PROJECTS AND OPPORTUNITIES
Tampa Bay's third tallest
building readying for
construction Tampa-based development firm
Mercury Advisors plans to begin
construction of the third tallest
building in the Tampa Bay Area in
early 2019, according to 83 De-
grees. Dubbed Elevé 61, the 382-ft tall,
35-story building will offer just two
units on each floor. Each unit will
have three bedrooms and three
bathrooms in approximately 2,500
sq. ft.
The project is designed by Or-
lando-based architectural firm Scott
+ Cormia.
Last month, Mercury Advisors
announced obtaining a construction
loan for $74 million. The firm
bought the Elevé site at East Whit-
ing St. and Channelside Dr. in 2006.
Construction of the tower will
begin early next year and is ex-
pected to take 18 months.
GCM building new
warehouse/office complex in Fort Myers
GCM Contracting Solutions says
that it will build a new warehouse
and office complex for Naples-
based landscape management
company Greenscapes in Fort
Myers. The 10,000 sq. ft. facility, located
on Lee Rd. in south Fort Myers, will
be used by Greenscapes to store
and service lawn equipment, as
10 – SUMMER 2018 — Florida Construction News
well as hold business meetings and
conduct staff training.
GCM says that it will use tilt-up
concrete construction to build the
one-story warehouse. The project is
expected to be completed this fall.
“The new facility has a modern
design with distinct architectural el-
ements, and its interior features
both office space and large ware-
house areas to securely store
equipment and chemicals,” Robert
Brown, owner and president of
GCM, said in a statement.
GCM selected Southview Stu-
dios to provide architectural serv-
ices for the Greenscapes project.
McDonald’s to spend
$186M to upgrade 240
restaurants across Florida
McDonald’s says that it will in-
vest around $186 million throughout
2018 and 2019 on the construction
and modernization of 240 restau-
rants across Florida.
In total, McDonald’s and fran-
chisees are investing $6 billion to
modernize most U.S. restaurants by
2020. Florida preparing to
build $814 million bridge
linking Hillsborough and
Pinellas counties
The Florida Department of Trans-
portation (FDOT) will spend $814
million to design and build a new,
eight-lane Howard Frankland Bridge
linking Hillsborough and Pinellas
counties, The Ledger reports.
Credit APALAPALA/Wikimedia Commons
The bridge would feature eight
lanes of traffic and a bike and
pedestrian trail. The contract will be
bid in December 2018.
The state expects to award the
bid in 2019. Construction is sched-
uled to begin in 2020, with the
bridge opening in 2024.
The transformed restaurants will
feature modernized dining rooms
with, digital self-order kiosks; re-
modeled counters; digital menu
boards inside and at the drive-thru;
new parking spots for curbside
pick-up through mobile order and
pay; and expanded McCafé coun-
ters and larger display cases.
“This is an exciting time for Mc-
Donald’s and we’re proud to be in-
vesting nearly $186 million to
provide a new experience, look and
feel for guests at 240 McDonald’s
locations across Florida,” McDon-
ald’s owner/operator Anthony Lopez
said in a statement. “We are also
pleased that our modernization sup-
ports local architecture, engineering
and construction jobs across the
great state of Florida.”
The news release is one of sev-
eral posted for different markets
around the nation. It does not an-
swer the question about how con-
tractors and subtrades can bid on
these projects. Florida Construction
News has invited McDonald's to
provide further information on the
process to follow to bid the work.
PROJECTS AND OPPORTUNITIES
West Palm Beach:
Kravis Center to undergo
$50M expansion
The Raymond F. Kravis Center for
the Performing Arts, a West Palm
Beach landmark known for hosting
world-class musical, dance, and
dramatic performances, is getting
ready for a $50 million expansion
project designed by architecture,
engineering, and interior design
firm LEO A DALY.
Contractors win $57 million
FDOT Miami multimodal
project The Florida Department of Trans-
portation (FDOT) has awarded the
contract for the $56 million Golden
Glades Multimodal Transportation
Facility in Miami-Dade County to
LEAD Engineering and Construction
and partner Kaufman Lynn (KL) Con-
struction. The iconic theater, originally de-
signed by Eberhard Zeidler with
LEO A DALY as associate architect,
will receive a number of upgrades.
These include increasing the size of
the Dreyfoos Hall Lobby, imple-
menting new technology through-
out, creating a pedestrian-friendly
plaza, adding a new valet parking
garage, building a new
entrance/exit ramp to the existing
garage and improving traffic flow
on and around the campus.
“Over the next 22 months, the
Kravis Center will begin to trans-
form into an even brighter beacon
for Palm Beach County,” Judith
Mitchell, CEO for the Kravis Center,
said in a statement. “The Kravis
Center welcomes more than
500,000 guests every year, and this
expansion will accommodate a
growing base of customers with ex-
panded ease of accessibility to
enjoy our schedule of perform-
ances.” Weitz Co. will serve as the gen-
eral contractor, while Wantman
Group will provide landscape de-
sign. Construction is expected to be
completed in 2020.
tionality of the interchange, and will
more efficiently accommodate
pedestrians and travelers of all ages
and abilities. The completed project
will include 10,450 sq. ft. of retail
space, a 4,500 sq. ft. transit hub,
over 1,700 parking spots and 53
truck spaces, maintenance facility,
truck wash, bicycle parking and
lockers. “The LEAD team looks forward
to working with FDOT, Miami-Dade
Transportation and Public Works,
Kaufman Lynn Construction and all
other stakeholders on this exciting
project to deliver a state-of-the-art
multimodal transportation facility
with all the required infrastructure
and systems to service our commu-
nity at its gateway, the Golden
Glades Interchange,” Mauricio Gon-
zalez, president and CEO of LEAD
Engineering Contractors, said in a
statement. Construction underway
on $400M mixed-use
development in Ocoee
The state-of-the-art park-and-ride
hub will act as a gateway to Miami-
Dade County and will unite several
modes of transportation, including
bicycles, cars, buses and the Tri-
Rail. “Kaufman Lynn Construction is
ready to deliver a state-of-the-art fa-
cility with all the required infrastruc-
ture and systems,” says KL's chief
operating officer Chris Long.
“Our plan is focused around en-
suring a positive and safe user ex-
perience whether it is by car, bus,
taxi, carpool, Uber/Lyft or Tri-Rail.
We also understand the challenges
of keeping the facility operational
during construction and Kaufman
Lynn is committed to working with
LEAD and all the stakeholders for
the successful completion of this
important FDOT project.”
The new multimodal facility will
upgrade the aesthetics and func-
Park Development Corp. is build-
ing the $400 million City Center
West Orange project near State Rd.
429 and State Rd. 408 in Ocoee.
The project will include retail
shops, condominiums, restaurants,
hotel and offices. It is being devel-
oped on 100 acres of lakeside prop-
erty facing West Colonial Dr. near
the junctions of SR 429, SR 408 and
the Florida Turnpike.
Planning includes approximately
500 condominium homes, a con-
vention center, hotel, recreational
trails and more than 500,000 sq. ft.
of retail and commercial space.
Florida Construction News — SUMMER 2018 – 11