Plaza Midtown Announced; Construction to Start in September

Daniel Corp. and Selig Enterprises Inc. recently announced development plans for The Plaza Midtown, a 20-story, 550,000-sq.-ft. mixed-use development featuring 452 high-rise residential condominiums in two towers, and 70,000 sq. ft. of retail, dining and entertainment space. The 3.3-acre site encompasses an entire city block located between the Midtown MARTA station and Georgia Tech's Technology Square.

Construction is slated to begin in September 2004 with first units available in first quarter of 2006.

Plaza Midtown will feature one- and two-bedroom floor plans. The project also includes construction of an 881-space parking deck. A Publix Supermarket will anchor the ground-level retail space, occupying 33,600 sq. ft. Remaining retail space of over 35,000 sq. ft. will offer boutique shopping, restaurants and entertainment.

Birmingham, Ala.-based Daniel Corp. will develop the residential component and Selig will own, lease and manage the retail component.

Value of May Contracts Soars by 27 Percent

The value of contracts for future construction in the state of Georgia increased by 27 percent in May, compared to the same period of a year ago, McGraw-Hill Construction reported. Georgia's May contracts totaled nearly $2 billion, roughly $400 million ahead of the value of contracts signed in May 2003.

In May, the nonbuilding sector continued to be the greatest percentage gainer, improving by 87 percent over last year's $107.6 million to end up at the most recent total of $201 million. Residential moved up by 28 percent to total nearly $1.3 billion for the month, ahead of last May's $1 billion. Nonresidential also increased, improving by 10 percent from a year ago to total approximately $484.7 million.

For the year-to-date, Georgia activity is 19 percent ahead of 2003's pace. Residential is 26 percent ahead of the first five months of 2003, with approximately $6.1 billion reported so far in 2004. The second-largest market, nonresidential, is 9 percent ahead of a year ago, with roughly $2.2 billion of contract value reported to date. Nonbuilding's strong May brought this sector to an 11 percent growth rate for the year, with just over a $1 billion total.

ABC of Georgia Members Assist Charity's Mission

Recently, members of Associated Builders & Contractors of Georgia volunteered to help make MUST Ministries' job a little easier by applying their construction skills to some projects around the poverty-focused charity organization's facilities in Marietta.

With a task force of approximately 20 construction workers and industry professionals, the team corrected drainage problems at the site, refurbished an on-site playground and fixed up a donated job trailer to augment MUST's free medical clinic.

"We learned that a small trailer where free medical services are offered was inadequate to accommodate the crowds waiting for treatment," said ABC Community Involvement Chair Sam Stiteler. "The volunteer doctors and nurses from nearby Kennestone Hospital lacked sufficient private examination space and people were forced to stand outside in the cold and rain waiting for treatment."

To alleviate some of those problems, ABC members first rounded up an old job trailer that provided the needed space. While one crew worked to upgrade and install that unit next to the facility's existing trailer, another group addressed some of the drainage issues that also plagued the site by digging a drainage ditch to catch rain runoff.

ABC volunteers also constructed a walkway between the two trailers complete with a roof, stairs and handicap ramp to allow weather-proof access from one unit to the other.