KM/Plaza, a South Florida-based full-service general contractor and construction manager, has changed its name to Plaza Construction Group Florida, LLC.
Plaza Construction also secured two new projects exceeding $100 million. Founder Brad Meltzer, President of Plaza Construction Group Florida, LLC, will continue to lead Plaza’s Southeast Regional operation, as he has done for the past eight years. In making the announcement, Meltzer added that Plaza commenced work May 16 on The Perry South Beach Hotel, Resort, Spa and Condominiums, a $100 million beachfront redevelopment by The LeFrak Organization, Starwood Capital Group and Invesco Ltd. Upon its completion in late 2013, the 17-story, 294,000-sf transformation will be re-branded and offer 345 guest rooms and 259 condominium residences.
HKS, Miami, serves as architect for the project except for restoration of the existing façade by Nichols Brosch Wurst Wolfe & Associates Inc., Coral Gables.
Meltzer also announced that Plaza commenced work June 20 on the Dadeland Mall Kendall Wing Expansion, under its contract with Simon Property Group, Indianapolis.
Having first demolished 94,000-sf of existing space, Plaza is now constructing a new two-story, 102,000-sf mixed-use, retail and restaurant expansion, and is renovating 47,227-sf of mall space. Plaza’s scope of work also includes reconstructing the mall’s front entry, installing new escalators, and connecting bridge walkways with unique cantilevered features. Plaza is also adding two-levels totaling 98,816-sf atop an existing three-level garage and enhancing 172,352-sf of outdoor parking, fountains and ancillary space. Designed by 505 Design, Boulder, Colo., and CCA Design + Architecture, Miami, the expansion and modernization project is slated for completion in March 2013. +
Related Stories
| Dec 7, 2010
Product of the Week: Petersen Aluminum’s column covers used in IBM’S new offices
IBM’s new offices at Dulles Station West in Herndon, Va., utilized Petersen’s PAC-1000 F Flush Series column covers. The columns are within the office’s Mobility Area, which is designed for a mobile workforce looking for quick in-and-out work space. The majority of workspaces in the office are unassigned and intended to be used on a temporary basis.
| Dec 6, 2010
Honeywell survey
Rising energy costs and a tough economic climate have forced the nation’s school districts to defer facility maintenance and delay construction projects, but they have also encouraged districts to pursue green initiatives, according to Honeywell’s second annual “School Energy and Environment Survey.”
| Dec 2, 2010
GKV Architects wins best guest room design award for Park Hyatt Istanbul
Gerner Kronick + Valcarcel, Architects, PC won the prestigious Gold Key Award for Excellence in Hospitality Design for best guest room, Park Hyatt Macka Palas, Istanbul, Turkey. Park Hyatt Maçka Palace marries historic and exotic elements with modern and luxurious, creating a unique space perpetuating Istanbul’s current culture. In addition to the façade restoration, GKV Architects designed 85 guestrooms, five penthouse suites, an ultra-hip rooftop bar, and a first-of-its-kind for Istanbul – a steakhouse, for the luxury hotel.
| Dec 2, 2010
U.S Energy Secretary Chu announces $21 Million to improve energy use in commercial buildings
U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced that 24 projects are receiving a total of $21 million in technical assistance to dramatically reduce the energy used in their commercial buildings. This initiative will connect commercial building owners and operators with multidisciplinary teams including researchers at DOE's National Laboratories and private sector building experts. The teams will design, construct, measure, and test low-energy building plans, and will help accelerate the deployment of cost-effective energy-saving measures in commercial buildings across the United States.
| Nov 29, 2010
Data Centers: Keeping Energy, Security in Check
Power consumption for data centers doubled from 2000 and 2006, and it is anticipated to double again by 2011, making these mission-critical facilities the nation’s largest commercial user of electric power. Major technology companies, notably Hewlett-Packard, Cisco Systems, and International Business Machines, are investing heavily in new data centers. HP, which acquired technology services provider EDS in 2008, announced in June that it would be closing many of its older data centers and would be building new, more highly optimized centers around the world.
| Nov 29, 2010
New Design Concepts for Elementary and Secondary Schools
Hard hit by the economy, new construction in the K-12 sector has slowed considerably over the past year. Yet innovation has continued, along with renovations and expansions. Today, Building Teams are showing a keener focus on sustainable design, as well as ways to improve indoor environmental quality (IEQ), daylighting, and low-maintenance finishes such as flooring.
| Nov 29, 2010
Renovating for Sustainability
Motivated by the prospect of increased property values, reduced utility bills, and an interest in jumping on the sustainability bandwagon, a noted upturn in green building upgrades is helping designers and real estate developers stay busy while waiting for the economy to recover. In fact, many of the larger property management outfits have set up teams to undertake projects seeking LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance (LEED-EBOM, also referred to as LEED-EB), a certification by the U.S. Green Building Council.
| Nov 23, 2010
The George W. Bush Presidential Center, which will house the former president’s library
The George W. Bush Presidential Center, which will house the former president’s library and museum, plus the Bush Institute, is aiming for LEED Platinum. The 226,565-sf center, located at Southern Methodist University, in Dallas, was designed by architect Robert A.M. Stern and landscape architect Michael Van Valkenburgh.
