Transportation

Rexnord Industries is planning to construct a 248,000-sf building in Downers Grove, Ill. The project will accommodate manufacturing operations as well as providing a headquarters facility for Rexnord’s aerospace division. Completion is expected by 2019. Based in Milwaukee, Rexnord is comprised of two strategic platforms, Process & Motion Control and Water Management. The Process & Motion Control platform designs, manufactures, and services sophisticated mechanical components used in complex systems.

Texas A&M University broke ground in June of 2017 on the $70 million headquarters of the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI). Located on the RELLIS campus in Bryan, the 190,000-sf facility will provide advanced engineering research facilities for the creation of transportation technologies and strategies for the optimization of infrastructure, construction materials, driver safety, and automated vehicles. The building will include a single-story research wing with a vehicle simulator lab, a three-story conference wing, and a multi-story tower.

United Technologies Corporation (UTC) is planning to build a $75 million additive manufacturing research center in East Hartford, Conn. The 185,000-sf facility will support the creation of advanced components for the aerospace industry using 3D printing technologies. A $40 million engine compressor research building will also be constructed. Additionally, UTC opened a $60 million, 185,000-sf innovation hub in May of 2017, for which LEED Gold sustainable design certification will be sought.

Toyota Motor Corp. opened the $154 million North American R&D Purchasing and Prototype Development Center in May of 2017 in York Township, Mich. Representing an expansion of the Toyota Technical Center, the project provides a vehicle prototype development facility, a distribution hub, and an addition to the existing powertrain research center. LEED Platinum sustainable design certification is being sought for the facility, which features a highly efficient building envelope, LED lighting, and low-flow water fixtures. Ground was broken on the project in June of 2015.

Ford Motor Company is expanding and renovating its research and manufacturing facilities in Michigan. Construction will begin in mid-2017 on a $200 million data center in Romeo. In 2018, a truck and SUV production facility in Wayne will be retooled at a cost of $850 million. Ford will also invest $150 million to expand its Wayne engine manufacturing plant. 

California State University, Dominguez Hills is partnering with the Toyota USA Foundation to build the Toyota Center for Innovation in STEM Education in Carson. Designed by HGA Architects with RFD (Research Facilities Design) as laboratory design consultant, the 87,000-sf facility will include a fabrication lab, SMART classrooms, collaborative workspaces, and labs for K-12 teacher training and demonstrations.

Jaguar Land Rover began construction in March of 2017 on a £200 million design and engineering center in Gaydon in the United Kingdom. Designed by Bennetts Associates, the facility will provide prototyping suites, R&D laboratories, and office space. The general contractor for the project is Laing O’Rourke. 

Boeing is planning to build a £20 million manufacturing facility in Sheffield in the United Kingdom. The 25,000-sf project will support the production of wing actuation components and systems for the fabrication division of Boeing Commercial Airplanes. The facility will also support collaborative research and development with the University of Sheffield’s Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) on techniques and systems for optimizing manufacturing processes.

Rolls-Royce will open a 33,000-sf research facility in March of 2017 in West Lafayette, Ind. Supporting collaboration with faculty and students from Purdue University, the center is located in a 55,000-sf building in the Purdue Research Park Aerospace District. The facility will accommodate the design, development, and testing of jet engine components, as well as research into alternative fuels. Construction was completed in December of 2016. 

NASA will construct the Measurement Systems Laboratory at Langley Research Center in Hampton, Va. Supporting the creation of advanced instrumentation and systems engineering solutions, the 175,000-gsf facility will consolidate laser and electromagnetics labs that are currently dispersed across the campus into a central core facility. The $95.6 million construction contract has been awarded to WM Jordan, working in collaboration with construction manager Hill International. Completion is expected in late 2019.

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation is building a new research facility in Hopkinton. Accommodating 70 employees, the 49,000-sf building will provide a sophisticated laboratory for construction materials testing as well as offices and a spacious conference room. Construction began on the $28.5 million project in summer of 2015 and completion is expected in August of 2016.

Centennial College is planning to build the $42 million Aerospace Campus in Toronto. Designed by MacLennan Jaunkalns Miller Architects (MJMA) with Stantec as engineering consultant, the project includes renovation of the historic de Havilland Building at Downsview Park to provide classrooms and laboratories for programs in aviation. The campus will also house research and development space to support the development of advanced aircraft manufacturing technologies. Occupancy is expected in late 2017.

Boeing opened an 80,000-sf research and technology center in June of 2015 in Huntsville, Ala. The facility will support the development of technologies for propulsion, sensing, simulation, communications, cybersecurity, and systems analysis. Supporting collaboration with academic and industry partners, the center will feature instrumentation including testing chambers for metal analysis, vehicle management simulation suites, an accelerated-rate calorimeter, and autoclaves to heat-treat composite materials. 

GE Aviation will begin construction in June of 2014 on a $100 million jet engine production facility in Lafayette, Ind. Accommodating up to 200 employees, the 225,000-sf project will feature advanced assembly line technologies including radio frequency parts management and automated visual inspection services. The facility will support production of the new CFM International LEAP engine and is strategically sited to foster collaboration with Purdue University. Occupancy is expected in 2016.

Non-residential construction volumes and pricing continued their upward trend in the second quarter, with prices increasing an average of 2 to 4 percent in the first half of 2013. These factors, along with growing market confidence and a narrowing labor supply, will continue to push new construction costs closer to the trend line for the near to medium term.