West Georgia Health System Selects Team for Hospital Expansion

The West Georgia Health System Board of Trustees recently selected KLMK Group as program manager, McCarthy Building Cos. of Atlanta as construction manager and Ellerbe Becket of Washington, D.C., as architect for the hospital's $60 million expansion and renovation project in LaGrange. The project will include the construction of an emergency room, intensive care unit, cardiology services, women's center and overall building improvements.

The pre-construction phase will include development of the initial schematic design, a master budget and the overall schedule for all project activities. If the WGHS Board of Trustees chooses to proceed with the project at the end of this phase in early 2006, the board will extend its contracts with the construction team to oversee the construction phase as well as approve a guaranteed maximum expenditure for the project.

Skanska Awarded Construction of Juvenile Court Facility in Decatur

Skanska USA Building of Atlanta began construction in August on a $27 million juvenile court facility in Decatur in DeKalb County. Turner Associates of Atlanta is the project architect.

The five-story, 110,000-sq.-ft. building will accommodate six courtrooms, 25 holding cells and various administrative areas. The project team is seeking a Silver LEED certification for new construction.

The project is scheduled for completion in the first quarter of 2007.

DPR to Build Red Cross Processing/Distribution Facility

The Southern Region Blood Services division of the American Red Cross has chosen DPR Construction of Atlanta to build a $37 million, 185,000-sq.-ft. blood processing and distribution facility in Douglas County.

DPR begin work at the Douglasville site in July with substantial completion expected by January 2007.

The blood services facility will be built on a 19-acre site in the southern part of Douglas County. In addition to blood processing operations and laboratories, the building will house the headquarters for the Southern Region and the Southeast Division of American Red Cross Blood Services.

Ewing Cole is the project architect.

The new facility will increase the local blood processing capabilities of the Red Cross, improving the agency's ability to process and distribute blood collected in Georgia and other southeastern states from this one centralized location.

Hardin Construction Wins Two More Projects

Atlanta-based Hardin Construction Co. was recently selected by Cousins Properties of Atlanta to build its fourth Avenue project, the Avenue Webb Gin in Snellville. The project consists of 58 acres of sitework, landscape and hardscape for a 320,000-sq.-ft. lifestyle center. The architect is Preston Partnership. Completion is scheduled for October 2006.

Also, The Sembler Co., representing Noro Broadview Holding Co., has hired Hardin to redevelop Lindbergh Plaza, which will consist of several shops, as well as three big-box tenants and a one-level, 360,000-sq.-ft. deck on a 26-acre site in Atlanta. The architect is Robertson Loia Roof of Alpharetta. Completion is scheduled for May.

Georgia Contract Activity Declines 8 Percent in July

The value of contracts for future construction in the state of Georgia decreased by 8 percent in July, McGraw-Hill Construction reported, as all three construction sectors declined during the month. Overall, contracts for the month totaled nearly $2.0 billion, compared to last July's roughly $2.1 billion.

The nonbuilding construction category declined by 19 percent to total approximately $179.9 million, compared to last July's $223 million. Nonresidential contracts also declined, by 3 percent, to an approximately $551.1 million total, compared to the $568.4 million reported a year ago. The value of residential contracts fell by 8 percent to total approximately $1.2 billion for the month, compared to last July's $1.3 billion.

Even so, the value of contract activity is 6 percent ahead of the pace of the first seven months of 2004, with about $14.8 billion in contracts reported. Residential, with approximately $9.2 billion in new contracts, is 5 percent ahead of the same period of 2004. The nonresidential category is now 5 percent ahead for the year-to-date, and totals roughly $3.7 billion. The nonbuilding category is 11 percent ahead of last year's pace, with roughly $1.9 billion in new contracts reported.