Valero Energy Corp. has completed construction of a $50-million, 51-megawatt cogeneration plant to power its Benicia refinery. The facility came online in October 2002 and eliminates the possibility of involuntary shutdowns due to rolling blackouts, as well as returning approximately 50 megawatts to the power grid. The plant is the first of two planned cogeneration units, the second of which will fuel plant operations and supply power to the grid.
The 32,000-sf San Diego Electrical Training Center just became the largest commercial building in San Diego powered by solar energy. The facility's photovoltaic system, installed by students, currently provides 50% of needed electricity, with the remaining sections to be installed by classes throughout the school year. The completed system will be large enough to power the entire facility. The Center provides hands-on training for union electricians in installation of traditional and renewable energy solutions.
Valero Energy Corp. is expanding its San Antonio campus located on the 148-acre former Ultramar Diamond Shamrock campus. Designed by architectural firm Rehler Vaughn & Koone, the 450,000-sf project will include the addition of two new wings to Valero's existing 225,000-sf facility, which will also be upgraded. The cafeteria and 8,000-sf fitness center will be expanded and improved, and 2,000 parking spaces will be added. Slated for completion in early fall of 2003, the addition will reach full occupancy in spring 2004.
Progress Energy will begin construction in late 2002 on a new $80-million facility in downtown Raleigh. Located behind the company's current high rise, the 19-story building will house up to 400,000-sf of office space accompanied by 27,000-sf of street level retail space, 72 condominiums, and seven parking levels.
Washington Gas, a natural gas utility, began renovating its 500,000-sf Springfield Operations Center in October 2002. The project, designed by architectural firm McKissack & McKissack of Washington, D.C., will be the first renovation performed on the 1971 light industrial building since its construction. The renovation is expected to reach completion in three to five years. Washington Gas is also seeking to relocate its headquarters to a new 80,000- to 90,000-sf site in the greater Washington area.
Advancing California's Emerging Technologies (ACET) may team up with Catellus Development to create ACET's new home on 3.3 acres of the 213-acre former U.S. Naval Air Station Fleet Industrial Center. Originally a bioscience incubator, ACET has expanded its focus to include technology and energy applications. Currently operating from 8,800 sf of smaller Alameda Naval Air station labs, the ACET is seeking a $64-million grant to cover land, design and building costs for the new facility.
The Guadalupe Valley Electric Cooperative Inc. (GVEC) is building a Lineman's Training Facility on 11 acres of company-owned land in Gonzales. The Texas Electric Cooperatives, an Austin trade association, has partnered with GVEC to share building costs. The facility, slated for completion in August, is GVEC's third Texas site where journeyman linemen can benefit from educational programs and safety training. The first training facility opened in Levelland in 2001; GVEC is now building a Northeast Texas training facility in Henderson.
The Lower Colorado River Authority is planning to upgrade the 30-year-old Dalchau Service Center. Located in Southeast Austin, the transmission services center currently houses 180 to 240 employees who maintain and build power transmission lines. The $43-million expansion project will remodel the center to accommodate current and future growth. Four separate facilities will be upgraded and converted into a single 260-desk facility, housing additional offices and a conference center.
Progress Energy is planning to lease over 450,000 sf in two new office towers to be developed in downtown Raleigh in order to consolidate operations currently scattered in 250,000 sf across Raleigh. The towers, which may rise as high as 18 to 20 stories each, will be located on a two-acre site adjacent to Progress's current 21-story, 250,000-sf office. Progress, providing only the land and the lease guarantee, has issued a request for proposals to 14 development companies and plans to make a selection in April 2002.
Oil refiner Valero Energy Corp. has contracted SpawGlass Contractors of San Antonio to build its new headquarters on the existing 148-acre Ultramar Diamond Shamrock Corp. campus recently acquired by Valero.
Valero Energy Corp. has selected SpawGlass Contractors of San Antonio to build its new headquarters at the 148-acre campus of Ultramar Diamond Shamrock (UDS), recently acquired by Valero. The 200,000- to 300,000-sf office structure will consolidate Valero’s operations. Plans for the company’s existing two-building, 260,000-sf headquarters in North San Antonio are uncertain. Existing buildings at the UDS site include a headquarters (225,000 sf) and an annex (20,000 sf); both buildings, as well as the existing Valero headquarters, are full to capacity.
DFI Group Inc., a commercial and industrial developer, is considering a site in the Charlotte, N.C., area to build an ethanol R&D center. An existing building in Monroe is under consideration. A section of the multimillion-dollar facility would be designed to produce 3 million gallons of ethanol annually. DFI Construction Inc., formed this year, supports the company’s industrial project construction needs in the Southeast.
PPL Corp., a Pennsylvania energy company, plans to locate its Energy Plus division adjacent to its headquarters in Allentown. Liberty Property Trust will convert a former department store site into a six- or seven-story building; PPL will occupy 170,000 sf of the facility. Liberty has selected Robert A.M. Stern Architects of New York to design the building, with groundbreaking possible in early 2002, and completion in spring 2003. PPL plans to build a 1,000-vehicle parking deck nearby.
Siemens Westinghouse Power Corp. is considering the Alliance industrial park in Fort Worth as the home for its stationary-fuel-cells division. The $125 million, 500-employee manufacturing plant would initially consist of office space (35,000 sf) and manufacturing space (180,000 sf), with a possible expansion of the office space to 70,000 sf and the manufacturing space to 430,0000 sf in the next four years. Other potential sites include Orlando, Fla. and Pittsburgh.
Siemens Westinghouse Power Corp. is considering locating a $125-million manufacturing plant in the 9,600-acre Alliance industrial park in Fort Worth. Developed by Ross Perot Jr.'s Hillwood venture, the site would house 180,000-sf of manufacturing and 35,000-sf of office space for Siemens' new stationary fuel cells division. Employing up to 500 workers initially, the plant could eventually expand to 430,000 sf of manufacturing and 70,000 sf of office space in the next three or four years. Other potential sites include Orlando, Fla. and Pittsburgh, Pa.
