.