JetBlue Airways held a groundbreaking event at Orlando International Airport for its $24.5 million JetBlue Crew Lodge, which will be used to accommodate the airline's crewmembers who are in the Greater Orlando area conducting training and other related airline business.

Expected to be completed in approximately 14 to 18 months, the JetBlue Crew Lodge will operate like a unique hotel. It will feature 292 guest rooms, a 4,000 sq.-ft. assembly room, a 1,000 sq.-ft. fitness center, two quiet study rooms and four additional meeting rooms, an e-library and a great room. Outdoor amenities will include a pool, sports court and outdoor kitchen facilities.

The Lodge will be constructed by Manhattan Construction, with Mitchell, Carlson, Stone as the architect and design team leader. Isis Investments is the developer, and Tishman Construction Corp. serves as the owner's representative. Intercontinental Hotels Group will serve as the Lodge operator.

The JetBlue Crew Lodge will complement two other JetBlue support facilities at OIA: a support campus that offers initial and recurrent training for the airline's flight operations, flight attendant, technical operations and customer service crewmembers that opened last June; and a LiveTV three-bay hangar facility that opened last April.

Florida Contract Activity Dips Again in May

After a one-month improvement in April, the value of Florida contracts for future construction declined again in May, McGraw-Hill Construction reported. The total value of new contracts signed in May totaled nearly $5.8 billion, down 5 percent from the $6.1 billion reported last May.

The state's biggest sector, residential, declined by a significant 18 percent, more than offsetting double-digit gains in the nonresidential and nonbuilding categories. The decline in residential construction brought the total value of May contracts in this sector to $3.8 billion, well down from last May's $4.6 billion tally.

The second-largest sector, nonresidential, experienced a 27 percent jump, compared to the same period of a year ago, to total more than $1.2 billion for the month. Last May, nonresidential totaled $976.2 million. Nonbuilding construction - which includes roads, bridges and water infrastructure - improved by 50 percent to total approximately $740.5 million. Last May the nonbuilding category totaled roughly $494 million.

For the year-to-date, Florida contract activity is now estimated at nearly $28.8 billion, or 2 percent ahead of the $28.2 billion reported through the first five months of 2005. The nonresidential category is 10 percent ahead of 2005, with about $4.9 billion of activity so far this year. The residential market, with a $21.1 billion total, is flat compared to last year. Nonbuilding construction is 4 percent ahead compared to the same period of a year ago, with a $2.7 billion total.

Suffolk Lands $39 Million Ocean's Edge Project

Toll Brothers has awarded Suffolk Construction Co. of West Palm Beach a contract to build its $39 million Ocean's Edge luxury condominium project at Singer's Island in Riviera Beach. Suffolk previously built the Beachfront at Singer Island development for Toll Brothers.

The project is currently scheduled for completion in September 2007.

Batson-Cook Awarded $17 million Office Building Project

Highwoods Properties of Tampa recently selected Batson-Cook Construction's Tampa office to build the Highwoods Bay Center office building. Construction of the $17 million, seven-story Class-A office building was set to be completed by spring 2007.

The 220,000-sq.-ft. building will be located near Tampa's Westshore district. Smallwood, Reynolds, Stewart, Stewart and Associates of Atlanta is the architect.

Emerson International Starts on Second Condo Tower

Real estate services company Emerson International of Altamonte Springs announced the recent groundbreaking of Emerson Plaza Two. The project is the second of 12 condominium towers the developer has planned for CenterPointe on the Park, its mixed-use community in Altamonte Springs.

The $20 million, 12-story condominium will include 56 units and structured parking. The company reported its completion target as late summer 2007.

University Selects Kraft Construction for New Engineering Building

Florida Gulf Coast University has hired Kraft Construction Co. of Naples to construct a new Engineering Building on the school's Fort Myers campus. The three-story, 70,000-sq.-ft. building will include offices and classrooms for the university's engineering program.

DRD Development Building Murdock Circle Executive Center

DRD Development of Port Charlotte announced the start of construction of Murdock Circle Executive Center. The 15-building office condominium park will provide 112,032 sq. ft. of office space.

The development's first four buildings were scheduled for completion this summer, with the remaining offices set for completion by the end of 2006.

Clancy & Theys Completes Criminal Justic Institute

The Orlando-based division of Clancy & Theys Construction Co. recently completed Valencia Community College's new $11.3 million, 77,000-sq.-ft. Criminal Justice Institute in Orlando.

The project was designed by C.T. Hsu & Associates, Orlando. The building features administrative offices, classrooms, labs and a physical fitness facility linked by a glazed two-story lobby and covered walkways around a landscaped courtyard. Serving over 4,000 local and regional police officers, corrections officers and new recruits each year, the facility also includes an outdoor running track, a practice field, Orange County's K-9 training facility and a vehicle range.

Miller Construction Starts on Condo Office Complex

Miller Construction Co. of Fort Lauderdale has begun site work for Monarch Professional Centre, a 74,000-sq.-ft. medical and professional condominium office complex with retail center in Miramar for owner/developer Front Street Development Group.

The mixed-use project includes two three-story Mediterranean style condominium office buildings of 30,000 sq. ft. each, plus a 13,500 sq.-ft. retail center. Completion of the complex is scheduled for the first quarter of 2007.

Master Planning Underway for Miami Senior High

Miami-based Zyscovich Inc. was finalizing its master plan for the historic restoration of Miami Senior High School. McGraw-Hill Construction Dodge indicated a rough cost estimate of $55 million for the project.

Taurus Southern Investments Acquires Four Jax Office Parks for $70M

Orlando-based Taurus Southern Investments has expanded its presence in the Jacksonville market with its acquisition of four prime office parks from Phillips & Co. for more than $70 million. The developments containing a total of 698,501 sq. ft. of rentable area. Properties include the 212,240-sq.-ft. Greystone Park; The Meridian at Deerwood containing 200,931 sq. ft., as well as Central Park and Central Park East, containing 217,968 and 67,362 sq. ft., respectively.

Taurus entered the Jacksonville market last fall with its acquisition of the Greenleaf-Crosby Building in downtown Jacksonville, which it has converted to office condominiums.

Ajax, Harvard Jolly Building $34M Elementary School in Hernando Co.

Ajax Building Corp. of Tampa and Harvard Jolly Architects of St. Petersburg are working together to build the $34 million Elementary J. The facility is designed to accommodate an additional 2,200 students in the community of Spring Hill.

The 266,000-sq.-ft., two-story brick building will include a partial three-story section for extra classroom space. It is scheduled to be open in time for the 2008-2009 school year.

VOA Master-Planning Public Works Complex for Oviedo

The city of Oviedo has selected VOA Associates of Orlando to provide master-planning services for a new, five-acre public works complex. The firm will also provide full architectural and interior design services for a new office building.

The new 5,500-sq.-ft. facility, to be designed as a sustainable and energy-efficient building, will house Oviedo's public works department's administrative staff.

Tilt-Con Starts on Indian River Co. Jail

The Tamarac office of Tilt-Con Corp. is performing tilt-up and related work for the new Indian River County Jail in Vero Beach. Peter R. Brown Construction of Clearwater is the general contractor for the two-building, two-story, 33,690-sq.-ft .facility.

Designed by Clemons, Rutherford & Associates, Tallahassee, the project is scheduled for completion in February.