School Taps Firm for Prototype School

The Clark County School District recently tapped Roche Constructors to build the new Joseph E. Thinot Elementary in Las Vegas.

Valued at $16.7 million, the 75,000-sq.ft. school is being constructed on a 10-acre site. The Friedmutter Group of Las Vegas designed the school.

The school is the district's new prototype two-story school designed to accommodate small sites in urban areas

New Residential Lofts Under Design

HCA Architects has design underway for Aloft, a new seven-story, 90,000-square-foot residential loft development with 17, two-car detached garages located at 325 W. Lake Mead Drive in Henderson, Nev.

HCA Architects recently was acquired by San Diego-based Graham Downes Architecture and operates as the firm's Las Vegas affiliate office. Steve Arrington and Ray Hoffman of Pueblo Properties LLC are the project developers.

Blanchard/Hoffman Construction is the general contractor. Construction is scheduled to begin in December, with completion slated for fall 2005.Situated just east of Las Vegas, Aloft will encompass 30 two-level residential lofts, four luxury "skyhouse" units, and covered parking; as well as a rooftop clubhouse that will include a fitness center, pool, spa and outdoor fireplace.

Reflective of 21st Century modernist architecture, Aloft infuses a clean, streamlined design with transparency -- maximizing panoramic views of the Las Vegas strip and adjacent desert mountains. The project team for Graham Downes Architecture includes Graham Downes as principal designer; Tony Machado, project designer; and Alex Van Osten, junior designer. Cheryl Felske, serves as project manager on behalf of HCA Architects. Other project consultants include American Structural Engineers, serving as structural engineer; Concorde Consulting Group, electrical engineer; and Malpass Design Group civil engineer.

Fluor to Restart Power Plant Construction

Fluor Corporation recently announced it has been selected by Nevada Power Company to complete construction of a partially built 1,200-megawatt, natural gas-fired, combined-cycle power generation facility in Clark County. Fluor will provide engineering, procurement, construction, commissioning and startup services for the facility. The contract value to Fluor was not disclosed.

The facility is located in the Moapa Valley, 20 miles northeast of Las Vegas, Nevada. Construction work on the facility had been deferred by its previous owner, Duke Energy, in March 2003. Nevada Power acquired the facility earlier this month. It is expected to be fully operational by early 2006.

Fluor is moving quickly to re-establish the construction effort and estimates an average work force at the site to be 400 people, with a peak work force of 800. The facility is comprised of two power blocks, the first of which is expected to go into operation in late 2005.

Firms Win Projects

SR Construction recently picked up two projects in the Henderson/Las Vegas area.

In Henderson, the firm will build the "downstairs expansion" at Viaggio Italian Cusine. The 2,425 sq. ft. bar is in Green Valley and the project should be complete this month. Construction costs for the bar are estimated at $530,000.

SR Construction also recently broke ground on the Animal Emergency Center, a 6,000 sq. ft. animal treatment facility. The hospital is designed to handle dogs, cats and exotic species.

Jaynes Corporation, Las Vegas was recently awarded the contract to build two United States postal service stations - Westridge Station and 7 Hills Station.

The Westridge Station was won on a competitive bid basis and is approximately 36,000 sq. ft. It has recently broken ground and it is scheduled to open September, 2005.

The 7 Hills Station was awarded on a design build basis is also approximately 36, 000 square feet. The design is currently being finished by KGA architecture and should start construction in January 2005 for opening in November, 2005.