Clayco Design-Building $90M Business Park

Remount Venture, a joint venture of Clayco and Venture One, is developing the $90 million, 65-acre Remount Business Park Real Estate in North Charleston, S.C., with Clayco serving as the design-builder.

 Clayco will construct three buildings on a 35-acre site located adjacent to the entrance of the Space and Naval Warfare System Center, the space weaponry procurement and development arm of the U.S. military. Construction began in August and is scheduled for completion at the end of 2008.

The Remount Business Park will provide commercial space in the immediate vicinity of the military base and the port.

The site will be able to hold five buildings totaling 450,000 sq ft. The buildings will consist of three single-story office, office/industrial and office/integration buildings totaling 400,000 sq ft, and two retail/service structures totaling 50,000 sq ft.

The first building being constructed is a 200,560-sq-ft high-tech facility, which is scheduled for completion in May. The second and third buildings will be 100,000 sq ft and 75,000 sq ft, respectively.

Forum Studio is overseeing the interior finish and serving as the architect of record.

August Contracts: N.C. Drops; S.C. Soars

The value of new contracts signed in August for future construction activity fell by 30% overall in North Carolina, but more than quadrupled in South Carolina, compared to the same period of a year ago, McGraw-Hill Construction reported.

In North Carolina, the value of new starts totaled nearly $1.8 billion for the month. The residential sector declined by 29% for the month for a nearly $1.1 billion total. Nonresidential also fell considerably, declining by 53% compared to last August for a total of about $383.2 million. The value of August nonbuilding starts roughly doubled compared to last year, though, improving to just over $287.5 million.

Through the first eight months of the year, North Carolina contract activity is 5% behind 2006’s pace, with a total of nearly $17 billion in new starts so far. Despite its downturn in August, the nonresidential category, at about $4.5 billion, is 6% ahead of ‘06, while the residential market is now 11% behind last year with a $10.7 billion total. With its August numbers included, the nonbuilding sector is now 14% ahead of last year’s pace, with slightly more than $1.7 billion in new project starts so far.

Meanwhile, South Carolina contract activity totaled a whopping $4.4 billion in August, well ahead of the $1.1 billion experienced a year ago. The big jump came in the nonresidential sector, which jumped from $215.5 million a year ago to more than $3.8 billion in August. The value of nonbuilding starts also increased significantly, improving from $56.2 million last year to an estimated $136.3 million. The value of new residential contracts tumbled again, however, totaling about $482.1 million, or 40% below last August’s figure.

This month’s improvements changed South Carolina’s year-to-date from negative to positive. Now, state construction activity is an estimated 22% ahead of last year, with new contracts totaling about $11.1 billion. The residential category, with its $4.8 billion tally, is now the only negative category, however. It is roughly 22% behind the 2006 pace. Nonresidential, at about $5.4 billion, is more than double last year’s pace. And the nonbuilding sector, at about $963 million, is 15% ahead.

Honda Building Aircraft HQ and Assembly Operations Plant

McGraw-Hill Construction reported that Honda Aircraft Co. started construction in August on an Aircraft Headquarters and Assembly Operations Plant in Burlington, N.C.

The one-story building will measure approximately 358,000 sq ft.

Seretta Construction Starts Two Projects in North Carolina

Charlotte-based Seretta Construction Mid-Atlantic began work on two new projects in North Carolina – Regency Creek Building One in Cary, and the LaGasse Warehouse and Distribution building in Raleigh.

Seretta started the Regency Creek project in September and expects to finish it by January. The company commenced its LaGasse project in October, with completion scheduled for March.

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