A new industrial business park is in the process of becoming reality by the developer of an extensive 3,000-acre master planned community in Loveland, Colorado. McWhinney Real Estate Services, Incorporated, also of Loveland, says the park will be built out on currently vacant land at the intersection of Crossroads Boulevard and Rocky Mountain Parkway. “Despite the impacts of Covid 19 on the economy at large, demand for industrial space in northern Colorado remains relatively steady,” Clyde Wood, commercial development vice-president for McWhinney, said in a statement. In response, the company plans to offer space for speculative and build-to-suit construction projects, with work on a new 123,000 square foot industrial structure set to begin by the spring of next year. Additional projects at the park will see the construction of structures designed to be used for e-commerce distribution centers, as well as general warehouse space featuring outdoor storage. Altogether, more than a dozen new industrial structures, ranging in size from 43,000 square feet to 150,000 square feet, are currently being planned by McWhinney for the site. McWhinney is the developer of Centerra, a sprawling mixed-use community in Loveland launched in the mid-1990s that includes residential, retail, and restaurant space in a tree-lined, village environment. By Garry Boulard
0 Comments
Hospitals may be confronted with increased construction costs due to the increased price of materials, a new study by the New York-based Moody’s Analytics says. The analysis additionally says that ongoing public spending constraints are making it more difficult for hospitals to secure all the revenue they need for new construction. In fact, continues the analysis, a combination of an increase in both essential medical supplies as well as building materials are expected to “impact not-for-profit hospitals and healthcare providers, as well as public finance sectors, with significant expenditure programs.” The analysis notes that the challenge of importing building materials has only been made more formidable due to the pandemic economy. “Beyond major producing regions in the global construction supply chain such as Chinese copper and steel, Canadian lumber, Italian marble, and ceramic from Brazil, Spain, and Turkey, a range of other materials and equipment are sourced globally,” notes the analysis. In that same category can be found pacing stones, lighting, electrical equipment, and even elevators. A pandemic-induced fragmented supply chain also means that hospitals are having a more difficult time securing reliable personal protective equipment. Because much of that equipment has come from China, there has been a call among members of Congress to have more personal protective equipment plants established in the U.S. While such a move may or may not reduce costs for American hospitals, it will almost certainly be good news for the country’s construction industry, tasked with building new PPE facilities in the U.S. Moody’s Analytics is a subsidiary of Moody’s Corporation focusing on economic research and consulting. By Garry Boulard The popular El Centro Familiar Senior Housing Facility community could see a variety of upgrades including security enhancements, landscaping, a new roof, and the installation of new sewer and water lines if voters in Bernalillo County approve a $500,000 general obligation proposal in the November 3 election. The facility is located at 2210 Centro Familiar SW in the Southwest Valley. That bond question is one of six separate general obligation proposals designed to fund a series of public infrastructure and facility projects across the county. Bond Question Number 1 will provide over $2 million in funding not only for new materials at all of the county’s libraries, but for the continued construction of the International District Library, located off Central Avenue at the former site of Caravan East nightclub. Bond Question Number 2 will commit more than $13 million for county building upgrades and Americans with Disabilities Act compliances. Additional projects will include upgrades to the Youth Services Center at 5100 2nd Street NW; a new food hub at the South Valley Economic Development Center at 318 Isleta Boulevard SW; and the building of a new downtown parking lot. Up to $17 million in funding will come out of Bond Question Number 3 for upgrades to parks, community centers, and both little league and softball fields, as well as the construction of a new aquatic center in the North Valley. Road design, construction, and repair projects are slated to receive $4 million in funding if voters approve Bond Question Number 4. Meanwhile, Bond Question Number 5 will see more than $2 million for a variety of storm drainage and sewer infrastructure projects, fiber optic installation, and flood damage control work. Bernalillo County voters have generally been supportive of bond proposals in the past: a $16.7 million bond for improving county buildings was passed in 2018 with 74% of the vote. By Garry Boulard Plans are underway for the construction of a massive 330,000 square foot industrial park in Mesa, Arizona. The Phoenix-based developer Bird Dog Industrial recently purchased the 19-acre site, located near Warner and Power roads, for around $5.8 million. The project, which will see the construction of three separate industrial space structures ranging in size from 70,100 to nearly 146,000 square feet, will be going up in a designated Opportunity Zone. Two of the structures at the site will be especially designed for light manufacturing and what is known as “last mile distributors.” What is being called the Power 202 Business Park, according to Bird Dog Industrial president Mark Sonnenberg, will bring “high quality industry development to a growing and underserved area of Mesa.” The site will also be landscaped, with glass storefronts and façade accent lighting decorating the structures. Bird Dog Industry specializes in the acquisition and development of industrial properties, with projects in just over 40 states, including Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. By Garry Boulard Earlier this month, the Oklahoma City-based Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores announced the unveiling of a new 12,000 square foot travel center in Cordes Junction, Arizona. A new Pilot/Flying J Travel Center, with 300 truck parking spaces, is set to go up on a 42-acre site in Suffolk, Virginia. While at the same time, TravelCenters of America, based in Westlake, Ohio, said it is in the process of building a 17-acre truck stop and travel center in East Nashville. Indicating an industry resilience, new truck stops and travels centers are currently either being planned or actually built from Roanoke, Virginia, to DeMotte, Indiana, and Woodhull, Illinois. The continued building activity, say analysts, is one more sign of a segment of the nation’s transportation economy that has gotten through a rough patch earlier this year with the pandemic economic shutdown and perhaps emerged stronger. “Truck stops, which cater primarily to 18-wheelers on long hauls, are emerging as one of the brighter spots for commercial real estate during the pandemic,” reports the Wall Street Journal. The $650 billion industry did take a hit earlier this year when the pandemic first spread and many of the full-service restaurants that are a vital part of the travel center experience were forced to close. But the pandemic also brought with it an unforeseen benefit: as more and more consumers, beginning this spring, purchased products through e-commerce, that has meant an increase in the trucks needed to transport those purchases. Three major players continue to dominate the field: Knoxville-based Pilot Flying J, with annual revenues in excess of $21 billion and more than 780 locations; Love’s Travels & Country Stores, with revenues of $20 billion and more than 500 locations; and the Westlake, Ohio-based TravelCenters of America, with $6 billion in revenue and around 300 locations. Industry analysts say truck stop and travel center construction is expected to increase next year, with new projects particularly slated to go up in the West. Projects may also include the updating of existing facilities: in late September a Pilot Flying J location in Gila Bend, Arizona saw a total makeover that included the building of 70 new truck parking spots, 10 fueling positions, restaurant space, driver’s lounge, and a public laundry. By Garry Boulard A site on the west side of Pueblo, Colorado that is expected to see the construction of a new sports complex, has been expanded in order to help facilitate that project. The Pueblo West Metropolitan District Board has given its approval to an amended purchase agreement with the Colorado Springs-based Soccer Haus Management Company that will add 2 acres to a 5-acre site for the new facility. Those additional 2 acres will be used for parking. That site is located close to the intersection of McCulloch Boulevard and Assembly Drive and will see the construction of a 65,000 square foot center housing all levels of soccer competition. The company purchased the land from the West Pueblo district in the spring of 2019. The project will see the building of an indoor sports facility housing all levels of soccer competition. The company has a similar complex up and running in Colorado Springs that measures around 48,000 square feet. That Colorado Springs facility, which was opened in 2015 at a cost of $3.6 million, houses a series of regulation-sized adult and children’s playing fields, as well a restaurant, and space for private parties, family reunions, and team fitness and training sessions. By Garry Boulard A new 10,600 square foot location for a national chain dedicated to the health and happiness of dogs and cats may soon be going up in the Arizona town of Cave Creek. Members of the Cave Creek Planning Commission have voted to approve a rezoning request for the building of a new PetSuites outlet that will go up on the northeast corner of Carefree Highway and 52nd Street. The project, which has already been the subject of one public input meeting, will include the building of a retail supply space, exterior play space, covered canopies, and misting system. Also included: parking spaces for 25 vehicles and a six-foot tall masonry wall along the north side of the site in question. Based in Covington, Kentucky, PetSuites currently operates some 40 locations in a dozen states, offering such amenities as in-ground pools, animal-friendly play structures, and a boarding service that includes room service and daily housekeeping. Those outlets, until now, primarily located in the Midwest and South, typically measure anywhere from 10,000 to 20,000 square feet. The rezoning request for the new planned PetSuites in Cave Creek must now secure a final approval from the Cave Creek Town Council. By Garry Boulard Despite the ongoing challenges presented by a stubbornly lingering pandemic and subsequent national economic shutdown, many small business owners are feeling somewhat better about business prospects in general. That is the finding of a new survey completed by the National Federation of Independent Business showing a 3.8 point increase in the group’s Small Business Optimism Index. The exact index result at 104, in fact, surpasses all survey results conducted by the NFIB during the depths of the Great Recession. “As parts of the country continue to open, small businesses are seeing some improvements in foot traffic and sales,” Bill Dunkelberg, chief economist with the NFIB, said in a statement. But Dunkelberg was quick to add that “some small businesses are still struggling financially to operate at full capacity while navigating state and local regulations, and are uncertain about what will happen in the future.” The survey also showed that small business owners, anticipating an improved business climate between now and the spring of next year, have increased by 8% for a total 32% of respondents. A clear majority of respondents, at 53%, said they had undertaken capital outlays in the last three months, up from 47% in August; with 38% reporting new equipment expenditures, 23% purchasing vehicles; and 16% either improving or expanding their facilities. With the incrementally improving economic pictures, 23% reported raising compensation for their employees, an increase of 5% from August. Another 16% said they are planning to implement similar increases by early 2021. In summing up the survey, an NFIB press release stated that the March to September pandemic economic downturn may ultimately comprise “the shortest recession in modern history.” The statement adds that “more construction firms have unfilled openings than in any other industry,” with both durable and capital goods orders generally increasing in recent weeks. By Garry Boulard Continued work on the much-anticipated North Valley Aquatic Center in Albuquerque is in store if voters in Bernalillo County next week approve a $17 million bond proposal. Bond question number 2 will provide that amount for a variety of park, community center, little league and softball field upgrades. But the funding will also specifically go for the new North Valley Aquatic Center. That project, as part of a larger county parks, recreation and open space endeavor, is seeing the first phases devoted to planning and design, with the $4.1 million third phase construction set to begin next summer. Responding to surveys taken by residents interested in the new facility, Bernalillo County officials determined to build the new aquatic facility at the existing Raymond G. Sanchez Community Center at 9800 4th Street NW, some 12 miles to the north of downtown Albuquerque. Those surveys also indicated that out of a list of proposed new and improved community facility projects, the desire for an aquatic center in the North Valley was consistently viewed as the number one priority by respondents. If all goes according to plans, the project, which will include a new pool, splash park, and replacement mechanical room, is expected to be completed sometime late next year. Altogether, voters in Bernalillo County will decide on six separate general obligation bond proposals designed to fund everything from park and community center upgrades, to new sewerage infrastructure and fiber optic installations. By Garry Boulard An invitation for bids has been issued for work that could begin next year on the rehabilitation of a bridge viaduct in an industrial section of north Denver. The 48th Avenue viaduct crosses over railroad tracks used by both the Burlington Northern Santa Fe and Union Pacific railroad companies, as well as Denver’s Regional Transportation District. The project, sponsored by both the city and county of Denver, and with an estimated price tag of anywhere from $2.5 million to $3.1 million, will see specialized deck repairs, the replacement of expansion joints, and removal and replacement installation of waterproofing membrane. Additional work will see the building of an asphalt wearing surface, and curb, sidewalk, and deck overhang construction, along with minor upgrades to half a dozen interior posts. The massive viaduct was completed in 1978 at a cost of $1.9 million. The bid invitation has a questions deadline of November 11 and bid opening scheduled for December 3. By Garry Boulard |
Get stories like these right to your inbox.
|