9631 MCCULLOUGH AVE.
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IN THE NEWS
June 26, 2009
Best Mixed Use: Plaza Las Campanas
Summary: A mixed-use development located at the southeast corner of Huebner and Loop 1604 delivers top-notch restaurants in a quaint Mexican village-style project.
Award Winners: REOC Development LLC, developer; Middleman Construction Co., general contractor; Luna Design Associates Inc. & MDN Architects, architects; Moy Civil Engineers, Inc., civil engineers; Persyn Consulting Engineers, Inc., structural engineers; DBR Consulting Engineers, MEP engineers; REOC, broker; Chicago Title Insurance Company, title insurance.
Size of the Deal: One 77,751 square-foot, three-story office building; one 30,446 square-foot, two-story retail complex, three restaurants and a three-story parking garage on 11 acres.
Timeline: In 2005, AML purchased property and approached REOC about developing it; REOC signed on for the deal in 2006; ground was broken in 2007; retail tenants, restaurants moving in during 2008.
Plaza Las Campana offers the best of two worlds. Located on the intersection of Huebner Road and Loop 1604, The Mexican colonial architectural style makes this new development feel like an oasis in the midst of one of San Antonio’s most densely trafficked highways. With three high-end restaurants on-site, including Brasserie Pavil and Eddie V’s Roaring Fork and Wildfish, the mixed-use development solidifies Loop 1604 as being home to some of the best restaurants in the city, attracting customers from all over San Antonio, says Todd Gold, president of REOC Development.
After buying the land on the southeast corner of Huebner and Loop 1604 in 2005, AML Properties tapped REOC to develop the lot. When Gold heard about the available land, he did not want to develop a typical cookie-cutter, rectangular box retail design plan. Gold presented AML with his vision of a mixed-use development, marked by a Mexican-inspired architectural style and a unique design. He signed the deal in January 2006.
Leading with architect Robert Luna from Luna Design Associates, REOC also enlisted the help of architects at Bradford Lawton Design Group. Together they brewed up the distinguished look and feel of an intimate Mexican village to Plaza Las Campanas that includes custom-designed tiles and five ornamental bells throughout the complex.
"I don't take credit for (Plaza Las Companas), it was a collaborative effort," Gold says. "We work with a good creative group that thinks the way we want them to think."
After ground was broken on the project in April 2007, executives ar Eddi V's Restaurants approached REOC about opening their first restaurant in San Antonio. Within six months, a deal was signed to build Wildfish Restaurant and Roaring Fork Restaurant on the complex. Soon after Brasserie Pavil, a French brewery reminiscent of authentic Parisian brasseries leased space.
Even in the midst of the difficult economic times, REOC kept its focus on design integrity and quality, says Kenneth Wolf, CFO at REOC. Principles always considered the complex’ impact on the community five years to 10 years in the future.
"So far every tenant that has come here really has come to Plaza Las Campanas not just because they wanted to be at Huebner and 1604, but I think because they wanted to be in a project of this quality," Wolf says.
With the office building already 60 percent occupied, the finishing touches on the complex are now in the home stretch. The retail building, the last one being built is slated to be completed in June.
High Quality Standards
The detailed architectural character and winding roads that hug every building throughout Plaza Las Campanas bring an Old World feel to the development. Gold insisted the utility lines be placed underground. While that required digging through rock and cost over $1 million, the result – open Texas sky – was worth it, Gold says.
REOC also designed the back of the buildings to look like the front façade to eliminate the industrial look of simple loading docks and ramps.
What's more, the office building features punch-out windows, intended to give neighbors of Plaza Las Campanas a stronger sense of privacy from the commercial development.
Another characteristic of the complex is the lighting features, designed to face downward, rather than out to the sky. The effect: a more intimate, village-feel during the evening hours.
An Oasis
Nestled in the intersection of Huebner Road and Loop 1604, Plaza Las Companas is centrally located amid the hustle and bustle of Loop 1604, yet its south-of-the-border design conveys a relaxing atmosphere to its visitors.
Since Jaime Goodwin moved his business, San Antonio Jewelry, from Loop 410 and Vance Jackson to Plaza Las Campanas, overall sales have increased significantly. Goodwin who did not disclose specific figures, says moving to the new location got him closer to 80 percent of his clientele. Being within walking distance from three upscale restaurants, Goodwin says, gives his business an added source of customers.
Aside from numbers and sales figures, Goodwin who travels to Mexico with his wife often, says he enjoys the look and feel of the complex. "It's like going from your home to another home," he says.
The jeweler also procured the help of Robert Luna to design his store. Soft Southern western colors, faux painting and custom-designed display cases add to an inviting retail atmosphere.
"I wanted people to come in and feel at home," Goodwin adds.
In search for a larger, more upscale office space, Billy Lemons, executive vice president of Flatrock Energy Advisors, a private equity management firm specializing in oil and gas investments, compared the availability, amenities and reputation of property groups for several offices throughout the city. Ten months after beginning his search, the firm moved to Plaza Las Companas in March.
"We pretty quickly came to the conclusion that this is where we wanted to be," Lemons says his team of nine employees finds the property to be more accessible and less trafficked.
"Huebner is a great back door for people in Sonterra or Blanco," Gold says, "There’s no angry traffic here."
Because Lemons and his team manage relationships with both energy companies and institutional investors, it’s beneficial to have three high-quality restaurants on the same location to entertain their clients and our business relationships.
"It adds a lot to the convenience of our business and the ability to entertain those clients," Lemons adds.
After hosting several out-of-town clients, Lemons says everyone was favorably impressed with the new office space. "We're very pleased and very proud to be here," Lemons says.
October 2008
In the Mix - Myriad of Western U.S. Mixed-Use
Projects Blend Form and Function
Americans today increasingly strive to spend less money on gas and make a smaller impact on the environment while having everything they need to live, work and play within reach. It's a tall order, but mixed-use construction fits the bill-offering everything from luxury condos stacked on top of restaurants to high-end retail intertwined with entertainment venues and corporate offices sharing land with public institutions.
Much of the western United States, with its sprawling cities and booming populations, has proven to be ripe for mixed-use activity. Billion-dollar and small-scale projects alike are moving forward despite the shaky economy, with developers sometimes electing to place residential components on hold until market conditions improve.
Owners and designers also are focusing on making individual buildings within developments unique, yet unified. Contractors must be ready to work with a variety of materials, manage schedules with phased openings, and take on new leadership roles when it comes to executing plans and solving problems.
Wave of the Future
A major factor driving mixed-use construction is population growth and the needs that go along with it. For example, many corporations relocating to San Antonio are putting down roots in the northwest suburbs, where their employees likely will live. With the nation focused on rising energy prices, developers like REOC Partners, Ltd. are zeroing in on what these residents will need by bringing shopping centers, restaurants and offices into the mix.
About a year ago, REOC Partners completed a 10-acre, $20 million mixed-use development called La Arcata with the help of San Antonio-based Middleman Construction Company. The project consists of a three-story, 100,000-square-foot office building with a 500-space parking garage; a two-story, 92,000-square-foot retail center; and two out-parcel retail buildings located across a new public roadway.
Two landmarks resembling an ancient Roman aqueduct system greet motorists approaching La Arcata, as well as signal that the buildings on either side of the road are tied together. This Tuscan theme continues throughout the development with the use of clay tile roofing, crumbled sandstone masonry, brick pavers, ornamental metal work, stone archways, handcrafted light fixtures and travertine tile floors custom-quarried in Spain.
"San Antonio has been relatively immune from the bust-boom cycle," says Robert Keeper, vice president of Middleman Construction. "As our city grows and we have less property, these themed properties are going in. The themes differentiate developments and make them more marketable."
The theme-based features also required Middleman to go beyond the normal services offered by a general contractor. During preconstruction, for example, the firm provided a variety of masonry and EIFS samples so the desired Tuscan look could be achieved without going over budget.
"We spent time coordinating upfront with the owner and two architects to make sure we had a blended, seamless design," Keeper says. "It looked like a single complex and we were charged with making certain that was the final effect." Combined with a revision to the foundation design and the utilization of onsite rock millings for site fills and grading, Middleman's suggested material substitutions helped save the owner approximately $200,000 without jeopardizing aesthetics.Appearance also is a key component of Metreon, a $33 million mixed-use development about to open six miles off the Las Vegas strip. Developed by Kennedy Commercial, the horseshoe-shaped project's first phase consists of 110,000 square feet of shops, restaurants and offices that display modern southwestern flair. (Slabs have been poured for two five-story residential towers, but this phase is on hold until the condo market rebounds.) "Each building has three to four different styles of elevation," says Jack Breslin, president of Las Vegas-based Breslin Builders, Metreon's general contractor. "The owner wanted to use a lot of iron, and the metal roofing has an interesting appeal from the street level because of the different look it takes on." Raw plaster finishes, split-faced masonry block, glass storefronts, exposed balconies and metal canopies-along with a desert color scheme and native Southwestern landscaping-help bring together the overall look. Yet, no two buildings are exactly alike. "With a lot of different elements playing together, each part of the building has a different look," Breslin says. "It makes it look like individual buildings are stacked on top of one another. It's a pretty interesting, boutique mixed-use idea." Metreon is positioned on 5 1/2 acres just outside the Summerlin master-planned community in an upscale, up-and-coming part of town. There's easy access to the freeway and the bus line stops nearby. "Las Vegas is a very mobile town; it's spread out," Breslin says. "We're seeing more people interested in proximity and having things where they can live and work. Mixed-use is the wave of the future, especially in the outer areas of Las Vegas."
More Than Meets the Eye
Another mixed-use term proving to be the wave of the future is smart growth (also called new urbanism), which revolves around efficient land and transportation use. According to www.smartgrowth.org a subset of the Sustainable Communities Network-principles of smart growth include providing quality housing for residents of all income levels, encouraging stakeholder collaboration, integrating mixed land uses, creating walkable urban villages, preserving open spaces and providing a variety of transportation options.
Pringle Creek, a 32-acre mixed-use community still under development in Salem, Ore., hits on all of these points.
"Smart growth has different definitions," says Don Myers, president of Sustainable Development, the project's owner. "We wanted to make sure we started with the land itself. Smart growth starts with maintaining trees, enhancing the landscape and treading lightly on the ground as we develop."
Sustainable Development only plans to build on 20 of the 32 acres, leaving 12 acres open to green infrastructure, such as the revitalized creek, parks, and community greenhouses and orchards. Eighty percent of existing trees have been saved as well.
Additionally, several existing buildings are being restored and repurposed. An old root house is now a community wine cellar, a rehabilitated painters' hall is now a community center, another structure is poised to become a restaurant, and four other commercial pads could see new life as anything from a wellness center to a bed and breakfast.
All eight commercial lots are aiming for LEED Platinum certification. Recycled concrete, metal and wood are used whenever possible, and all buildings in the community use 100 percent Forest Stewardship Council-certified lumber.
Green elements also infiltrate the residential side of the development, which encompasses 139 lots. (Lots are still available; Myers expects the community to fill out in three to five years.) Homes must meet LEED Silver standards, and 26 dwellings plan to be carbon neutral. All housing materials are sourced within 100 miles of the community.
"We also wanted to use the latest techniques in urban planning," Myers says. "Each subdivision is designed to facilitate different housing-cottages, row homes, tall houses and attached homes. Smart growth not only looks at the development of land and infrastructure and implementing alternative energy and solid construction practices, but also makes sure there is a diversity of housing price points."
Located just three miles from downtown Salem, the community is connected to local bus service and bike trails. Biodiesel is sold to members of a co-op, and a community car-sharing program may be available in the future.
Myers says the Pringle Creek team has pushed the envelope on every aspect of the project, and nowhere is that more evident than the community's infrastructure. The narrow, curbless streets exude a private, natural feel. But, there's more to the road system than aesthetics.
"They might look like nice, narrow streets that slow down traffic, but really the street system is a stormwater management system," Myers says. "Our engineers and contractors designed a street system that captures 90 percent of rainwater through bioswales and the ground, and then returns it to the aquifer."
Sustainable Development and its team of architects and engineers called on North Santiam Paving Co., a design-build firm in Stayton, Ore., to help develop a pervious road system that would aid their stormwater management goals.
"This was a whole new concept. Most of the time, you want roadways to be impervious to water," explains Bill Lulay, an engineer and project manager with North Santiam Paving. "We worked with the team to come up with a base system that would be durable as well as pervious. The roads had to work long term, as well as be strong enough to hold up the short-term construction traffic."
Lulay says the team settled on a quarry-like rock that performs well in winter weather, yet lets water run through. North Santiam finished paving last spring and recently won a first place award from the Asphalt Pavement Association of Oregon.
Because no one has built a road system that uses both porous asphalt and concrete, the City of Salem was hesitant to take ownership of the streets as it normally would in residential subdivisions. So, a homeowner's association was created to own and manage the streets, and the city only took over the community's sewer and water infrastructure.
North Santiam also served as the project's site contractor, performing excavation and utility work for the community's power, sewer, water, telephone and cable needs. The company constructed geothermal lines to heat and cool commercial and residential structures, as well as reclaimed a concrete bridge from a state highway project for use crossing the creek-saving the owner money and incorporating yet another recycled element into the community.
"The owners allowed us to consider different options. We gave them the project they wanted, but sometimes implemented it in a different way," Lulay says. "A lot of players were involved, and we called on their expertise because if you don't do it right, it's a disaster. This was a real team effort."
May 2002
Middleman Construction Co. /
Lacks Furniture Store
Middleman Construction Company was founded in 1998 and currently employs 12 personnel. In its fourth year in business, the general contracting firm was awarded the Lacks Furniture Store project at Bandera Pointe Shopping Center. The 45,000 sf, single-story retail construction project had a 5-month timeline. "We were asked to meet a very aggressive schedule," explained President, Mark Middleman, "because Lacks wanted to hit a January 2002 opening and had a severe penalty clause for not making their moveout date from their San Pedro location. We made it for them, in spite of some weather delays we had to contend with during the latter part of the year. And there is no doubt we were able to make this deadline because of the relationship with our subcontractors. They put forth the additional labor and weekends to deliver this project on time and most importantly, on budget."
An expansive studio feeling, achieved with an open truss recessed ceiling and specialized lighting effects, pervades the store's interior. Painted black, the ceiling seems to disappear into space. On this particular project there were electrical lighting specifications that Lack's had never used before. To create special lighting effects, Jeff Wagstaff, Facility Solutions Group, was brought in for consultation. "The specialized lighting fixtures," Jeff noted, "are concealed in black housings and suspended with aircraft cable. Our goal was to utilize the spot lighting to create comfortable and dramatic effects to enhance the furnishings and the settings in which they are displayed. The light fixtures gave us the ability to direct our light, reduce the general illumination, focus on individual pieces and to create the right mood, if you will."
Among the other challenges faced by Middleman Construction was Lack's interior design scheme. The "look" that Lack's wanted to incorporate, with regard to paint and wall covering, required tedious attention to detail. The store features multiple, individual vignettes against which furnishings and accessories are displayed. It required about 60 different wall coverings and a variety of painted finishes. A conscious effort to place lighting, locate the spotlights in exact positions and fine-tune the interior decor were among Middleman's final endeavors before move-in and Lacks Grand Opening party.
The start date was August 13, 2001, with completion on Jan. 7, 2002. Mark credits his Operations Vice President Mike Bunger, who handled the day-to-day operations and subcontractor coordination. "We give a lot of credit to the Buie Painting crew," Mike emphasized, "whose depth of experience brought extraordinary detail to the interior finish. The project coordination was handled well in the field, and we have a good team of subs who are accustomed to working together. That is an asset when they're working in close quarters and on a tight schedule. Without a doubt, skillful communications are the key to the success of every project." Mark's gratitude extends to his talented and competent staff, first and foremost. Among them are Lead Carpenter Efren Martinez and his crew, Kenny Hernandez and Martin Romero, who stepped up to the plate and worked long hours to assist Lack's in perfecting the interior aesthetics. "Also, as in all of our projects," Mark concluded, "the subcontracting community made doing what we do possible. We commit to deadlines, through contract negotiations, with the full understanding that we're going to rely heavily on our subcontractors to get the work done. They always seem to pull through, and I give them great credit."
The primary professionals and subcontractors on the project included: Architect: Enviroplan Architects /Planners; Civil Engineer: Bury Partners; Structural Engineer: Hunt & Joiner Inc.; MEP Engineer: Lippe & Associates; Landscape Architect: TBG Partners; Testing; Raba Kistner; Concrete: Urban Concrete; Electrical: Rentz Electric; Plumbing: H.J. Otis Plumbing; Structural steel/joists: Hill Country Steel; Steel erection: South Texas Erectors; Mechanical: Beyer Mechanical; Masonry: Texas Contractors; Stucco: A&R Lath & Plaster; Roofing: American Roofing & Metal; Waterproofing: Tal-Tex Waterproofing; Glass: Associated Glass, Ltd.; Drywall: Mesquite Interiors; Painting: Buie Painting; Partitions/accessories: Ed Flume Building Specialties; Fire protection systems: Young Brothers Fire Protection; Lighting consultant: Facility Solutions Group; Landscaping/irrigation: Texas Allied Landscaping; Overhead/dock doors: Tex-Door, Inc.; and Doors/frames/hardware: Hutchinson Supply.
Friday, February 27, 2009
Contractors navigating uncharted waters in development doldrums
In 1986, Tim Swan and Steve Schuetze co-founded Metropolitan Contracting Co. Ltd. It was a year that was, as Swan recalls, "the absolute valley of the construction industry." But not even that valley could prepare Swan for what he had to do late last fall: Lay off 23 employees.
"We had 85 families who depended on us for their livelihood," Swan says. "We couldn't protect all 85. We had to make the smart moves (then) to protect as many families as we could. ... If you don't make the hard adjustments in a down-turned market fast, you will be behind the 8-ball."
The current clampdown on financing in the real estate industry has left many projects by private developers on the sidelines. And as those projects grind to a halt, so too does a major funding source for the construction firms that have catered to this niche.
It's a frustrating factor of the business right now, says Paul Basaldua, who is the director of business development for locally based civil construction firm Yantis Co. His firm currently has roughly 15 projects that are in a holding pattern as the clients work to secure funding.
"The commercial work is there. We believe there is pent-up demand for projects," Basaldua adds. "But developers can't get the financing." Sums up Basaldua about the industry: "We all have to find ways to get lean and mean and keep the lights on."
It's out there
Metropolitan enjoyed a record year in 2008 - to the tune of $98 million in total commercial billings. By comparison, in 2007, the company reported billings of $81.3 million. Initially, based on the number of quality prospects that the firm had lined up, 2009 looked to be another promising year, Swan says.
"But then we saw the challenges that might be looming," he adds. The calls started coming in that projects were on hold - in some cases indefinitely - as funding for developments dried up. That meant having to re-budget, and thus re-staff, for a revised, leaner budget plan for 2009, says Swan, who adds that the firm's final workforce reductions were made in December.
As the last days of 2008 came to a close, Swan was ready to welcome in the new year with a company that was now in prime competitive condition, and ready to take on work. The first week of January came and went. "It was a very quiet phone," Swan says. "The second week of January, it was a very quiet phone. The third week of January, it was a very quiet phone.
"And then came the fourth week," Swan continues. "And the phone lit up." In the past three weeks, Metropolitan has made formal presentations on eight projects, including a few in the $30 million range. Of those eight projects, contracts for work have been finalized on three, Swan says. "It will be an OK year," says Swan of 2009. It won't be like 2008 was, he adds, but the firm will "finish in the black."
Public-sector trail
While Middleman Construction Co. LLC has worked on projects all over Texas, for the last five years it has been fortunate to be able to concentrate on work within the greater San Antonio area, says Mark L. Middleman, president of the locally based contractor. These days, the firm is broadening its horizons, and is once again traveling out of town to bid on some projects as well.
The company has also broadened its reach in terms of its client base. Once focused exclusively on work in the private-equity sector for private developers, Middleman Construction is now doing some projects for public-sector clients. Case in point is the new fire and police station as well as the new city hall that the firm is building for its client, the city of Helotes.
The public sector can indeed be a profitable arena. To date, about 80 percent of the projects by Bartlett Cocke General Contractors are educational facilities, says Kirk Kistner, vice president of marketing and business development for the firm. In 2007, Bartlett Cocke reported total commercial billings of $343.5 million. A year later, the figure was $461 million. The prospect of finding opportunities through publicly funded projects has led more firms to seek out this work. It's a phenomenon that has made for an industry in which local firms are finding increasing competition, from not only fellow home-grown players, but out-of-town firms as well.
Bartlett Cocke was recently awarded a contract to build a new school for North East Independent School District. In the past, such a project would garner a handful of bidders. On this latest project, Kistner's firm was one of 13 construction firms that submitted bids. Yantis, meanwhile, recently bid on a water-detention project in Seguin. Basaldua says a total of 28 firms bid on that project - several of them non-local contractors. "Everyone is jumping after the same work," he adds.
Shame on us
But there is still work to be chased, industry officials say. Yantis, for example, was recently awarded the contract to build University Way - a main boulevard to be developed off of Loop 410 South to feed into the new Texas A&M University campus.
"We're kicking and scratching to find jobs," says Basaldua, whose firm also has an office in Austin and is securing work in that city. For 2008, Yantis reported total commercial billings of $110 million - up from $98 million in 2007.
Middleman Construction - which reported billings of in excess of $25 million for 2007 and 2008 - is staying busy with not only municipal work, but large-scale projects like the retail/office development Plaza Las Campanas on the city's far North Side.
So too is Metropolitan - the general contractor behind high profile projects such as the Pearl Brewery redevelopment near downtown. "I keep reminding everybody (at Metropolitan) the world has not come to an end. We've only made a radical, hard adjustment," Swan says. "Things will come back around, and how much fun that is going to be." "We took it for granted," adds Swan, referring to the breakneck speed at which contractors were working during the recent boom. "Shame on us," he says. "How much more we will appreciate it when it does come back around."
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Fire, police stations could break ground in April
The Helotes City Council last week approved drawings for new police and fire stations, as well as a time line that could break ground in mid-April.
Mark Middleman of the Middleman Construction Co., presented the color renderings, site plan and floor plans for the planned stations at the Feb. 12 regular meeting. The schedule calls for subcontractor bids to be issued in April, and Middleman said he expects the cost to be in the neighborhood of $4.5 million. When he submitted his company's qualifications last fall, said Middleman, he was unaware of the project's history.
The requests for qualifications were issued in March 2006, but the project followed a torture path from the beginning. After an arduous search and several interviews, the previous mayor and council chose Tom Parker as the architect, but after several months, Parker's plans and documents remained incomplete, and the proposed cost of $6.2 million exceeded the $6 million budget.
Eventually, Parker, for reasons never disclosed, declined to complete all terms of the contract. After Parker's withdrawal (and a new mayor and council), the city started again with, but this time with a design-build concept - essentially seeking proposals from companies that could both design and build the two buildings.
Middleman, which already had the contract to rebuild the burnt structures in Helotes Shopping Center across Bandera Road from City Hall, was awarded the contract in October 2008.
Middleman said that the one feature of the previous plan that concerned Mayor Tom Schoolcraft and members of the council - a water pond - was not in his design.
He explained that he was able to avoid building the pond by moving the fire station several yards to the north, which he placed much of the pavement and building outside the aquifer line. His site drawing showed the aquifer line running diagonally through the fire station site but mostly outside of the police station grounds.
With less impervious cover inside the aquifer line, Middleman said the project could use filter strips, which are grass swales that will capture and filter runoff, allowing rain water to seep down into the earth.
He said that the building designs have been approved by the two chiefs. The fire station will be 18,000 square feet, and the layout would permit later additions if needed. The police station will have an area for future dispatchers at the entrance. This possibly is discussed every summer as the city receives yet another fee increase from the Leon Valley Police Department.
Part of Schoolcraft's plan all along was to bring the stations in significantly under the earlier estimates and use some of the remaining money for fire and police equipment - such as dispatching gear. This would relieve the city of the dispatching fees but would add salaries for dispatchers. Surrounding communities may wish to hire Helotes' dispatching service as the area grows, bringing in revenue to balance expenses. That remains to be seen, but the extra space can be used by the department in the meantime.
Schoolcraft said that the plan was on schedule for the projected completion in January 2010, but Middleman said the departments should be able to move into their new spaces in mid-to-late December while final details are being completed.
Councilman David Legendre said that the new council (he, Ed Villanueva and Cynthia Massey were elected last May) faced a difficult decision. Either renew the contract with Parker and fight to reduce projected costs, thus keeping the schedule; or start hoping to reduce the costs in the knowledge that this would delay the schedule by a year. Legendre said that the latter course was the more responsible to taxpayers. On his motion and Villanueva's second, the council approved site plans and schedule 4-0, with Councilman Jeff Ellis absent.
July 24, 2008
S.A. firms win
construction awards
Two San Antonio construction firms have won national Excellence in Construction Awards from the Associated Builders & Contractors. Two San Antonio construction firms have won national Excellence in Construction Awards from the Associated Builders & Contractors.
La Arcata is a 10-acre Tuscan-themed office and retail development with crumbled sandstone masonry, clay tile roofing and ornamental metal work. It is located at the intersection of Stone Oak Parkway and Loop 1604. SpawGlass Contractors Inc. received a first-place award in the $25 million to $99 million category for its work on the McAllen Convention Center in McAllen, which has a 60,000-square-foot exhibit hall with infrastructure to support 120 acres of future site development.
Representatives of both companies received the award last month at a celebration at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C. The award honors all construction team members, including the contractor, owner, architect and engineer. Bluegreen shares jump on acquisition news Bluegreen Corp., a developer and seller of time-share vacation properties, almost doubled in New York trading after agreeing to sell itself to closely held Diamond Resorts International for $500 million.
Bluegreen has developed three upscale communities in the San Antonio area and also has communities near Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, Luling and College Station. Bluegreen, based in Boca Raton, Fla., rose $5.81, or 90 percent, to $12.25 in New York Stock Exchange trading. Valero cuts production due to stormy gulf San Antonio-based Valero Energy Corp. has reduced production rates at refineries in Port Arthur and Houston because ships bearing crude oil for the plants are stalled in the Gulf of Mexico. Stormy seas created by Hurricane Dolly are preventing the vessels from reaching the Texas coast.
"We don't have a timetable for getting back to regular rates," spokesman Bill Day said, but the company plans to return to full production soon. Valero, the nation's largest refiner, has 16 plants, including six in Texas. Its Port Arthur plant has a capacity of 325,000 barrels a day and the Houston plant 130,000 barrels a day. New wine vendor coming to Park Oaks Water2Wine, a wine vendor that offers tasting and custom bottle labeling, is coming to the Park Oaks Shopping Center.
The company has signed a 3,333-square-foot lease at the center on U.S. 281 just north of Thousand Oaks Drive. Transwestern represented the landlord, RPD Catalyst. Barshop & Oles Co. represented the tenant. This is the second Water2Wine in San Antonio. The other is in Castle Hills. There are also stores in Boerne, Fredericksburg and New Braunfels.
Copyright ©, 2008, San Antonio Express-News. All Rights Reserved.
Record Number: 12942787
Friday, September 22, 2006
Construction firm is working
to build stronger foundation
Locally based Middleman Construction Co. LLC has made some changes among its personnel.
Robert Keeper, who previously served as a project manager with the firm, has been named vice president of Middleman. Keeper, who joined the company two years ago, has 30 years of experience in the construction industry -- including work on medical and educational projects. Michael Bunger has been named executive vice president of Middleman Construction. Bunger, who previously served as vice president, was a co-founder of Middleman -- which entered the city's general contracting scene back in 1998.
While Middleman has never been a firm too interested in titles, the new monikers better reflect Keeper's and Bunger's roles in the firm, co-founder Mark Middleman says. Case in point is Keeper. Middleman Construction originally marketed itself as a firm focusing on office, industrial and retail construction. But Keeper's background in health care, industrial and office construction and mixed-use development, has enabled the company to round out its resume.
Meanwhile, Bunger's role includes the overall management of field operations, as well as the critical task of forming relationships with the city's subcontractors, Middleman says. "We don't take lightly our relationships with subcontractors," Keeper adds. "We want our subcontractors to want to work for us."
Projects now in the works by Middleman Construction include La Arcata, an office/retail development located on 11 acres of land in North San Antonio's Stone Oak community. The developer of that project is locally based real estate firm REOC Partners Ltd.
Middleman is also working on the Park North project -- a new retail center being developed on the grounds of the former Central Park Mall by San Antonio-based Hill-Granados Retail Partners LLC.
Middleman has created a niche for itself by concentrating on negotiated and design/assist projects, as opposed to going through a bid process for jobs. To date, about 90 percent of its jobs have been negotiated, Middleman adds.
This process has allowed Middleman Construction to work not only with the larger regional developers, but private entrepreneurs as well. "That's so much fun," Middleman says. "These entrepreneurs come to us with their business -- their baby. And we're able to help them through the process. That is the most rewarding part of our job.
The company has 20 employees -- not bad for a firm that started with just Middleman and Bunger back in the late '90s.
If the name behind the firm sounds familiar, that's because Mark Middleman is the son of Barry P. Middleman -- one of the founders of MDN Architects Inc. here in San Antonio. "It's a difficult mantle, says Mark Middleman of working in a town that holds out so much respect for his father. "But I like that added pressure."
Birnbaum Property
A new retailer in San Antonio may soon have a neighbor. Locally based Birnbaum Property Co. (BPC) is marketing a new shopping center on the city's Northwest Side.
The project will be located on 4.34 acres of land at the southwest corner of Loop 410 and Bandera Road. Plans call for about 15,000 square feet of space. Right now, it is simply known as the Bandera Road & Loop 410 center.
The development will be adjacent to a 99,000-square-foot box that was once occupied by Minneapolis-based Target Corp. As previously reported by the Business Journal, Kennesaw, Ga.-based Floor & Decor Outlets of America recently inked a lease for 60,000 square feet of space in that property. The Floor & Decor store is set to open in early November. Both the Bandera Road center and Floor & Decor are poised to benefit from being located in the sector of the city that is going to see a huge residential boom over the next decade. And as the adage goes -- retail follows the rooftops. Both properties are also situated at one of the busiest intersections of the city.
The existing retail doesn't hurt things either. Neighbors for BPC's center and Floor & Decor include Wal-Mart, H-E-B, Old Navy, Ross Dress For Less and several fast-casual and sit-down restaurants.