Whole Foods Opening Eastside Location

Redmond - J.R. Abbott Construction Inc. recently started the tenant improvement work for the newest Whole Foods Market in Redmond, Wash.

This 59,000-sq-ft. market, expected to open this fall, will include a large wine section, coffee bar, cheese section, sushi bar, prepared foods, demonstration kitchen, indoor and outdoor seating, and a whole body section. The shell features colored CMU with heavy timber canopies. This 7-1/2 acre site also includes two other buildings that are fully leased with retail, restaurant and other tenants. Major subs include Key Mechanical Co., R. Martin Electric and AWA Consultants.

UW Students Win DBIA Regional Competition

Seattle - Twenty-eight students from the University of Washington's Department of Construction Management competed in the Western Region Student Competitions hosted by the Associated Schools of Construction in Reno, Nevada. One hundred teams from 23 universities (about 600 students) competed in the event. The University of Washington competed against universities from California, Oregon, and Washington.

University of Washington teams placed in all five competition categories in which they entered; the only university at the competition to place in more than four categories.

City Hall, Condos Set For Downtown Square

Puyallup - Egis Real Estate Services, Kauri Investments, Skanska USA Building and Mithun wil be in charge of Puyallup's "City Hall Block Project" to revitalize almost a full city block in the center of downtown. Part of the city's overall Civic Center project aimed at renewing the urban core of Puyallup, the block project is estimated to cost about $50 million and includes a new City Hall building, public open space, parking facilities and a multi-family condominium complex.

Bordering Pioneer Park, the city's historic town square, the City Hall Block Project is a mixed-use redevelopment of 1.57 acres of property, including the 50,000-sq.-ft. City Hall and the first phase of condominiums are anticipated to be substantially complete by the end of 2007.

Korsmo Building a Variety of School Projects

Lakewood - John Korsmo Construction of Lakewood is on schedule to complete three major new school projects for the 2006-2007 School Year. The company is building new schools in Issaquah, Kirkland and Renton.

Rose Hill Elementary School in Kirkland is a 57,000 sq. ft. school under construction for Lake Washington School District No. 414. It is a Concrete Masonry Units (CMU) and concrete tilt up structure constructed on the 9.53 acre site behind the existing building. The existing school remains occupied during construction and will be demolished when the new $10.4 million school is completed. The architect is DLR Group of Seattle.