Orlando World Center Marriott Renovation

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A white flag with red "Marriott" letteringComing out of the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, people were eager to leave their homes and go on an adventure for the first time in months. Luckily, Orlando World Center Marriott had them covered. In late 2020, the resort reopened after a major renovation project, the price tag of which totaled well into the millions. Digney York Associates served as the contractor for the project. The renovations included three main upgrades:

Lobby Upgrades

The lobby serves as among the first impressions a guest makes at a hotel. The Orlando World Center Marriott wanted to ensure that’s a good impression. That’s why they added multiple new features with modern designs. In addition to an atrium-style space, the lobby now has an outdoor terrace that features two fire pits and overlooks the main pool. The Lobby Bar has been renovated, updated and now includes a sushi bar, creating another dining choice for guests.

Rooms and Suites

On an ideal vacation, you don’t spend too much time in your room. But Orlando World Center Marriott has taken steps to ensure whatever time you are in there is enjoyable. Many rooms and suites have been fitted with a full-size balcony and two chairs to enjoy some private outdoor space with a great view.

They’ve also been improved with new flooring and a new blue and gray paint scheme. All double beds have been converted to queen-sized while most of the bathtubs have been converted to showers. Basically, everything about the rooms is new, from the 55-inch smart televisions to the bed linens, draperies, furniture and décor.

The Golf Course

The resort’s signature golf course – Hawk’s Landing – has been redesigned as part of the renovation, in part to make room for a separate 60,000 square foot expansion of meeting and function space. The course redesign involved renovating the bunkers with capillary concrete liners and converting the putting greens’ grass to Diamond Zoysia. It also involved fully rebuilding three holes, including the 18th. This final hole is now a par 3, 204-yard island green.

At Construction Protection Systems, we’re proud to have played a small part in development of the Orlando World Center Marriott renovation. Stay tuned for more updates from the makers of 1-2-3 Door Shield—the original, reusable door protection system.

TQL Stadium Brings MLS to Cincinnati

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The Cincinnati skylineCincinnati FC is currently in its second season of playing in the state-of-the-art TQL Stadium. The completion of construction in 2021 was the conclusion of a years-long project to bring Major League Soccer to The Queen City.

The Background

Back in May 2015, an ownership group led by Carl Linder III announced it would be bringing a professional soccer team to Cincinnati. The team would play in the United Soccer League, the second division of American soccer, at Nippert Stadium on the University of Cincinnati campus. The team broke USL attendance records, and the ownership group was subsequently granted an MLS expansion franchise. The squad would continue to play in Nippert Stadium on a temporary basis, but they would eventually need a new home with more modern amenities.

The Construction Process

Ground was broken on the new stadium in December 2018 and foundation work began the following July. Work on the project continued right through the COVID-19 pandemic with the upper bowl being completed in spring 2020. With steel work and the canopy roof finished that summer, the grass, seat and scoreboard installations began that fall.

The exterior work was done by Feb. 2021 after permanent signage was installed. The interior work was completed that spring before the field saw its first match between Cincinnati and Inter Miami FC. Populous, MEIS Architects and Elevar Design Group designed the stadium while Turner Construction served as the general contractor, working alongside Jostin Construction. Machete Group provided oversight on the project.

The Stadium

In all, the club’s new home cost more than $250 million, the vast majority of which was paid for by ownership. The 12.4-acre stadium can hold up to 26,000 spectators and contains 59 luxury suites, the most of any soccer-specific MLS venue. In addition to the suites, there are four club areas that will hold more than 4,000 people combined.

The footprint of the stadium is a massive 518,000 square feet. Every seat is covered by the 360-degree canopy roof. There’s also a 360-degree continuous bowl around the stadium in the style of major European soccer clubs. The stadium boasts the largest videoboard in all of North American soccer.

The amenities in the stadium are also spacious as the concourses are 30 feet wide. There are six entrances and a total of 30 bathrooms located throughout the venue. Fans can stay close to the action as the distance from the closest seats to the touchline are 15 feet on the west side of the stadium and 18.5 feet on all other sides.

The players have been well taken care of too, of course. The home team locker room stretches to 10,350 square feet and includes a lounge, coach’s offices, a warm-up area and an athletic training suite. There are also four other team locker rooms and two referee locker rooms.

The stadium is capable of handling a large media contingent as well with a press box seating capacity of 75. There are three TV booths, four radio booths, six broadcast truck bays, an auxiliary media booth and a 700 square foot control room. Fans, meanwhile, can enjoy a 9,000 square foot, two story team store on the Northeast side of the stadium.

The exterior of the stadium is wrapped by more than 500 vertical aluminum fins, which make up an integrated LED video display system. At night, the club lights this up and the entire side of the stadium displays an impressive show of lights that can feature team-positive messaging. There is also a one-acre East Plaza with a large staircase that faces the historic “Over the Rhine” neighborhood.

The stadium is already being used for purposes beyond just Cincinnati FC matches. It’s hosted two Team USA men’s soccer match and one for the USA women as well. Earlier this year, legendary rock band The Who performed on the field.

At Construction Protection Systems, we’re proud to have played a small part in development of TQL Stadium. Stay tuned for more updates from the makers of 1-2-3 Door Shield—the original, reusable door protection system.

Emory Johns Creek Hospital’s Two-Floor Expansion

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A doctor shows a patient who is laying in bed a chartEmory Johns Creek Hospital recently celebrated the first anniversary of the completion of its major expansion project. Two floors were added to the hospital, allowing it to house more patients while also creating the opportunity for further development in the future.

Background

Emory Johns Creek opened in 2007 as a private-room community hospital in Johns Creek, Georgia. The hospital offers advanced diagnostics and surgery, cardiology, bariatrics, orthopedics, obstetrics and gynecology, vascular medicine and oncology. It’s an academic medical center, part of the Emory College School of Medicine’s network of hospitals.

In late 2019, construction began on the expansion project at a cost $61 million for the eighteen-month construction schedule.

The Finished Product

The expansion, which was led by DPR Construction, allowed for 40 additional beds while adding 70,000 square feet to the existing structure. The new space was built with sustainability in mind, so it features large windows for natural daylight, LED lighting fixtures and low-emitting interior finishes.

The sixth floor holds all 40 of the new medical, surgical and oncology patient rooms and three new nurse’s stations. Meanwhile, the fifth floor will mostly remain shell space for the time being. This means it’s unfinished now but can be completed at a later date in a way that meets the hospital’s needs at that time. TMPartners and Frandsen Architects managed the architectural work on the project.

Additionally, the hospital added a new parking deck with 640 spaces for patients and visitors to park free of charge. The parking deck was designed by Collins Cooper Carusi Architects and built by McCarthy Building Companies.

At Construction Protection Systems, we’re proud to have played a small part in development of the Emory Johns Creek Hospital expansion project. Stay tuned for more updates from the makers of 1-2-3 Door Shield—the original, reusable door protection system.

Denver International Airport Gate Expansion

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The Denver International AirportWhen an area experiences enough growth and increased traffic, there comes a point where its facilities are no longer sufficient, and expansion is necessary. This was the case for the Denver International Airport, which recently completed a project to open 16 new gates in Concourse C-East. This expansion will help ensure the airport is able to accommodate a growing number of passengers.

The Project

The airport added 16 gates to Concourse C-East as part of a $2.3 billion gate expansion program, increasing the size of the concourse by about 30%. The concourse, including the new gates, will now be roughly 1,155 feet long – the equivalent to more than five Boeing 747 jumbo jets.

The 530,000 square foot expansion includes new airline support areas, restrooms, nursing rooms, and 20 passenger waiting areas. There will also be an outdoor patio with a view of the prairie that will feature a pet relief area and outdoor seating around firepits, adding atmosphere as well as space.

The project also created room for eight new storefronts, including Aviano Coffee, Bar Dough, Black Canyon Market and Goods, Cholon Modern Asian, Long Peak Market and Goods, Marczyk Fine Foods, Mister Oso and Teatulia Tea, all of which have either already opened or will do so in 2022. Perhaps most importantly, these gates will make room for millions of new passengers to fly in to and out of Denver International Airport. The gates have all been leased by Southwest Airlines.

Holder Construction and FCI Constructors worked together to complete the project while Jacobs Engineering Group managed architectural and design services. The project was paid for through revenue bonds, not through tax dollars.

The Need for Expansion

Denver International Airport has seen major passenger growth over the past quarter-century or so. In just 27 years, passenger volume grew from 33.1 million passengers to more than 69 million. While the COVID-19 pandemic put a dent in that total over the past two years, DEN has been among the fastest recovering airports.

This increase in passengers is at least partially due to the overall rise in U.S. air traffic, but likely also has to do with the growth of Denver itself. The population of the City of Denver grew more than 53% from 1990 to 2020 and is now more than 715,000. The greater Denver Metro area that the airport serves now has more than 3 million people.

Denver International Airport was originally built to handle a maximum of 50 million passengers annually. Further growth beyond that number would have implied crowded restaurants, long lines, a log jam of flights and more. The goal is to alleviate all of those issues via expansion.

What’s Next?

The Concourse C expansion was part of a larger gate expansion project that has been ongoing since 2018 and is scheduled to be completed by the end of this year. Four new gates were opened in Concourse B-West in November 2020. Currently, a project adding seven new gates in B-East and 12 in Concourse A-West is underway, with a scheduled end date in the fall of 2022.

These projects will feature similar facility upgrades to the ones in the Concourse C Project, including at least one outdoor deck in each concourse. The goal is for these new gates to not only accommodate more domestic traffic, but also more international flights.

At Construction Protection Systems, we’re proud to have played a small part in development of the Denver International Airport Concourse C Gate Expansion. Stay tuned for more updates from the makers of 1-2-3 Door Shield—the original, reusable door protection system.

Expansion of Choctaw Casino & Resort Complete

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Poker chips on a casino tableThe expansion of the Choctaw Casino & Resort in Durant, OK has been completed, with the unveiling of the project happening this past August.

The unparalleled expansion features a new hotel tower, additional restaurants and lounges, expanded gaming areas and a variety of entertainment options.

In this post, we will discuss the project in detail including its background, facts, new amenities and more.

Project Background

Tutor Perini was the contractor for this expansion and worked with several architects that included JCJ Architecture and the Friedmutter Group to get this project from concept to completion.

The expansion has created 1,000 new jobs and will help fund much-needed services for Choctaw Nation tribal members for education, infrastructure and more.

The project is estimated to create millions of dollars in economic growth that will improve the lives of all Oklahomans.

Project Facts

The final cost for the 1 million square foot project is estimated at $435 million and included the addition of a 1,000-room hotel tower, casino expansion, additional parking, movie theaters, swimming pools, conference facilities, a fitness center, new restaurants and lounges, a world class collection of Choctaw art and a variety of other new amenities.

A One-of-a-Kind Relaxation & Entertainment Experience

As mentioned above the new hotel, Sky Tower Hotel, has 1,000 rooms for guests of the casino and resort and is 21 stories tall. Its rooms feature traditional king and double beds, and there are suites available as well for those who want to stay in complete luxury. Guestrooms feature modern décor, lavish bedding and spa-like amenities.

The expansion gives visitors six new restaurants to choose from, 11 new bars and lounges, more in-room dining options, as well as a Starbucks on property for those who need a kick start to their morning.

Aside from the new accommodations and dining, guests will be able to soak up the sun at the new 18,000-square-foot pool area, Aqua. This pool area sits on three acres and features an adults-only pool, a family pool, 50 poolside cabanas, 750 chaise lounge chairs and four outdoor venues for food and drinks.

And if you’re coming for the gaming, you’re in for a treat. The expansion has given the casino over 3,000 new slot machines, 40 new table games and a poker room with 30 additional tables.

At Construction Protection Systems, we’re proud to have played a small part in the development of the Choctaw Casino & Resort. Stay tuned for more updates from the makers of 1-2-3 Door Shield—the original, reusable door protection system.

UVA Student Health & Wellness Center Opens

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UVA Student Health and Wellness CenterAfter years of hard work and planning, the 156,000 square foot UVA Student Health and Wellness Center has opened for students and school employees.

The official opening of the four-story building on the University of Virginia’s campus was October 15, 2021, marking the end of a project that took seven years to plan and complete.

Development and Design Participants

While there were many people that were integral to the completion of this project, some names that were instrumental in the planning and execution include UVA’s Office of the Architect, UVA’s Capital Construction and Renovations, as well as VMDO Architects, Duda|Paine Architects and Barton Malow Builders.

Departments/Services

The UVA Student Health and Wellness Center is home to several departments, including Medical Services, Counseling and Psychological Services, the Student Disability Access Center, Health Promotion and Well-Being, and the Radiology and Research department.

Services By Floor

First Floor

Includes the Office of Health Promotion and Well-Being and the Student Disability Access Center, as well as a pharmacy, a teaching kitchen with restaurant-grade refrigerators, a wellness suite for yoga and meditation and two reflection rooms for students to relax in a solitary space.

Second Floor

The entire floor is dedicated to medical services that includes everything from clinical care to preventive services.

Third Floor

Home to the Department of Kinesiology and features laboratories that focus on exercise and sports injury, gait issues, concussions and more. This floor also features a student lounge where students can quietly relax.

Fourth Floor

Houses Counseling and Psychological Services where students can discretely participate in individual and group therapy, drop-in consultations and emergency and crisis services.

The building also houses the Radiology and Research department where X-rays are administered, and research is conducted.

With all these services provided for students, the new building is widely considered one of the top student health centers in the United States.

At Construction Protection Systems, we’re proud to have played a small part in development of the UVA Student Health and Wellness Center. Stay tuned for more updates from the makers of 1-2-3 Door Shield—the original, reusable door protection system.

Expansion & Renovations Complete on Gulf Coast Medical Center

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Outside of medical facility with glass entranceExpansion and renovations to the Gulf Coast Medical Center in Fort Meyers, FL have been completed, with the medical facility adding three floors, 216 patient rooms and 52 intensive care rooms.

Several portions of the project were expedited in order to assist high-risk patients and played an integral role in the care of patients during the initial stages of the COVID-19 pandemic.

With the completion of the project, 49,000 square feet of the facility has been renovated and a whopping 365,700 square feet of space has been added on to the center for patients and staff.

Origins of the Project

The project, which has been completed in several phases, was designed by HKS and built by Skanska-Gates.

Phase one of the $347 million project opened in August 2017 and included a 1,300-space parking garage.

Subsequent phases of the project included the expansion of the emergency department, the clinical laboratory, radiology department, dining services and the central energy plant.

Project Facts & Figures

  • Cost – $347 million
  • New Floors – 3
  • New Patient Rooms – 216
  • Intensive Care Unit Beds – 52
  • Square Feet of New Space – 365,700
  • Square Feet of Renovated Space – 49,000
  • Number of New Inpatient Beds – 268

An incredible upgrade

Perhaps the most expensive add-on to a building in Lee County history, the medical facility now features 7 floors with elevators, improved areas to care for cancer patients, increased bed capacity (from 356 to 624), additional ground-floor space and breathtaking views of Southwest Florida.

Each individual room has also been upgraded with a new layout and furniture, which includes seats at the windows with pop-up trays for eating. Even more, these seats and trays can be folded and converted into a bed for a patient’s visitor.

The facility has been completely reshaped and upgraded and is essentially a brand-new hospital that will be used as an example throughout the state of Florida for other medical facilities that are looking to make upgrades.

At Construction Protection Systems, we’re proud to have had the opportunity to play a part, however small, in the renovations to the Gulf Coast Medical Center. Stay tuned for more updates from the makers of 1-2-3 Door Shield—the original, reusable door protection system.

Renovations Complete on the Hayes Mansion

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Bed in renovated hotel roomRenovations have been completed on one of San Jose’s most notable landmarks, Hayes Mansion. The historic mansion has been transformed into a state-of-the-art hotel, now named the Hayes Mansion San Jose, Curio Collection by Hilton.

The mansion was purchased by JMA Venture LLC in 2019 for $27.8 million and has seen extensive renovations since the purchase.

The multi-million-dollar makeover included upgrades to the hotel’s guest rooms, meeting rooms and common areas, with new carpeting, tiles and wood paneling being installed.

With these renovations, this one-of-a-kind hotel is the ideal destination for families on vacation in the Bay Area, those hosting events, conferences and much more.

A hotel with a rich history

The Hayes Mansion is named after Mary Folsom Hayes Chynoweth, whose family made its fortune mining iron in the Great Lakes area. She, along with her two sons, Jay O. Hayes and Everis A. Hayes, and their young families, moved to San Jose, CA in 1887 and purchased the land on which the mansion sits today.

Their purchase included the original Hayes Mansion, a 22,000-square foot 1891 Queen Anne Victorian with more than fifty rooms, which sadly burned to the ground in 1899. The second Hayes Mansion (the one we see today) was completed in late 1905, but the finishing touches were unfortunately never seen by Mary, as she passed in July of that year.

When built, the mansion was 41,000 square feet and contained 64 rooms. The Hayes heirs took care of the estate and continued to expand the property until they sold it to the city in 1954. The city of San Jose owned it for much of the time before the latest sale to JMA Venture LLC, running a conference center in the space since 1985.

Additions to the conference center were completed in 1996 and 2002 and increased the total number of guest rooms and suites to 214, to accommodate all attendees.

Extensive renovations to transform the space

Once the purchase was complete, JMA Venture LLC and the construction team got to work on the site’s renovations and repairs.

While the exterior of the mansion was intact and remained as is, the interior underwent a series of intensive renovations to turn it into an award-winning hotel, with work costing an estimated $15 million.

The expansive renovations turned the over 100-year-old mansion into the hotel we now see with the addition of new carpeting, tiles and wood paneling to the rooms. Each room now also features wireless internet, a flat screen TV, coffee maker, fridge and more.

The conference room and meeting space was also renovated to accommodate modern hybrid meetings with new meeting tables, power outlets and ergonomic chairs.

The mansion’s iconic marble floors and stained-glass skylights remained as is during the renovation.

The finished product

The Hayes Mansion San Jose, Curio Collection by Hilton features 214 updated guest rooms and suites that offer modern accommodations and amenities, along with the historic feel you would expect from such a storied space.

Aside from the new accommodations, there are three restaurants and bars, a fitness center, 24 conference rooms that are opened 24 hours a day, an outdoor heated pool with pool deck and lounge chairs, two outdoor whirlpool Jacuzzis and more.

There are also 26 acres of outdoor space for guests to enjoy tennis, basketball, sand volleyball or to simply take in the beautiful views of San Jose, CA.

At Construction Protection Systems, we’re proud to have had the opportunity to play a part, however small, in the renovations to the Hayes Mansion. Stay tuned for more updates from the makers of 1-2-3 Door Shield—the original, reusable door protection system.

Denver Center for Performing Arts Completes Renovations

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Street View of Denver Center for Performing Arts Completes RenovationsRenovations to the Denver Center for Performing Arts have officially been completed with the Bonfils Theatre Complex reopening this June.

The project, which took over five years to complete, made expansive renovations to the Bonfils Theatre Complex’s main entrance, lobby, technology, accessibility, backstage and support areas, as well as the three theatres inside the complex (The Marvin & Judi Wolf Theatre, The William Dean Singleton Theatre, and The Dorota & Kevin Kilstrom Theatre).

History

In March of 2016, the center announced the ambitious renovation plan and stated it would cost roughly $54 million.

The center, which originally opened its doors in 1979, needed to be completely reimagined as the setup was “limiting the company’s creative potential and no longer meets the accessibility or safety standards that we want to provide to our community.”

In November of 2017, Denver voters approved Elevate Denver bond funds, which allowed for the renovations to begin.

Renovations

In June of 2018 Turner Construction was awarded the contract to begin renovations. The team immediately got to work to renovate the theatres inside and out.

The backstage support areas were updated to include dressing rooms, green rooms, storage space and more. New seating was added to the Wolf Theatre which improved sightlines and created a more intimate, comfortable experience. Accessibility was upgraded (new elevator access, assistive listening systems, better audio description and backstage accommodations). The lobby of the Bonfils Theatre Complex was also renovated to consolidate indoor access to the three major theatres, including a new midlevel entrance to The Singleton Theatre.

Renovations to the Wolf Theatre were completed in April of this year, with renovations to the Kilstrom and Singleton Theaters, lobby and backstage areas, being competed in May.

Reopening

The Bonfils Theatre Complex officially reopened its doors on June 12 with the Wolf Theatre hosting its first public event, Saturday Night Alive, that evening.

At Construction Protection Systems, we’re proud to have had the opportunity to play a part, however small, in the renovations to the Denver Center for Performing Arts. Stay tuned for more updates from the makers of 1-2-3 Door Shield—the original, reusable door protection system.

Loyola Marymount University’s New Student Housing Ready for Move In

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Located in Los Angeles, California, Loyola Marymount University (LMU) is a top destination for many prospective students across the country. In fact, LMU’s numbers have been growing, recently receiving more than 18,000 freshman applicants. Such popularity is evident of LMU’s success and educational standards, but it also poses a problem. LMU was struggling to find space for these new students, as such, they needed to find a way to meet this increased demand.

In 2019 and 2020, LMU began construction on two new freshman dorm buildings to meet the increasing demand for on-campus living. Students are expected to move in this coming Fall semester.Loyola Marymount University’s New Student Housing Ready for Move In

 

Deemed Palm North and Palm South, the two new dormitories were replacing two outdated dormitories, Huesman Hall and Sullivan Hall. The two original dorms were demolished in May of 2019 and construction for the new dorms began soon after, starting in 2019 and extending into 2020.

The new housing contains over 600 beds, which is 440 more beds than what the previous dormitories once held. The vast majority of these beds would be reserved for incoming freshman students. However, there would also be room for upperclassman.

But dormitories require more than just beds. They also need to provide an excellent living experience for on-campus students. To accomplish this, each building was fully furnished and now offer state-of-the-art amenities to help students live, study, and unwind after a long day. Some of these amenities include air conditioning, a BBQ area outside, media rooms, and outdoor hammock areas.

As for the students’ rooms, the two buildings offer a mix of the traditional and modern way of dorm living. Palm North has the traditional single or double-occupancy rooms that most colleges have relied upon in the past. Palm South, however, changed things up a bit. It features both 5-person apartments as well as 18-20 person “pods.” These “pods” have separate sleeping areas but communal kitchens, living areas, and multiple bathrooms.

How a student lives is important to their academic success. But they also need support from their peers and community. That’s why LMU made sure each dormitory offered Living Learning Communities (LLCs) to help students come together to share common interests and academic pursuits.

At Construction Protection Systems, we’re proud to have had the opportunity to play a small part in the construction of LMU’s Palm North and Palm South dormitories. Stay tuned for more updates from the innovators of 1-2-3 Door Shield—the original, reusable door protection system.