School May be Out for Summer, But Educational Building is In

Construction of the Round Rock Higher Education Center is under way, and plans are in the works to develop a new cancer center under a partnership between the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and Richardson Regional Medical Center.

Construction Begins on $27 Million Round Rock Higher Ed Center

The Texas State University System Board of Regents approved preliminary plans for a permanent campus for the Round Rock Higher Education Center and ground was recently broken on the $27 million project. Colorado-based Hensel Phelps Construction Co. is the general contractor and Austin-based Graeber Simmons & Cowan Inc. is the architect.

The project will include construction of the initial campus building with associated parking, landscaping and infrastructure. The building is scheduled to open in August 2005.

The Round Rock Higher Education Center is a partnership of Texas State University-San Marcos, Austin Community College and Temple College at Taylor. It provides higher education opportunities in north Austin and Williamson County.

Indiana-based TASUS Corp., the first Toyota parts supplier to move into Central Texas, recently celebrated the groundbreaking of its Georgetown manufacturing plant. Construction on the plant is scheduled to begin this month, and the plant is expected to be operational by January.

The plastic-injection molding facility will supply parts to the new Toyota truck plant in San Antonio, which is set to open in 2006. The new plant is expected to create more than 200 jobs and bring more than $8 million to the local economy during the next five years.

Last Beam Placed for Medical City Dallas Women's Services Unit

Richardson Regional Medical Center, located in North Dallas, and the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas recently announced an affiliation to establish a comprehensive cancer center for patients in North Dallas, Richardson, Plano, Garland and surrounding areas.

This partnership allows Richardson Regional to expand medical, surgical and radiation oncology services, while establishing a strong clinical research component within its program.

The partnership allows UT Southwestern to expand clinical trial programs and broadens its patient outreach in North Dallas and Collin counties.

The two institutions will join forces in a new $20 million, 50,000-sq.-ft. comprehensive cancer center located on Richardson Regional Medical Center's George Bush/Renner Campus. Currently in development, the Richardson Regional Cancer Center-UT Southwestern Medical Center is slated for completion in late 2005.

Coronado Builders Completing $9 Million Dallas ISD Project

Coronado Builders Ltd., headquartered in the Metroplex, is on schedule to complete Dallas Independent School District's new $9 million Reilly Annex Elementary School next month.

Work began in August on the school located in northeast Dallas. The project is Coronado Builders' second in Dallas ISD's $1.2 billion bond program.

The school will encompass 102,927 sq. ft., including parking areas and sidewalks. Brown, Reynolds, Watford Architects Inc., of Dallas provided the design.

Texas Wesleyan University Breaks Ground on $6.5 Million Residence Hall

Texas Wesleyan University recently broke ground on its new $6.5 million residence hall through a ceremonial groundbreaking. Thos. S. Byrne of Fort Worth was selected as the general contractor and BOKA Powell of Dallas as the architect.

The new residence hall will enable Wesleyan to accommodate approximately 260 incoming students and meet the housing needs created by rising enrollment. The facility includes four-bedroom, two-bath apartments and two-bed, one-bath efficiencies. Both floor plans include kitchen and living areas.

Completion is projected for July 2005, in preparation for the fall semester.

Speed Fab-Crete Selected for $5.5 Million Everman ISD Project

Speed Fab-Crete Corp. has been selected as designer-builder for a new intermediate school for Everman Independent School District in the Metroplex.

The $5.5 million facility will include 36 classrooms in a unique, three-prong configuration projecting from a central commons area.

Architect Charles Freeman of Fort Worth-based Callahan & Freeman Architects said the building's three identically shaped wings assure that each classroom has natural lighting through exterior windows.

The 59,300-sq.-ft. facility will contain a 325-seat cafetorium, a play gymnasium with sports carpet floor, library, computer room and administrative offices. Special parking areas will be designated for accessibility by school buses, parents and service vendors.

The Everman facility is Speed Fab-Crete's fourth project for the school district since 1998. The school will open in summer 2005.

Slam-Dunk for Duncanville

Duncanville High School near Dallas is home of the largest girls' basketball tournament in Texas. The district's new Sandra Meadows Memorial Arena was recently ranked among USA TODAY's "10 Great Places to Watch High School Basketball" in the nation.

Duncanville's new Panther Baseball Stadium has also gained national recognition. It recently was named the "Fifth Best High School Ballpark Facility" in the U.S. by Baseball America magazine.

Both facilities were designed by SHW Group Architects of Dallas and completed by Hunt Construction Group's Dallas office. Both are part of Duncanville High School's ongoing $90.3 million renovation and expansion.

When the six phases of the project are completed in 2006, the 836,137-sq.-ft. facility will be one of the largest high schools in the United States with a capacity of 4,000 students.