Secon adding 5 buildings to its portfolio despite slow market
The economy and local commercial real estate market may be soft right now, but that hasn't meant an end to new office and industrial building construction in the region.
Take, for example, Secon Corp., an Upper St. Clair-based development and property management firm headed by William Corace. The company reports it is adding more 110,000 square feet of space to its real estate portfolio, building four office buildings at its Abele Business Park in Bridgeville and its first office building at Cedar Ridge Business Park in Robinson Township.
One of the new buildings at the Abele park is a 30,000-square-foot light-industrial building, where Grandview Medical Services Inc. has committed to be the anchor tenant, taking about 10,000 square feet, according to Marcy Kelly, Secon director of leasing/marketing. Kelly said the new space represents an expansion for Grandview, a business communication systems provider, which currently occupies about 3,100 square feet at Abele park's Building 700.
A new building at the park is a 20,000-square-foot flex-building under construction on land purchased by Western Express, a locally owned "western-ware" accessories company currently located at the Southpointe 79 industrial park. Kelly said the new building should be completed by the end of March 2003.
Secon also is building what eventually is to be a 53,000-square-foot office building, starting with construction of about 33,000 square feet. Kelly said the building will feature a U-shaped configuration, with the bottom of the U being two stories, and the two sides, one-story.
Still another building under construction is a one-story, 7,000-square-foot office/warehouse facility that will provide space for expansion of Greyfox Services, which will move from about 2,400 square feet at the 7000 Building at the park.
At the Cedar Ridge park, construction is expected to begin in several weeks for the first office building, a one-story, 22,000- square-foot structure. Eventually, Secon expects to have eight, one-story buildings and more than 100,000 square feet of space in place at the park.
Elsewhere, General Industries of Charleroi recently began construction at new Brush Creek Commons Office Building in Cranberry Twp. for Landmark Properties Group, an Allison Park-based real estate firm.
Brush Creek, a 42,000-square-foot, three-story office building, designed by architect Scott Kurtz, is scheduled for completion in May 2003,
Officials said the building will feature a two-story atrium lobby and balconies that overlook an outdoor conservation area where walking paths and seating areas will be located. throughout the conservation area of the project.
Suits will be available in sizes ranging from 2,000 square feet to 14,000 square feet.
Future plans for Brush Creek include a 30,000-square-foot expansion in Phase II.
O'Hara Township-based Massaro Properties has begun construction of a new Athletic and Fitness Center for Chatham College in Pittsburgh.
The $18 million building, designed by architects Hasting + Chivetta of St. Louis, will house a venue for intercollegiate sports; an eight-lane, 25-yard long competitive swimming pool; regulation squash courts; a climbing wall; space for exercise and therapy; and a fitness suite, including a
Separately, Massaro was awarded a $20,250 contract by the West Virginia Regional Jail & Correctional Facility Authority for work to complete a 143,000-square-feet Tygart Valley Regional Jail in Randolph County, W.Va.
Architectural services are being provided by ZMM Architect & Engineers Inc. of Charleston, W.Va., and Crabtree, Rohrbaugh and Associates Architects of Mechanicsburg.
Also, Massaro concluded a lease transaction with Third Generation Inc., a business communication systems provider,
which agreed to lease 10,655 square feet of office space in Building 300 of Campbells Run Business Center in Robinson Township.
The business center, located on Route 60, consists of five, one-story buildings with 130,000 square feet of combined space on 15 acres of land. With the Third Generation lease, occupancy at the center is 95 percent.
Massaro also represented tenant Freedom Medical Inc. and the landlord of 108 Commerce Boulevard in Lawrence, Washington County, during a negotiation to lease 2,100 square feet of space at the office building.
Freedom Medical is an Exton-based seller/distributor of medical equipment.
Turner Construction Co.'s Pittsburgh office was chosen as manager of a west wing addition to DuBois Medical Center in DuBois.
The 120,000-square-foot, six-story addition and renovation of 50,000 square feet of space is scheduled for completion in August 2004.
The addition will provide space for 125 beds, an intensive care unit, ultrasound suites, administration areas, a chapel and state-of-the-art operating rooms.
