TEP Awards $939 Million Contract

Bechtel Power Corp. recently won the $939 million contract for the construction of a 400-mW coal-fired power plant in eastern Arizona. The new unit will be sited at Tucson Electric Power Company's Springerville Generating Station. TEP is the plant owner, with Bechtel delivering a turnkey project on a lump sum contract.

A portion of the project's financing will provide approximately $90 million for upgrades to the emission control systems of Units 1 and 2.

PCL to Build Pollution Control Facility

PCL Civil Constructors, Inc. has been selected to build the new $44.7-million East Mesa Water Pollution Control Facility (WPCF), Phase I project in Yuma, AZ, for the City of Yuma. The project is slated for completion in May 2005.

To provide for the growing needs of the community, this facility will process 3 to 4 million gallons per day, when it is brought on line in 2005. It is capable of increasing this volume, when the need arises, as the major structures will have a 12-million-gallon-per-day capacity.

The new facility will service southeast Yuma. Consequently, the project is critical to the planned and future expansion of the City of Yuma.

ASU East Starts Work on Student Union

ASU East recently kicked off construction on a new student union designed to be the hub of student life at the ASU East campus.

The 27,000-sq.-ft. facility will house space for a growing student life program at ASU East. Included in the building will be recreational game-room space, study areas, modern dining facilities, workspace for student organizations, a campus bookstore, and multipurpose meeting space.

Scheduled for completion in August 2004, the new student union will significantly increase the space available for student activities, leisure activities and dining.

The project budget is $5.4 million. The architectural firm Gould Evans Associates of Phoenix designed the state-of-the-art facility. The building's general contractor is Turner Construction of Phoenix.

DL Withers Wins Numerous School Projects

The Dysart Unified School district is working with the team of DL Withers Construction and Gilleland Brubaker Architects Ltd. on five new school construction projects totaling $66 million.

The projects include two high schools and three K-8 facilities. The district is working with DL Withers and Gilleland Brubaker on all five projects utilizing the Construction Management at Risk process.

Scottsdale-based Furst Properties

recently broke ground on the third phase of The Pinnacle in Kierland, a four-story, 110,000-sq.-ft. Class A office building in the Kierland area of north Scottsdale. Located within the 730-acre Kierland master-planned community.

The Pinnacle in Kierland Phase III is the third of a three-building complex developed around a central plaza that includes a circular drive and dramatic, 30-ft.-high fountain.
The third building will be ready for occupancy by fall 2004.

Upon completion, the office complex will total more than 450,000 sq. ft.

The Southwest Business Unit of The Weitz Company

recently announced that it started construction on the Universal Technical Institute (UTI) in Avondale, Ariz.

This $23.8 million project will include the construction of classrooms, administration area, and auto lab bays.

The existing UTI-Phoenix campus will be moved in stages from 190,000 sq. ft. of space at 3121 W. Weldon Ave. into a 238,000-sq.-ft. building on 25 acres of land at 107th Avenue and Pierce Street, just south of Interstate 101, in Avondale. This campus will be able to accommodate up to 3,000 students and 200 staff members.

Construction details include one level tilt panel with steel roof and inclusive site work.
The project is scheduled for completion in late May 2004.

GDA Southwest of Phoenix is the architect and Studio 4 Interiors is the interior design firm on this Avondale project. Universal Technical Institute of Arizona, Inc. is the property owner.

W. E. O'Neil Construction Co. of Arizona, along with Lamb Architects,

recently topped out the new 80,148-sq.-ft. Holiday Inn prototype on Wednesday. The design-build project is located near the Ocotillo Golf Resort on the corner of Alma School and Ocotillo roads.

Once completed, the 106-guest unit (97 regular guestrooms and 9 two-room suites) hotel will feature ample meeting space, a boardroom, exercise room, and a resort-style pool and spa. Guests will also be able to enjoy an on-site restaurant, hotel transportation, and room service.

Architectural Resource Team, Inc. (ART Architects), in Phoenix,

is currently designing the new K-6 Tempe Campus of the Thomas J. Pappas School for the Maricopa County Regional School District. The "Students First" funded school for 250 students is being designed with safety of the students in mind.

The school is currently under design and will start construction by the end of 2003 with a grand opening slated for June of 2004 and the summer semester.