Contractor Files for Chapter 11 on Tampa Desal Job

Covanta Tampa Construction Inc. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Oct. 29. The filing, in U.S. District Court in New York City, temporarily prevented Tampa Bay Water from terminating the contract for a 25-million-gallon-per-day desalination plant. The $108-million project was finished last March, but the engineer-procure-construct contractor had been unable to pass a 14-day acceptance test.

The deadline was Nov. 17, but Covanta planned to begin another trial run about Nov. 10. Tampa Bay Water will ask the court to lift the stay, a spokesperson said. This would enable it to replace Covanta with an interim operator to put the plant on line. Three firms have been prequalified: Ionics, Watertown, Mass.; U.S. Filter, Palm Desert, Calif.; and American Water Works. Co., Voorhees, N.J. Source: Engineering News-Record.

29-story Las Olas Beach Club Announced

The Related Group of Florida, Coral Gables, recently announced plans to build its Las Olas Beach Club luxury condominium project in Fort Lauderdale Beach. The 29-story condo will feature 148 residential units, ranging from 1,902 sq. ft. to 5,600 sq. ft.

The project will rise on the site of the former Lauderdale Beach Hotel, one block north of the intersection of Las Olas Boulevard and State Road A1A. The Related Group indicated it would retain and restore a significant portion of that existing building, incorporating it into the new facility.

The Sieger-Suarez Architectural Partnership of Miami is the project architect. No contractor had yet been named.

Roepnack, Beauchamp to Build $17.6 Million Regent South Beach Hotel

Beach Contractors, a joint venture between Pompano Beach-based Roepnack Corp. and Coral Gables-based Beauchamp Construction Co., received the contract to build the $17.6 million Regent South Beach Hotel, located in the art deco district of Miami's South Beach.

Construction is planned to begin mid-November, with completion scheduled for March 2005.

The 134,000-sq.-ft., six-story luxury condominium hotel will include 80 units. Designed by Arquitectonica of Miami, the hotel is being constructed on the last vacant lot on Ocean Drive and Collins Avenue as the centerpiece of a $67 million development that will include upscale shops and restaurants. The developer of the project is South Beach Resorts Development.

Jacobs to Manage $60 Million Lee Co. Bridge Projects

Jacobs Engineering Group announced that Lee County, Fla., has awarded its Tampa office with a contract to provide construction management services to replace and rehabilitate the Sanibel Causeway bridges. The project also involves reconstructing the roadway portion of the causeway islands and replacing the toll facilities at both the Sanibel and Cape Coral bridges.

Because of deteriorating bridge conditions, an accelerated schedule for the $60 million project began in October 2003, with planned completion in early 2006.

The 3-mi. Sanibel Causeway, which crosses San Carlos Bay, opened to traffic in 1963. The facility consists of one bascule bridge and two low-level bridges as well as two causeway islands. All three bridges have experienced serious structural deterioration that requires emergency repairs. Jacobs will manage the construction and commissioning phases of the project while keeping the existing bridges fully functional.

Parsons Brinckerhoff to Design West Bay Bridge

The Florida Department of Transportation has awarded a contract to Parsons Brinckerhoff to design a new high-level bridge to span the Intracoastal Waterway at West Bay, a community approximately 5 mi. west of Panama City Beach.

The new bridge will add two travel lanes to State Road 79 over the Intracoastal Waterway. The highway provides access to Florida Panhandle beaches for tourists, and is an emergency hurricane evacuation route. It is anticipated the main span unit will be designed using a spliced-girder system.

Construction is scheduled to begin in summer 2005, with completion slated for mid-2007.

Hardin to Handle Town Center Project

Ben Carter Properties and Simon Property Group have selected Atlanta-based Hardin Construction Co. to build the St. John's Town Center project, located southeast of Jacksonville between downtown and Ponte Vedra. Phase I includes a community center and will be situated on 115 developed acres with approximately 550,000 sq. ft. of retail space. Hardin will manage all sitework¸ hardscape and shell buildings.

Architects for the project include Phillips Partnership and Wakefield, Beasley and Associates. Completion is slated for spring 2005.

Maleta to Build Mixed-Use Aria

Maleta Construction Co. has been awarded the construction contract to build Aria, a $22 million mixed-use loft project in Miami being developed by Urbana Development.

The 18-story Aria will feature 78 loft condominiums, ranging from 700 sq. ft. to over 2,000 sq. ft., and almost 7,500 sq. ft. of retail space.

Keene Starts Another Shopping Center

Maitland-based Keene Construction Co. has started work on its $4.1 million, 68,100-sq.-ft. Crossroads Shopping Center project in Fort Myers. The project includes a 45,000-sq.-ft. Publix Supermarket and 23,100 sq. ft. of additional retail space.

McCree Begins Construction on Mount Sinai

Orlando-based McCree recently broke ground on a new addition to Mount Sinai Missionary Baptist Church in Orlando.

The project to expand the church's daycare and school facilities is scheduled for completion this summer. A 10,900-sq.-ft. classroom addition will increase the size of the church's multi-purpose child development center and provide additional parking and a drop-off loop for the children.

Farmer Baker Barrios Designing High-Profile Orlando Projects

Farmer Baker Barrios Architects of Orlando has been selected by Marriott International Design and Construction Services to provide design services for the 35,000-sq.-ft. Exhibit Hall expansion at the J.W. Marriott Grande Lakes Resort in Orlando.

The firm also announced it has completed comprehensive architectural design services for the 114,000-sq.-ft. Energy Building III for the University of Central Florida. Groundbreaking for this four-story classroom and research laboratory facility for the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences is scheduled for January, with completion slated for summer 2005.

Haskell Donates Sculpture to UNF Engineering School

The Haskell Co. of Jacksonville recently donated a 4,000-pound steel teaching aid sculpture to the University of North Florida's Division of Engineering. The $20,000 sculpture, which was fabricated at Haskell's 12th Street steel facility, will be placed outside UNF's new Science and Engineering Building.

The sculpture illustrates most of the typical steel connections used in construction and will teach structural engineering students about steel fabrication connection techniques. UNF will be the sixth Florida university to receive the sculpture, joining the University of Florida, University of South Florida, Florida Institute of Technology, Florida State University and Florida A&M University.

Fromy Rosenberg of the American Institute of Steel Construction said University of Florida professor and structural engineer Duane Ellifritt created the first steel sculpture in 1986.

Ellifritt, who has since retired, wanted to create something he could use to teach his students about different steel connections and framing systems, Rosenberg said. Upon noticing Ellifritt's sculpture, the AISC obtained the plans and now provides them to businesses interested in donating a sculpture to engineering programs around the country. AISC estimates there are currently 120 steel sculptures at U.S. universities.

Joe Varon, Haskell vice president of innovation and strategy, helped coordinate Haskell Steel's donation and said it's part of the company's ongoing association with UNF. Varon acknowledged the donated assistance from others, especially Summit Erectors, which will erect the sculpture on its foundation at UNF.

WilsonMiller Donates Park Design to Fort Myers

Naples, Fla.-based WilsonMiller, in recognition of its 20th year in Fort Myers, will donate park design services to the city of Fort Myers. The firm will prepare a new conceptual master plan for Billy Bowlegs Park in east Fort Myers. On this project, the city is working with the Police Athletic League, Chico's, the Fort Myers Housing Authority, the Boys and Girls Club of Lee County and other sponsors to create a community park that could include recreational facilities for boxing, baseball, soccer, basketball and golf.

WilsonMiller expects to complete its design work by May, and estimates the value of donated services at $20,000.

FNGA Awards Vila & Son Landscaping

The Florida Nurserymen & Growers Association has awarded Vila & Son Landscaping Corp. with its 2003 Landscape Award in the category of Commercial New Installation at the Village of Merrick Park, and a second award for its ongoing work in the category of Commercial Maintenance for this property. The company received a third award in the category of New Installation/Residential Multi-Family for its work on Echelon at Uptown in Orlando.

The judges, representing various areas of the industry, carried out their evaluations based on the criterion of effective use of materials, project restrictions, finished appearance, degree of difficulty, and preservation of design integrity.

Miller Construction Launches Healthcare Services Division

Miller Construction Co. of Fort Lauderdale has launched a new division, Miller Healthcare Services. James F. Smith, who has managed more than $1 billion in healthcare design and construction projects during a 30-year career, will lead the new division as principal.

MHS is currently managing a $10 million project for Holy Cross Hospital in Fort Lauderdale.