In today’s news at constructiondaily, we will look into the first construction project in the United States to be finished by MVRDV, which is the Radio Hotel and Tower, located in upper Manhattan. D-FW has set a new standard for industrial construction in the United States. In light of the current construction boom, the officials of New Hanover seek to eliminate tree limitations along US 421. The most sustainable manufacturing facility in the United States has been constructed by PepsiCo.
Upper Manhattan’s MVRDV building is a “colorful vertical village”
Original Source: MVRDV’s first U.S. building creates a ‘colorful vertical village’ in upper Manhattan
The Radio Hotel and Tower in upper Manhattan is MVRDV’s first completed U.S. project. Located in New York’s Washington Heights, the concept is touted as a colorful “urban hamlet” providing “much-needed hotel, office, and hospitality amenities”
The $300 million mixed-use project consists of stacked blocks whose proportions are based on nearby buildings. The tower’s distinctive color scheme features eight various shades of glazed brick, inspired by local shopfronts.
Winy Maas, MVRDV’s founding partner, said Washington Heights has a unique and interesting character. The Radio Hotel and Towers’ design was inspired by the neighborhood’s modest blocks, which we stacked to create a vertical village. The project’s brilliant hues make it a beacon for this portion of the city.
Workshop/APD mirrored the building’s exterior inside the 221-room hotel. Hotel restrooms mirror the brightly-colored blocks outside, and the building’s stacked shape creates outdoor terraces and roof decks for each block.
The interior offers ground-level retail shops and over 16,000 square meters (172,000 square feet) of office space, while the tower’s 12th floor contains an event area called ‘Above The Heights.’
Our editorial features numerous recently-completed MVRDV projects, including the Radio Hotel and Tower. In July, we studied the firm’s post-pandemic interior makeover for Shopify in Berlin.
D-FW industrial building tops in the U.S.
Original Source: Record D-FW industrial building is tops in the U.S.
In North Texas, industrial buildings have increased dramatically.
More than 76 million square feet of warehouse and distribution space is being built in Dallas-Fort Worth, according to Cushman & Wakefield.
In recent years, industrial development has doubled. Market watchers predict construction will decline in the coming months.
“While the development pipeline remains high, we expect new building to slow over the next couple of quarters,” said Nathan Orbin, executive managing director of Cushman & Wakefield Dallas office. With strong user demand and decreasing supply, rent will rise next year.
Most industrial buildings are in southern Dallas County (21.8 million square feet) and North Fort Worth’s AllianceTexas area (15.8 million square feet).
Dallas-Fort Worth leads in industrial building sales and construction.
While much building is speculative, builders are backing away from no-leasing projects.
With high building costs and rising loan rates, several developers have eliminated land sites, says Cushman & Wakefield’s David Eseke.
Developers have finished 26 million square feet of D-FW industrial buildings in 2022. Cushman & Wakefield reported 26.7 million square feet of net leased space in the third quarter.
D-FW warehouse leasing reached 13.9 million square feet in the third quarter.
Pegasus Logistics leased 754,473 square feet in North Fort Worth, and Crate & Barrel leased nearly 700,000 square feet in Dallas County. South Fort Worth’s Samsung leased 670,914 square feet.
End-September vacancy rate in North Texas warehouses was less than 5%.
E-commerce and population growth in the D-FW area have boosted distribution space leasing.
Kurt Griffin, Cushman & Wakefield executive managing director, said demand is driving the market and keeping vacancies below 5%. We predict rents to continue to rise over the next few months as rental prices reflect inflation.
New Hanover leaders want to remove tree regulations on U.S. 421
Original Source: Amid building boom, New Hanover leaders look to loosen tree regulation on U.S. 421
Local politicians are exploring changing tree laws in New Hanover County’s industrial corridor as development surges.
The proposal would change the area’s tree retention policy, but environmental advocates encouraged New Hanover County’s Board of Commissioners to delay a vote Tuesday night.
The back-and-forth highlights tensions in New Hanover County between those safeguarding the Longleaf pine habitat and those pushing for expansion along U.S. 421. Just northwest of Wilmington, a number of new enterprises have announced plans to build there, including an Amazon distribution hub.
The tree ordinance modification was one of several suggested updates to the county’s new Unified Development Ordinance. New Hanover County’s Planning and Land Use Director Rebekah Roth said the modifications will add to or clarify the existing plan.
New Hanover staff addressed the tree idea after hearing from industrial developers about complying with tree retention laws while erecting massive warehouse-type facilities. In a rule-change letter, Tyler Newman, CEO of Business Alliance for a Sound Economy, said many of the county’s tree retentions were built for residential areas, not large-scale development.
Roth said other North Carolina counties have looser tree retention rules for industrial zones. Developers in New Hanover County must submit a tree survey as part of the development process and designate existing trees as “documented,” “major,” or “specimen” depending on the species and size.
Unless removal is essential, significant trees must be kept. If you remove a “major” tree from your land, you must replace it or pay a fee.
The amended tree retention policy will allow builders in the US 421 area to skip mitigation for removing “significant” and “specimen” trees. Roth informed the board of commissioners that planning officials changed the proposal as new information emerged.
Environmentalists, including the Alliance for Cape Fear Trees, are upset. As of Tuesday evening, 821 people had signed a petition to delay the ordinance. Cape Fear Tree Alliance members, many wearing green as a sign of resistance, asked the board to defer action on the tree retention policy.
Connie Parker, head of Cape Fear Tree Alliance, was concerned about the adjustment’s impact on trees along U.S. 421 being designated as a “maintenance change” instead of a “policy change.” Parker said a “maintenance” category would limit the tree alliance’s involvement to the planning board.
Parker and other alliance members fear the revisions might allow developers to “clean chop” land along U.S. 421 and remove longleaf pine trees and other aspects of New Hanover County’s ecosystem.
Parker: “We know the development headwinds.” Preserving the tree canopy doesn’t contradict growth and development.
Jim Gregory, a board member of the Alliance for Cape Fear Trees and NC State forestry professor emeritus, assessed 12 spots along the corridor.
Longleaf and laurel pines dominated the sandy dunes. Gregory says Halyburton Park is the only similar ecosystem in New Hanover County, and he fears the alteration could destroy a unique habitat.
“That destroys the final remnant of this region’s ecosystem,” he stated. This proposed amendment will allow developers to clear-cut land without saving any natural vegetation.
Andy Wood, director of the Coastal Plain Conservation Group, said cutting trees along U.S. 421 will harm an endangered species. At least 25 woodpecker groups or families live along U.S. 421 in Pender County, says Coastal Plain Conservation Group’s Carson Wood.
Carson Wood says it’s possible the woodpeckers live on New Hanover’s side of US 421.
PepsiCo builds most sustainable U.S. plant
Original Source: PepsiCo Building Most Sustainable U.S. Manufacturing Facility
PepsiCo Beverages North America (PBNA) broke ground this week on a 1.2 million-square-foot factory in Denver, CO. Local government officials, community partners, and 250 PBNA staff attended.
The new factory will be PepsiCo’s largest domestic outpost and a blueprint for future PBNA projects.
Erica Edwards, Senior Vice President of Supply Chain, PepsiCo Beverages North America, West Division, said Denver’s sustainable practices and trained workforce attracted PepsiCo.
The 2023 High Point site will have three times the manufacturing capacity of its current facility and will create 250 new jobs in Denver. All 250 personnel will be retrained on the new equipment.
The new facility features:
- PepsiCo Beverages North America’s 1.2 million-square-foot factory sits on 150 acres.
- 100% renewable electricity, best-in-class water efficiency, and reduced virgin plastic use are 2030 pep+ goals.
- 10 production lines with expansion potential
- The facility will employ 500 people.
- Warehouse ASRS holds 82,000 pallets.
- Pepsi, Pepsi Zero, Gatorade, bubly, Rockstar, Propel, etc.
Summary of today’s construction news
Overall, we have discussed the United State’s first project as a “Colorful Vertical Village” in Upper Manhattan, New York’s Washington Heights that will be finished by the MVRDV. The number of factories in North Texas has risen considerably. The Dallas-Fort Worth area is home to the construction of over 76 million square feet of warehouse and distribution space. Since the rate of growth has increased in New Hanover County’s industrial corridor, local lawmakers are considering amending the current tree restrictions in the area. PBNA broke ground construction on a 1.2 million-square-foot facility in Denver this week. This will be PepsiCo’s largest domestic manufacturing and a model for future PBNA initiatives.
