Southeast On the Scene: September 2023
Photo courtesy Skanska USA
Skanska USA has completed work on the $72-million Coachman Park in Clearwater, Fla. The redevelopment of 19 acres within the 24-acre park in the city center includes construction of a shaded bluff walk to increase connectivity to the city’s downtown, new gardens and a scenic lake. Situated on an elevation unique to Florida’s coastline, the project team focused on enhancing the unparalleled views of the Intracoastal Waterway and downtown Clearwater. Its crown jewel is a 4,000-seat covered concert venue with a capacity for 5,000 on the connected lawn. Designed by Stantec Engineering, the renovation encompassed building a modern pirate-themed playground featuring $1.2 million of new equipment, an interactive splash pad and lake with pedestrian bridge.
Construction materials company Ozinga has opened a cement terminal at the Port of Palm Beach, Fla., on July 27. It is a one-of-a-kind cement storage facility designed in cooperation between Ozinga, the Port of Palm Beach and the city of Riviera Beach to enhance the visual landscape and complement the marine environment. Utilizing unique methods of cement transport, Ozinga will receive and store international shipments of cement at the facility, which will be transported to other locations for use in the production of ready-mix concrete.
Clayco began construction on Phase 1 of the 2,000-acre, 3-million-sq-ft VinFast Electric Vehicle Manufacturing Campus in Chatham County, N.C., where the company will produce 150,000 electric vehicles annually. Constructed in partnership with Albert Kahn Associates, the campus is expected to begin producing vehicles in 2025, with primary manufacturing buildings for production and assembly as well as additional support buildings including office, training facility, central energy plant and finished vehicle area.
Photo courtesy Matern Professional Engineering
Matern Professional Engineering and Brightline have completed work on the Orlando Brightline station inside Orlando International Airport. The state-of-the-art high-speed train is directly connected to the airport and will link millions to the facility. Matern incorporated engineering systems into the airport’s existing infrastructure and, in collaboration with Borrelli + Partners, ensured adherence to the fluid design scope established by Orlando International Airport and Brightline. The project required consistent communication with manufacturers to make custom elements for the design as well as engineering components that will properly augment the airport’s existing electrical, HVAC and sanitation systems. Work on the project started in 2014, with Matern joining in 2018. The station spans 37,350 sq ft in the heart of the airport’s new 80,000-sq-ft Terminal C extension, connecting to the airport’s parking deck C.
Photo courtesy Jonathan Hillyer/Jonathan Hillyer Photography
Project management firm HPM has completed work on the construction of Auburn University’s Tony and Libba Rane Culinary Science Center, a 142,000-sq-ft complex that will facilitate hands-on immersive learning experiences for students pursuing careers in hospitality and culinary sciences. The facility includes Class-A training kitchens and restaurants, labs, brewery, retail food hall, boutique hotel as well as a tasting-menu-only restaurant on the first floor. HPM provided preconstruction and construction services on the project and worked closely with design teams during planning stages. It also managed communication with partners and subcontractors and managed the bidding of a separate utility and enabling works package for the contractor.
Coastal Construction has topped out the University of Miami’s Centennial Village, a residence for 2,000 students and the fourth construction project Coastal has topped out for the university. VMDO Architects teamed with Zyscovich Architects to design the project, which is the second phase of a multiyear plan to modernize campus housing and will serve as a hallmark of the Coral Gables campus. In addition to double rooms and an increased offering of single rooms, the new residential colleges will feature centrally located private bathrooms, shared resident lounges and collaborative academic spaces.
