Charlotte Gets Green Light for NASCAR Hall of Fame

In early March NASCAR officially announced it would locate its Hall of Fame in Charlotte, N.C., but it will be spring 2007 before construction begins, and spring 2010 before the hall opens to fans.

The City of Charlotte will be responsible for the project, which includes not only the hall of fame, but also an expanded ballroom of 50,000 sq. ft. for the Charlotte Convention Center, which will be connected to the hall, and a parking deck. The city's bid to NASCAR included a construction budget of $107.5 million for the hall, $43 million for the convention center expansion and $4 million for the parking deck. The city has also given NASCAR six months to decide whether the racing organization will build a 300,000-sq.-ft. office tower on the site.

City Engineer Jim Schumacher said he hopes to have a construction manager hired by June. "I want to get them involved as early as possible as we develop a detailed program," he said.

The architectural firm of Pei Cobb Freed & Partners of New York, N.Y., is now designing the building, which will include a traditional exhibit area, an area devoted to high-tech interactive displays and a restaurant. As part of the city's bid, the firm created renderings of the hall that featured a banked curve encircling the building, creating the shape of a speedway track. Its final size has not yet been determined.

Schumacher said some initial site work on the city-owned land will be done this year, including moving city staff now located in a building on the site and then demolishing it. The site currently also holds a public parking lot with 318 spaces.

Charlotte won the hall over proposals from Atlanta, Daytona Beach, Fla., Richmond, Va., and Kansas City, Kan. The city's theme was: "Racing was built here. Racing belongs here." By Bea Quirk

Flatiron-United Team Wins $192M Washington Bypass Contract

A joint venture of Colorado-based Flatiron Constructors and United Contractors has won a $192 million contract to construct the new Washington Bypass in North Carolina. Flatiron is leading the joint venture with a 60 percent share.

Earth Tech is serving as the design consulting engineer for the design-build contract.
The new four-lane bypass along U.S. Highway 17 will extend 7 mi. The bypass includes an elevated bridge structure spanning nearly 3 mi. over environmentally sensitive, heavily wooded wetlands and the Pamlico-Tar River.

North and South Carolina Make Gains in February

The value of new contracts signed in February for future construction activity in North Carolina improved by 8 percent, while South Carolina experienced a 21 percent uptick for the month, McGraw-Hill Construction reported recently.

North Carolina's approximately $1.9 billion total for the month was nearly $150,000 higher than last February. Residential improved by 11 percent compared to last February and tallied $1.3 billion. The value of nonresidential contracts improved by 15 percent to approximately $458.3 million. The value of nonbuilding contracts fell 25 percent, compared to last February, to about $155.4 million for the month.

In South Carolina, the February total of nearly $912.9 million was led by a 28 percent increase in the value of residential contracts for a total of roughly $678.1 million. The nonbuilding sector was also positive, with a 1 percent gain, for an overall total of nearly $106.6 million. The nonresidential market gained 4 percent in February and totaled about $128.3 million for the month.

Hunt Starts on $120M Genetic Medicine Building at UNC

Indianapolis-based Hunt Construction is starting phase two work on the $120 million Genetic Medicine Building at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. The first phase of construction was site work, which has completed.

The 331,000 sq.-ft., seven-story research facility is currently scheduled for completion in December 2007. It will house three departments of UNC's School of Medicine, along with additional space for the School of Pharmacy. In all, the GMB will include five floors of lab space occupied by the departments of genetics; biochemistry and biophysics; and pharmacology. The two additional floors will house research space with 40,000 animal cages, primarily for mice.

Lord, Aeck & Sargent of Chapel Hill is the project architect.

Developers Unveil Plans for $140M Mixed-Use Project in Asheville

Crosland has formed a joint venture with Biltmore Farms to develop Town Square at Biltmore Park, a $140 million mixed-use project in south Asheville, N.C. The two companies unveiled a master plan for a 42-acre downtown component of Biltmore Park, located at Interstate 26 and Long Shoals Road.

According to the developer, Town Square will feature a 1/3-mi. esplanade that will run from Biltmore Park's anchor amenity, the 65,000 sq.-ft. Reuter Family YMCA, as well as an 18-screen, 57,000 sq.-ft. theater. Also included in the master plan is roughly 235,000 sq. ft. of retail, 205,000 sq. ft. of office space, a 200-room hotel and more than 300 residences with a clubhouse.

Grant Forest Products Starts $200M Manufacturing Plant

Ontario-based Grant Forest Products is building its $200 million manufacturing building in Clarendon County, S.C. According to McGraw-Hill Construction Dodge, construction is expected to begin in June, with completion scheduled for May 2007.
Grant Forest Products is acting as its own general contractor, Dodge reported.

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