Focused Construction News’ Post

Network Space Developments has secured planning permission for four new industrial units at its site on Welcomb Street, Openshaw, in Manchester. https://lnkd.in/e8x-332X #commercial #planning #success #manchester #logistics #cityworks

Network Space Developments (NSD) has secured planning permission for four new industrial units at its site on Welcomb Street, Openshaw, in Manchester.Bought by NSD in 2022, the former Manchester College site covers four acres and will be redeveloped to form an extension to the adjacent City Works Business Park. https://lnkd.in/g6WNjENQ #manchester #industry

Leading tile industry supplier snaps up the last spot at Prologis Park Pineham in Northampton Prologis UK, a leading investor, owner and developer of logistics property, announces a new lease with Pro Tiler Tools, part of Topps Group, a leading supplier of high-quality tiles and tiling equipment, for DC2 at Prologis Park Pineham, in Northampton, bringing the park to full occupancy. Following a comprehensive refurbishment, the nationwide brand has signed a 15-year lease to use the unit as a base for future growth plans.  The refurbishment was designed with sustainability and operational efficiency in mind, raising the 138,192 sq ft, distribution centre to an EPC A rating. The finished space features LED lighting, a fully-electric office, EV parking, rainwater harvesting whilst the roof is already futureproofed for solar PV.  The high-specification building is equipped with 12 dock doors, two level access doors and a clear internal height of 12.5 metres, and is due to be fitted-out with racking through the Prologis Essentials platform. Ash Patel, Head of Property at Topps Tiles, said: “Finding the right partner and location was key when looking to expand our operations, and Prologis and their Pineham Park was just that. Being close to our existing operation for our staff, whilst also having the prime distribution location by J15A M1 perfectly meets our logistical and operational needs. The Essentials platform that Prologis offers has also been of real benefit. https://lnkd.in/e_V8-RT2

Saving and repurposing older buildings is an important part of saving the personality of an area.

MIX MANCHESTER - the £1bn, 60-acre, office, advanced manufacturing and R&D hub - has received approval from Manchester City Council. Georgina Baines, Director of Landscape Architecture at Planit comments: “We’re delighted to hear MIX has received the green-light for the 2m sq ft site next to Manchester Airport. We’ve led on the masterplan development, together with Sheppard Robson, knitting together one of the largest manufacturing and innovation spaces in the UK that will provide thousands of new jobs for the region. As lead Landscape Architects, the aim is to deliver a well-connected, green and thriving neighbourhood for its mix of occupants. Active travel cycle lanes and paths will be used site-wide. Trees, pocket gardens and green public spaces will bring nature in to create health and wellbeing value and an increase in biodiversity.” #regeneration #jobs #economy #innovation #neighbourhood #biodiversity #nature #trees #leisure #visitors #cycleRoutes #wellbeing

If you hated the renovation and reconstuction of the North Ave bridge at the river, just wait for the Chicago Ave bridge! This location is going to change dramatically in the next 1-2 years with the multiple developments about to break ground. -Bally's Casino is going to go up on the west side of the river as well as 4 mid-rises and a river walk and boat slip. -Onni Group is building on the old Greyhound Bus Station site at 901 N Halsted. Split into four phases, the proposal will produce up to 2,650 residential units, office space, retail space, and a hotel. 1,470 parking spaces will be located on site, but mostly underground. 20 percent of the units will be designated as affordable and be located onsite, interspersed between buildings and unit types. South of the Chicago Ave bridge, between Ohio & Chicago Ave and Halsted St and the river are 4-5 proposed high-rises. These projects have not been approved yet. #patrickobriendreamtown #patrickobrienrealtor #chicagoilpropertiesforsale #chicagodevelopments #onnigroup #ballyscasino #ballyscasinochicago #realestateexpert #chicago #chicagoskyline https://lnkd.in/gZw-fJne

Part 2: The Challenges of a Towering Legacy The Empire State Building, a beacon of human achievement since 1931, stood as a testament to human ambition. Yet, when it came to a mechanical retrofit project, this very grandeur presented a unique set of obstacles. The sheer size of the building was daunting. Encompassing 102 floors and over 2.7 million square feet, retrofitting every system seemed like an insurmountable logistical and financial challenge. But the challenges didn't stop there. The Empire State Building wasn't just any office building; it was a landmark, a symbol etched in the city's history. The team had to tread carefully, ensuring that any upgrades respected the building's historical integrity. This meant striking a delicate balance between implementing cutting-edge technologies and preserving the essence of this architectural marvel. Further complicating matters was the ongoing occupancy of the building. Tenants bustled about their daily routines, oblivious to the potential disruption a retrofit project could cause. The team had to devise a meticulous plan, minimizing the impact on daily business activities. These interwoven challenges demanded ingenuity. The team needed creative solutions that could not only deliver significant energy savings but also ensure the continued legacy and smooth operation of this iconic structure. #EmpireStateBuilding #RetrofitRevolution #SustainableLandmark #GreenRenovation #EngineeringIngenuity #BuildingEfficiency #PreservingHistory #NYC #SustainabilityGoals #FutureofWork #BuiltEnvironment #Innovation #TenantComfort #EnergySavings #MechanicalRetrofit #ArchitecturalMarvel

New article on CJI (Clapham Junction/London/UK): 🚉 🚂 Liverpool Street Station Redevelopment: A Preview of Clapham Junction's Future? As Clapham Junction station awaits its masterplan (expected 2025), Network Rail has presented an updated £1.5bn design for Liverpool Street Station. The controversial scheme features 97m-tall office towers and raises important questions about station modernisation. Key aspects: -Heritage preservation challenges -Previous CJ proposals included 40-storey developments -Public consultation importance -Balance between commercial and transport needs This project offers valuable insights for other major London transport hubs facing modernisation. Read the detailed analysis: https://lnkd.in/ehKwB2Vx #Infrastructure #ClaphamJunction #NetworkRail #London #Transportation #UrbanPlanning

We’ve all been wondering what to do with all the aging buildings in NYC’s business district. Well on March 26th I was lucky enough to learn from some folks who have done something about it. CoreNet Global New York City Chapter’s Public Policy and Landlord Committees held a forum to “explore ways to address NYC’s aging commercial real estate stock with experts from Hudson Square Properties and WRNS Studio, along with the Mayor’s newly appointed Executive Director of Getting Stuff Built. Transformational projects like 555 Greenwich in Hudson Square and Amazon’s repositioning of the landmark Lord & Taylor building shed light on how neighborhoods can be reinvigorated. Input from the City informs what and how government processes are changing to help promote improvement.” The speakers included: Benjamin Rodney Vice President, Construction / U.S. East Region, Hines Kyle Elliott Partner, WRNS; and Robert Holbrook Executive Director of Get Stuff Built, Office of the Mayor of New York City. The event was in Hines’ beautiful and technologically advanced 555 Greenwich Street building, inspiringly designed by COOKFOX Architects . I just learned from my friend and industry colleague, Maxinne Leighton, PhD, Assoc. AIA of JBB that 555 Greenwich, who’s MEP systems were designed by Jaros, Baum & Bolles is one of American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC)’s 2024 Engineering Excellence Award winners. “Completed as New York City’s first entirely fossil-fuel-free commercial office building, it employs a revolutionary infrastructure that breaks new ground for sustainable design. The project team had to overcome both the challenge of designing thoroughly sustainable systems for a first-of-its kind building—and then coordinating those systems with those of 345 Hudson—the existing building to which 555 Greenwich was being attached. The solution was an ingenious and intricate weave of innovative systems—dedicated outside air units, geothermal heating and cooling, industrial scale air-source heat pumps, radiant heating and cooling, increased air filtration.” One of my favorite slides of the evening was when Robert was showing us some examples of where older commercial buildings had been converted to other uses such as residential, higher education, hospitality and life science. It was great to see Darrien M. Pinkman Katie Schiavi, WELL AP Mindy Williams Larry Charlip and so many others from the CoreNet community! #corenetnyc #Commercialconversions #repositioning #adaptivereuse #sustainability #CityofNewYork #publicpolicy #rezoning

I read with interest the latest column from Colin Farquhar in the P&J where he references the Shell building demolition. Colin rightly asks “What to do with such a building if no one else wants it” and goes on the suggest the use of former commercial properties by arts organisations up and down the UK. Great idea, but in reality the costs involved in maintaining and operating old buildings of this scale are astronomical, along with the health implications of continued use or refurbishment (disturbing) of buildings containing lead paint, asbestos and other hazardous materials that were commonly used when for example, the Shell building was constructed back in the 1970's. In his final comment, Colin asks if the closure of the “golden building on Tullos Hill (is) symbolic of an energy industry which is stumbling toward its end, or simply one that is changing, transforming and adapting as the world moves on?”  I think the move by Shell to Silverfin building was trailblazing, has had an immediate positive impact on the city, and I hope was a call to action not only to the stragglers in surrounding industrial estates, but also to commercial property developers to look more closely at opportunities in the city to develop Grade A office accommodation, sorely in short supply. And to achieve global warming energy efficiency targets for buildings, this may very well include the consideration to demolish more of the vacant or sparsely occupied, monolithic dinosaurs taking up valuable space in our city centre to build high quality, energy efficient and desirable multi-purpose buildings, designed with recycling / repurposing in mind (when the time comes). Turner & Townsend's Head of Commercial Development and Project Management, Real Estate, Nick Clare joined industry experts for a roundtable discussion hosted by Property Week which explored best practices for delivering high-quality, future-proof offices in a fast-changing world for the workplace industry. I found the piece on Repurposing v Rebuilding really insightful. You can read the full article about the discussion in Property Week. https://bit.ly/4bc0PxL What do you think? #Aberdeen #futurebuildings #Realestate