Questions Flourish About Deadly Jax Garage Collapse

Safety investigators are probing the Dec. 6 Jacksonville, Fla., garage-section collapse in which one worker was killed and 23 others injured. Speculation about the cause centers on an Oct. 30 inspector’s report that describes cracks in slabs and beams.

But engineers, contractors, building officials and the owner all are declining to comment, citing the ongoing investigation.

Jacksonville-based A.A. Pittman & Sons Concrete Co. had been pouring the top level of the six-story, post-tensioned concrete garage about four hours when it collapsed at about 6 a.m. Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department responders found 60% of the structure collapsed, pancake-style. The remaining 40% is standing and badly damaged, says Bill Bracken, president of Bracken Engineering, Tampa, the state’s lead structure specialist on the rescue team.

Fourteen engineers responded to the collapse and monitored work on the 10-ft to 15-ft-deep rubble pile until searchers recovered the body of Willie Edwards III, the laborer and Pittman employee who was killed, on the afternoon of Saturday, Dec. 8.

The 39,000-sq-ft, 252-ft x 116-ft garage with spaces for 413 cars was being built by Choate Construction Co., Atlanta, to accompany a 23-story tower with 222 residential units. The project, Berkman Plaza II, was designed by Atlanta-based architect Pucciano & English for Harbor Cos., also of Atlanta. Construction of the $40-million project began in summer 2006, and construction on the residential tower has reached the 19th floor. Completion was expected by the end of 2008. Source: Engineering News-Record. By Thomas F. Armistead, Richard Korman and Debra Wood

Miami Closes Funding Gap in Port Tunnel Package

The Miami-Dade County Commission approved Dec. 18 a City of Miami-proposed public works package that includes $50 million for the city’s share of the nearly $1 billion Port of Miami Tunnel project.

The proposal passed by a 9-4 vote. Details on certain aspects of the plan remain to be worked out, Ric Katz, Port of Miami spokesman, said in late December. The plan requires moving the city’s OMNI Community Redevelopment Agency boundaries to include the tunnel, which is designed to route port traffic out of downtown.

Concessionaire Miami Access Tunnel, an international consortium headed by Bouygues Travaux Publics of France, will design, build, finance, maintain and operate the 3,900-ft-long, 36-ft-diameter, two-lane bored tunnels for the Florida Department of Transportation. At the end of 35 years, the tunnel becomes the property of the state.

Final negotiations between FDOT and Miami Access were expected to take 60 days. Construction could start within six months.

FDOT will pick up half of the capital costs, $457.5 million, and $200 million for operation and maintenance. Miami-Dade County has committed to $402.5 million. FDOT will pay Miami Access $100 million for meeting certain construction milestones during the 47-month schedule, $350 million upon completion of the job, and an annual Maximum Availability Payment of about $33.2 million once the tunnel opens.

The city still needs to sign a formal memorandum of agreement with the FDOT, but Katz did not expect that would be a problem. Source: Engineering News-Record. By Debra Wood

Florida Contracts: All Sectors Down in November

The value of future Florida contracts in all three construction sectors fell markedly in November, McGraw-Hill Construction reported. For the month, the overall value of new contracts declined 57% for a total of about $2.2 billion, down from last November’s total of roughly $5.1 billion.

Residential continued its freefall, registering a 59% drop compared to last November and totaling roughly $998.8 million for the month. Nonresidential was down significantly, too, declining by 40% compared to the same period of a year ago for a total of about $800 million. The nonbuilding segment, at about $416.8 million, was even worse, down 69% compared to last November.

For the year-to-date, Florida contract activity now totals nearly $44 billion, or 27% behind the pace of the first eleven months of 2006. The residential market, estimated at about $21 billion, is 47% behind last year’s pace. Despite the big November slowdowns, the other sectors remain positive. Nonresidential, at about $14.4 billion, is still 10% ahead of 2006, while nonbuilding construction is approximately 19% ahead with an $8.6 billion total through November.

FDOT Moving Forward with $1.5B I-595 Project

The Florida Department of Transportation took another step forward with its $1.5 billion Interstate 595 Corridor Roadway Improvements Project, short-listing four possible concessionaires to design, build, finance, operate and maintain for 35 years three reversible express toll lanes and other improvements to congested I-595 in Broward County.

“With the public-private partnership we are able to accelerate it into one long project and, hopefully, it will be five years or less for construction,” says Gerry O’Reilly, director of transportation development for FDOT District 4, explaining that the original plan, with a traditional design-bid-build delivery method, would have required 15 separate contracts and taken 20 years.

Reynolds, Smith and Hills of Jacksonville serves as the corridor design consultant. The firm accelerated the preliminary design process and is submitting permits.

The project spans 10.5 mi from Interstate 95 to the Interstate 75/Sawgrass Expressway. More than 200,000 cars a day use I-595. The 8.4 mi of reversible toll lanes will be built at grade in the median, after the existing westbound lanes are shifted north.

The project includes widening, replacing or building 60 new bridges. Additional roadwork includes reconstruction of on and off ramps to use a braided or elevated system; connections to State Route 84, a frontage road; and a provision for future mass transit within the corridor.

FDOT will retain the toll revenue and control the rates, using variable tolling, with higher charges during busy times. The state aims to maintain a speed of 50 mph on the road. FDOT will pay the concessionaire an annual fee, an availability payment. An availability payment with the state assuming risk also makes it possible for the concessionaire to obtain financing less expensively, O’Reilly says.

The four consortiums short-listed by FDOT for the project include ACS Dragados-Macquarie Partnership, with lead engineering firm Earth Tech of Miami and lead contractors Dragados USA of New York and Grandi Labori Florida (GLF Construction Corp.) of Miami; Direct Connect Partners, with lead engineering firm HDR Engineering of Tampa and lead contractor Fluor Skanska JV, a joint venture of Skanska USA Civil of Orlando, and Fluor Enterprises of Greenville, S.C.; Express Access Team, with lead engineering form PB Americas of Tampa, and lead contractor a joint venture of PCL Civil Constructors of Tampa and Archer Western Contractors of Jacksonville, Fla.; and I-595 Development Partners, with lead engineering firm Jacobs Engineering Group of Tampa and lead contractor Construction JV, comprised of OHL SA of Madrid, Spain, Community Asphalt of Hialeah, Fla., and Condotte America of Miami.

Proposals are due May 27, 2008, with selection planned for July 2008. The state agency expects construction to begin in 2009, with completion in 2014. Source: Engineering News-Record. By Debra Wood

Hoar Construction Working on Orlando’s SoDo Project

Hoar Construction of Orlando was recently awarded additional work at SODO, a mixed-use development south of downtown Orlando. Hoar Construction started sitework for the project last spring. Work under the new $32 million contract includes construction of a 487-space parking deck and approximately 172,000 sq ft of office and retail space.

Hoar expects to complete this work in fall 2008.

SODO is being developed by a partnership between North American Properties, Kimco Realty Corp. and Wood Partners. When complete, the development will contain approximately 370,000 sq ft of retail and restaurant space, 75,000 sq ft of office and 300 luxury residential units.  Cupkovic Architecture is designing the project.

Skanska is CM for State Nursing Home in St. Johns County

Skanska USA Building has been selected as the construction manager for the new State Nursing Home for Veterans in St. Johns County by the Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs.  The project will be located on 15.3 acres in the World Commerce Center in St. Augustine.

The state veterans’ home will have 120 available beds for veterans, with 60 beds devoted to patients suffering from dementia-related illnesses.

Harvard Jolly is the architect.

Skanska and the Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs are pursuing LEED certification for the project, which is scheduled to be completed in late 2009.

Spanish Firm Poised to Pursue Transportation PPPs in Florida

Global Via Infraestructuras, a global developer of major urban highway projects, has opened an office in Miami and hopes to grow its presence in South Florida and throughout the United States by participating in public-private partnerships. The company is jointly owned by FCC Construction, the construction subsidiary of FCC Group, a $13.5 billion conglomerate providing long-term public infrastructure support, and Caja Madrid, a 300-year-old Spanish savings bank that invests in public works.

GVI is currently partnering with Broward County-based Bergeron Land Development; Weekley Asphalt, an asphalt paving contractor; HNTB Corp. of Fort Lauderdale and Miami; and Infrastructure Corp. of America, a Tennessee-based asset maintenance management firm that currently manages about 2,000 lane mi of interstate and state roads for the Florida Department of Transportation.

$42M Apartment Community Planned for Tampa’s Westshore

A joint venture of Atlanta-based Pollack Partners and Tampa-based Mainsail Development Group plans to start construction this summer on a $42 million luxury apartment community near Tampa’s Westshore area.

The gated community will have 320 one- and two-bedroom apartments.

Weitz Starts on Wellington High Auditorium 

The Weitz Co. of West Palm Beach has started construction on a new auditorium at Wellington High School for the School District of Palm Beach County. Designed by MPA Architects, the three-story building is approximately 31,000 sq ft, with 806 seats. Features include a stage with full fly loft to accommodate an Off-Broadway play, sound and lighting systems, a pit area for stage rigging, catwalk, spot platforms, green rooms, dressing rooms and a technical workshop area.

Duke Realty to Develop Unilever Distribution Centers

Unilver has retained Duke Realty Corp. of Indianapolis to develop a build-to-suit distribution facility at Westlake Industrial Park, in Jacksonville. This 772,000-sq-ft industrial facility is scheduled to be complete in September 2008.

Duke is also developing another Unilever distribution facility in Wilmer, Texas, near Dallas.

Catalfumo is CM for $30M Seahorse Condo

Catalfumo Construction and Development of Palm Beach Gardens, has been named construction manager for the $30 million Seahorse condominium project in Delray Beach. The project includes four three-story buildings with 42 luxury condominium residences.

The project is designed by ACI Architectural Group, a division of STH Architects of West Palm Beach, and developed by the JFP Group.

Baker Barrios Designs Phillips View Office Tower

Baker Barrios Architects of Orlando has completed design plans for a 12-story mixed-use development to be located in southwest Orlando. The 327,000-sq-ft project will feature retail space, office space and a six-story, 460-car parking garage.

Le Royal is the owner/developer of the $48 million project. Construction is slated to complete by April 2009.

CORE Construction Building Apartments in Fort Pierce

CORE Construction of Orlando was awarded an $11.4 million contract to build Madison Cay, a development featuring 10 two-story apartment buildings with 132 units in Fort Pierce.

The 35-week construction project was scheduled to start construction at the end of 2007.

Miller Construction Building Four SW Florida Furniture Stores

Miller Construction Co. of Fort Lauderdale is moving forward on contracts totaling $29.5 million to build four new stores for City Furniture and Ashley Furniture HomeStores in Fort Myers and Naples.

In Fort Myers, Miller Construction has begun infrastructure work for the 31-acre Alico Lakes Village mixed-use center. Anchoring the center will be an 80,000-sq-ft City Furniture and 34,000-sq-ft Ashley Furniture HomeStore, to be built by Miller with separate entrances and a connector.

In Naples, Miller has launched construction of an L-shaped complex that will include a connected 56,500-sq-ft City Furniture store and a 31,500-sq-ft Ashley store.

Roger B. Kennedy Tops Out City Centre Project

Roger B. Kennedy of Altamonte Springs recently topped out its Park View at City Centre project, an eight-story, mixed-use building located in  Kissimmee.

Park View, the taller of the two buildings being built under the Kennedy organization’s $19.3 million contract for City Centre, is composed of retail, office condominiums, 31 residential condominiums and structured and surface parking. A second, three-story building that topped-out earlier this year, includes retail space and two levels of office condominiums.

The two, mixed-use buildings total 268,000 sq ft. Completion is planned for April.

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