GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The Michigan State University (MSU) Board of Trustees approved the construction of the Grand Rapids Research Center, a biomedical research facility, on Feb. 6. The board also approved a project budget of $85 million, even though the Grand Rapids Brownfield Redevelopment Authority has estimated that the building will cost $88.1 million, reported .
WESTPORT, Wash. — Ocosta Elementary School in Westport, Wash. recently announced plans to construct a building capable of withstanding a potential tsunami. The school, located in Grays Harbor County and situated less than a mile from the Pacific coast, broke ground in January on a new gymnasium with a durable, reinforced roof that will allow the structure to serve as a tsunami refuge. The building is the first of its kind in both the United States and in North America.
BALTIMORE — Ever since the passage of the $1 billion Baltimore City School Construction and Revitalization Act of 2013 (HB 860) in April 2013, plans for new school construction and renovation projects in Baltimore have been well underway. As of September 2014, 11 school buildings were identified as moving toward the design phase, promising new or renovated facilities for almost 8,000 students.
ORLANDO, Fla. — The 35th annual conference wrapped up in Orlando on Jan. 23 after welcoming roughly 8,500 visitors over the previous four days.
WASHINGTON — The United States Green Building Council (USGBC) Center for Green Schools, based in Washington, honored a number of projects, institutions and individuals in December with Best of Green Schools awards. The award program honors sustainability leaders and innovators working to create healthy, high-performing learning places across the educational spectrum.
ORLANDO, Fla. — The 35th annual conference began in Orlando on Jan. 20, offering a space for educators, school administrators and tech experts from across the country and globe to explore current and emerging technologies. FETC is the largest educational technology conference on the East Coast with an anticipated attendance of more than 8,500, and will run through Jan. 23.
ST. LOUIS — The 175,000-square-foot expansion of the Olin Business School at Washington University (Wash. U.) in St. Louis achieved LEED Gold certification in December. The $90 million project was completed in spring 2014 and included the construction of Knight and Bauer Halls on the Danforth campus. Construction was completed during an aggressive 20-month schedule.
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The new $93.2 million Veterans Memorial High School in Corpus Christi is now under construction, slated for completion in August 2015. This is the first high school to be constructed in the Corpus Christi Independent School District in 45 years.
CORVALLIS, Ore. — Oregon State University (OSU) leaders announced an initiative earlier this month to construct a $60 million forestry complex. OSU officials hope the complex will accelerate the university’s forestry education programs, as well as its research on advanced wood products.
KALAMAZOO, Mich. — Students of the Washington Writers’ Academy in Kalamazoo, Mich. returned to their new, “old” school on Jan. 5 after construction on the historic building had relocated them since mid-2013.
