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US-based home improvement retailer Lowe's Companies has unveiled plans to develop a new $100M direct fulfilment centre in Robertson County, Tennessee.The 102,000sq m centre will ship parcels directly to Lowe’s customers and stores nationwide.Lowe’s chief supply chain officer Brent Kirby said: “We’re continually working to make doing business with Lowe’s easier for customers.“Investing to build a new fulfilment centre — the first of its kind for Lowe’s — allows us to offer customers more products online, consolidate multiple parcel shipments and ship purchases directly to customers faster and more efficiently.“The Nashville area was chosen due to its existing large shipping hubs, access to interstate roadways and well-skilled workforce.”Scheduled to be operational by the third quarter of 2018, the facility will initially employ about 400 people, reaching 600 by 2022.
Hillwood Communities has started construction on its new $500M master-planned community in Celina, Texas.The development — located on a 400-acre site at the northeast corner of FM 1461 and Coit Road — will include 1,250 single-family homes featuring resort-style amenities, and a linear park with an amenity centre, including a resort style pool, pavilion and outdoor kitchen.It will also feature 63 acres of green space with multiple community parks and several miles of trails.Hillwood Communities’ senior vice president Elaine Ford said: “Celina is a booming city in North Dallas, and we are excited to partner with them and local vendors to bring jobs and businesses along with more residents here.“The groundbreaking of Lilyana is an exciting step for us, and we look forward to beginning the development of a first class community for potential residents.”The first phase of the development will be completed in early 2017.
UK-based construction firm McAleer & Rushe has secured planning consent from Belfast City Council for the second phase of its Bedford Square development in Northern Ireland.The development’s second phase will include the construction of a new 17-storey office building, providing 17,000sq m of grade A office space, and the renovation of the listed William Ewart building to create a further 3,000sq m of space.The company is now in negotiations with potential office occupiers for phase two of Bedford Square, with work expected to commence on site in the near future.McAleer & Rushe property director Stephen Surphlis said: “This planning approval is a welcome boost to the Belfast office market, with the second phase of Bedford Square bringing a landmark building back into active use after many years of vacancy and helping to alleviate the shortage of grade A space in the city.“The first phase of Bedford Square has been a great success and we now have the opportunity to complete the vision with the creation of much-needed business space and new public realm which, together with our Maldron Hotel and QUB student accommodation developments on the adjoining Brunswick Street site, will make a huge contribution to the regeneration of Belfast’s Linen Quarter and this part of the city.”The first phase of the project was completed in 2006 and is home to Invest Northern Ireland’s headquarters.
Mercedes-Benz Vans has started construction of a new $500M plant in North Charleston, South Carolina.The new plant is an expansion of the existing 409,000sq ft van assembly site, which will cover around an additional 112,000sq m along with a 260,000sq m marshalling yard for finished vehicles.Mercedes-Benz Vans’ head of operations Frank Klein said: "Our new Sprinter plant is a big leap into the future of production at Mercedes-Benz Vans. "We are combining all of our global expertise and experience in this plant. In doing so, we make it one of the most advanced facilities in North America. The plant will meet the highest standards in quality, based on our globally standardized production system — from the first vehicle that rolls off the assembly line."The facility is scheduled to commence production before the end of the decade and create 1,300 jobs in the region.
American football team Minnesota Vikings has selected the development team for its new Eagan practice facility and headquarters in Minnesota, US.The team includes Crawford Architects, which will provide design services, and Kraus-Anderson Construction Company, which will act as the construction manager of the project.The new team headquarters will feature outdoor and indoor practice fields, a 6,000-seat stadium, team meeting rooms and auditorium, a broadcast studio and media centre, and administrative offices for staff.The facility represents the first phase in an overall 200-acre planned development, which is expected to include offices, retail, residential and hospitality units and a conference centre.Vikings’ executive vice president and CFO Steve Poppen said: “We are thrilled to once again engage in a large project with a Minnesota-based construction company such as Kraus-Anderson, as they have a tremendous body of work and strong reputation within the community.“Both Crawford Architects and Kraus-Anderson have long-standing relationships with the Vikings and together give us complete confidence in designing and building this project on time for a March 2018 opening.”The project is scheduled to break ground in early August 2016. Construction work on the first phase is expected to be completed in about 20 months.
Tata Steel Minerals Canada (TSMC) has secured CAD175M ($133M) in financing from the government of Quebec, Canada to support the implementation of a direct shipping iron ore project (DSO project) in Schefferville.The financial contribution includes equity stake of CAD125M ($94.7M) through the Capital Mining Hydrocarbons Fund and a loan of $50M ($37.8M) from Investissement Québec, acting as an agent of the government.Quebec’s deputy premier Lise Thériault said: "The support for this important project confirms our commitment to stimulate the growth of the Quebec mining industry, particularly in the Northern parts of Quebec, and encourage the responsible exploitation of our resources."In addition, this project will have significant benefits for our economy, creating up to 550 quality jobs in Quebec."TSMC has invested more than CAD1bn ($758M) in the project.
Pharmaceutical and healthcare firm GSK has announced £275M of new investments at three of its manufacturing sites in the UK.The company is set to invest £92M at its Barnard Castle site, in County Durham, for the construction of an aseptic sterile manufacturing facility. The site employs 1,100 people and supplies nearly half a million packs of products daily to 140 markets across the world. At the Montrose site in Scotland, the firm will invest £110M to build a new facility to produce respiratory active ingredients. Currently the site employs more than 450 people.GSK will also invest £74M to expand its new Ellipta respiratory inhaler manufacturing facility in Ware, Hertfordshire. The site employs 1,200 staff and manufactures innovative respiratory products. GSK’s CEO Andrew Witty said: “Today’s announcement reflects further investment to support our pharmaceutical pipeline and meet growing demand for our innovative portfolio of newly launched products.“It is testament to our skilled UK workforce and the country’s leading position in life sciences that we are making these investments in advanced manufacturing here. From their manufacture in the UK, many of these medicines will be sent to patients around the world.”
Manchester Science Partnerships (MSP) in a joint venture partnership with Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (CMFT) is set to undertake a £60m project to expand the Citylabs biomedical research centre in the UK city.
Brookfield Multiplex has completed construction on Walker Corporation’s $300m Tower Two at the Collins Square development in Melbourne’s Central Business District (CBD).
Al Jaber Building has won a contract worth AED370m ($100m) from the Tourism Development & Investment Company (TDIC) for the construction of Jawaher Saadiyat villa complex in Abu Dhabi.
Dubai-based healthcare provider Thumbay Group has announced the construction of 6 hospitals and 12 clinics in the UAE and beyond. The healthcare facilities, part of Thumbay’s AED1.2bn ($326M) expansion plan, will be located in the UAE, Qatar, Egypt and India, as well as in other countries. The group’s healthcare and retail division vice president Akbar Moideen Thumbay has said that the group expects to build 420 new medical facilities — including hospitals, medical universities, clinics and pharmacies — over the next four years. The number of staff is also expected to increase from the current 4,000 employees to around 15,000 by 2021.
A $1.2bn mixed-use project proposal, including a 480ft tall SkySpire observation tower, has been selected by San Diego Port Authority Commission for downtown San Diego Waterfront.The project, proposed by ThrillCorp and designed by AVRP/Skyport Studios, will be part of the transformation of 70 acres of prime downtown San Diego waterfront.The SkySpire will feature gondolas that spiral around the tower as they transport guests to a top level interactive observation experience — to be designed in partnership with the Smithsonian Media.In addition, the redevelopment proposal includes an aquarium, Bayfront beaches, hotels, marinas, retail outlets, dining establishments and other entertainment.ThrillCorp’s CEO David Gust said: "We have a great set of patented products, a terrific team and a solid business plan. Selection of our team and our product in San Diego adds tremendous value potential to the company."It places our observation product in an absolute trophy location. We are on a mission to create the most unique entertainment experiences in the world and this another step along that path."The final review of the proposal is expected to be complete by October, after which the development process will begin immediately.
Grand River Development, managed by Riant Capital, has unveiled plans for a $1.1bn mixed-use commercial tower in Taipei, Taiwan. The Taipei Sky Tower will be located adjacent to Taipei 101 in Taipei’s prime Xinyi District and will feature a retail podium, a luxury hotel, a lifestyle hotel and a theatre house. The 54-storey tower will measure more than 260m in height and include 93,000sq m in combined floor area. Riant Capital’s CEO Aaron Chan said: “Due to the unique location and street front exposure of the site, we are able to re-create a new whole pedestrian block comprising independently operated retail and F&B flagship/concept stores that one typically finds in major international cities such as New York, Tokyo or Hong Kong. “We believe that this pedestrian shopping experience will offer consumers an attractive alternative to the traditional department store concept and that our innovative approach will further enhance Taipei Xinyi District’s status as a premium business and retail centre in Asia.”
Abu Dhabi-based developer Aldar Properties has awarded contracts worth AED440M ($120M) to National Projects and Construction (NPC) for its Nareel Island and Al Merief communities in Abu Dhabi.Nareel Island is located on the coast in Al Bateen and is spread over two islands. It will include 148 villa plots, a lagoon, a marina, a clubhouse, open parks, private beaches, as well as pontoons and gardens. The earthworks and marine works tender packages have been awarded in October 2015. Reclamation work for the lagoon has also started, and dredging work on the southern island is complete.Al Merief project is located in Khalifa City and features 283 land plots. The villas will be located within recreational facilities and sheltered gardens, in close proximity to the community's parks, mosques, an Aldar Academies-operated school, and neighbourhood retail centre. The development’s conceptual and preliminary designs were completed in 2015.Aldar Properties’ chief development officer Talal Al Dhiyebi said: "As one of the most exclusive developments in the region, Nareel Island truly brings a new level of luxury to Abu Dhabi. Meanwhile, Al Merief is set to become a welcoming, impressive new address to a burgeoning area of the capital.“With the appointment of NPC, we are on track for the completion of both developments in 2017."Work on both projects is expected to be delivered over a 16 month-period.
Dubai Municipality has approved the construction of an AED20bn ($5.4bn) sustainable city in Dubai.The Desert Rose City, which was first announced in 2014, will be constructed in the Al Ruwayyah area. It will cover an area of 4,000ha and accommodate 160,000 residents.The development will deliver 20,000 plots for building luxury homes and 10,000 affordable housing units.The city, designed in the shape of a desert rose, will feature schools, shopping centres, clinics, hospitals, mosques, a police station and other services. It will also have resources to provide more than 40,000cb m of potable water.Dubai Municipality planning department director Dawood Al Hajeri said the city will produce 200MW of electricity using solar panels on the rooftops of houses and other buildings.The first phase of the development is anticipated to be complete before Dubai hosts the World Expo 2020.
CSX is set to build a new $160M intermodal terminal in Edgecombe County, North Carolina.The terminal, known as Carolina Connector, will transfer containerised cargo between trains and trucks and will initially process more than 260,000 containers annually,North Carolina’s governor Pat McCrory said: “This historic project is part of our 25-year vision for transportation because it facilitates efficient and cost-effective movement of goods, which is critical for job creation and economic growth.“The Carolina Connector will be a game-changer for our state’s economy, supporting North Carolina’s agriculture, ports and position as the Southeast’s No. 1 state for manufacturing jobs.”During construction, the project is expected to create 300 short-term jobs in engineering, technical services and construction. The terminal is expected to open in 2020 and create 1,500 jobs throughout North Carolina as a result of its operations.
German science and technology company Merck Group has unveiled plans to construct a new $115M campus in Burlington, Massachusetts.The 26,000sq m facility will feature a customer collaboration laboratory and training centre, as well as office space. It will serve as a major hub for the company’s North American life science business.The firm’s 850 full-time Billerica-based life science employees will be relocated to the new campus, once completed.Merck Life Science executive board member and CEO Udit Batra said: “This new and more expansive Merck campus gives us a unique, multi-use life science hub in the United States — one that provides our employees and customers with a sustainable and collaborative working environment.“We have a long history in Massachusetts, and as a global leader in life science, we are committed to strengthening our presence in one of the most important science and technology hubs in the world.”The building is aiming to achieve LEED certification and will be complete in the second half of 2017.
M+W Group has been appointed as the main contractor by the consumer health and hygiene company RB to design and build its R&D Centre for Scientific Excellence (CfSE) in Hull, UK.The £105M centre will accommodate a new Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) healthcare development facility.It will include analytical, formulation and microbiology laboratories plus a stability testing unit.M+W Group UK managing director Spencer Baber said: “M+W Group is delighted to have been selected as RB’s partner to deliver the new Centre for Scientific Excellence. “This new facility will be an innovation hub, enabling RB to carry out industry-leading scientific research and development, to create new product ranges and healthcare solutions that could help transform lives in the future.”Preparatory works have already started at the RB’s Dansom Lane site with construction due to start in the coming weeks. The new facility is set to be operational in 2018.
International Container Terminal Services (ICTSI) subsidiary Victoria International Container Terminal (VICT) has secured an AUD398M ($300M) loan for the construction of a container terminal at Webb Dock East in the Port of Melbourne, Australia.The loan was provided by several financial institutions, including Citibank, KFW IPEX-Bank, Standard Chartered Bank and Bookrunners, Bank of China, DBS Bank, Investec Bank, and Cathay United Bank.Finnish export credit agency Finnvera has also participated in the transaction by providing a guarantee for a portion of the facility.Work on the terminal started in late 2014, and will be delivered in two phases. The first phase will be ready for commercial operations in the fourth quarter of 2016, while the second phase will be complete in 2017.VICT’s CEO Anders Dommestrup said: “VICT is extremely pleased to have signed this project finance facility with internationally renowned banks as this is a testament to the viability of VICT.“We remain committed to working with all our partners — the Port of Melbourne, local community, our contractors, and now our lenders — to deliver to Melbourne a world-class and industry leading container terminal.”
Dubai South has awarded AED1bn ($272M) contracts for project developments in Dubai’s Residential District.Dubai South’s Residential District will feature 10,000 residential units, including villas, townhouses and apartments, accommodating about 35,000 residents. It will also include schools, nurseries, hospitals, retail outlets, food and beverage options, a post office, a swimming academy and a sports centre.Atkins Global, Studio International Architects and RNL Design have been selected to supervise the masterplan and product design for the mixed-use project, which will be delivered in phases. UAE-based Al Nasr is currently working on the first section of the District’s infrastructure, which will be completed by the fourth quarter of 2016. The company has also secured a contract for the construction of infrastructure in Dubai South’s Logistics District.Tristar Engineering & Construction has secured an infrastructure construction contract for the remaining areas of the first phase — scheduled to be complete by the fourth quarter of 2017.Parsons and Kele Constructions have also been awarded a contract to build the first phase of Sakany Staff Village, which will accommodate 20,000 residents by 2020.Additionally, UAE-based City Diamond Contracting has won a contract to build a multi-purpose aerospace supply chain facility in Dubai South’s Aviation District.Ahmed Al Ansari, Dubai South’s acting CEO, said: "We, at Dubai South, are excited to be working with the leading companies in the construction industry to help create a solid foundation for the future of Dubai South residents."This entirely new and incomparable model of urban living puts people first, while celebrating nature and diverse populations, which come together to form a thriving and healthy community."
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