Hey Mr. Sandman: Recyling Flood Leftovers

During the recent flooding in the Midwest, the Army Corpos of Engineers said that 13.2 million sandbags to support the flood fight. 'The sandbags, if laid end-to-end, would span from San Francisco to Washington, D.C.," the Corps reported. Now that the floodwaters have receded, what is to be done with all that soggy (and in some cases contaminated)?

In many cases they're being recycled. Around 200,000 bags from around Illinois' Sny Levee District were recycled at Mark Twain Lake where they were used to protect hydroelectric equipment at the Clarence Cannon Dam.

Similar sandbag levees are to be dismantled in Clarksville, Mo., where most sand removal will be contracted out According to Clarksville Mayor Jo Anne Smiley the town will give the sand away for fill at a local golf course, cement manufacturing or use by the county to dust icy roads in winter.

"It's economically wise to reuse the leftover sand," says spokesman Robert Anderson of the Corps' Mississippi Valley Division, though environmental concerns factor in. Sandbags may be tainted by sewage or chemicals, cautions the Corps' St. Louis District spokesman Alan Dooley. Bags become fragile and may deteriorate in sunlight, Dooley says. Clarksville is separating dry from soaked sandbags. Wet bags are considered contaminated and will be placed in land fills.

lIn in Canton, Mo., 600 cubic yards of wet sand will be covered by 12 inches of clean soil for a new park. Canton, population 2,557, estimates that that sandbag removal and levee repairs in the area will cost $176,200.

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Hilliker Corporation Announces Transactions

Hilliker Corporation announced the following real estate transactions:

Meade Summers represented both parties in the lease of 56,409 sq.ft. of office/warehouse space located at 6800 Prescott Avenue in the City of St. Louis to Mid-States Supply Co. by Mayfair & Woodcliffe, LLC.

Scott Martin represented Douglas DeVries and Cherie Francois in leasing the 2,680 sq.ft. retail space located at 530 East Osage in Pacific to Faith Fellowship Church who represented itself.

Jim Newman epresented both parties in the lease of 9,100 sq.ft. of office/warehouse space located at 4806 Potomac in the City of St. Louis to Gateway Custom Millwork LLC by J.D. Investments Company of Missouri.

Peter Newton represented both parties in the lease of 2,900 sq.ft. of retail space located at 6922 Manchester Avenue in Maplewood to Papagoyos Inc. by Baltic Properties LLC.

Will Aschinger represented Graniterra/European Tile and Marble in the purchase of the 5,500 sq.ft. office/warehouse building located at 647 Trade Center in Chesterfield from Envirotest Systems Corporation represented by NAI Desco Commercial.

Meade Summers represented both parties in leasing 28,323 sq. ft. of office/warehouse space located at 4410 Hunt Avenue in the City of St. Louis to Ace Pipe Cleaning, Inc. by Dr. Jesse F. Donnell, LLC.

John Hoofman represented Paul Ronsick in the sale of the 34,412 sq.ft. of land located at 3055 N. Lindbergh in Florissant to Millennium Venture Group Inc. represented by St. Louis County Realty.

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Michael Tobin to Head Centene Project

U.S. Equities Realty announced that real estate management veteran Michael Tobin will oversee its Centene Plaza project, a mixed-use urban center housing Centene Corporation's headquarters in Clayton.

"We are thrilled to have such a visionary and respected industry executive joining our talented team," said Robert A. Wislow, chairman and CEO of U.S. Equities. "The depth and breadth of Mike's experience enhances our group's expertise and allows us to focus on our pursuit of new development opportunities."

With 33 years of experience in Chicago's commercial real estate industry, Tobin most recently served as a partner with Northern Realty Group where he oversaw all acquisition and development efforts. Tobin generated more than $325 million in development projects during his ten years with the firm. Prior to joining Northern Realty Group, Tobin spent six years as president and chief operating officer of Central Station Development Corporation where he directed the development of a 100-acre mixed-use community on Chicago's lakefront. In addition, Tobin spent eight years as vice president of development for Metropolitan Structures, Inc., where he managed more than $650 million in development.

Tobin holds a bachelor's and a master of architecture degree from the University of Michigan, and is a licensed architect and real estate broker. He resides in Highland Park, Ill. and sits on Chicago's Near South Planning Board and the University of Michigan's Alfred Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning Real Estate Advisory Board.

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Lambert Launches Improvement Projects

Lambert-St. Louis International Airport officially kicked off the Airport Experience renovation program announcing the first projects underway
totaling $16.9 million in improvements.

The Airport Experience is a multi-phase program to modernize and upgrade the Main Terminal and concourses. The first Airport Experience project beginning in July is the interior restoration of Lambert's four historic domes. A complete replacement of Lambert's Main Terminal in-bound baggage system - at an estimated cost of $5 million - is scheduled to begin in early 2009. That
project will include all new carousels and oversize luggage retrieval systems. The six carousels will be replaced one at a time. The third project, also set for early 2009, is the makeover of Lambert's roadway signage program, expected to cost $1.5 million. This "Wayfinding" project involves creation of a master plan for all signs and the installation of all
new messaging to help travelers and airport users better navigate to andfrom Lambert.

Other projects within the renovation program will be phased in over the nextfive years.

Kwame Building Group is providing oversight, programming, design coordination and procurement, and will manage implementation of the "Airport
Experience Program." Other consultants selected for the project are:

•Teng & Associates, Inc.: Dome renovations design, Main Terminal ticketing hall and mid-level architectural renovations design; concourses architectural renovations design.

•Kozeny-Wagner, Inc.: In-bound conveyers and baggage claims design/build.

• Apple Designs, Inc.: Entrance monuments and wayfinding signage design.

•Burns and McDonnell: Main Terminal ticketing hall and mid-level mechanical, electrical, plumbing and special systems (MEPPS) renovations
design; concourses mechanical, electrical, plumbing and special systems (MEPSS) renovations design.

The schedule for installing many of those improvement will not be determined until designs are complete.

"We're proud to begin these much anticipated improvements after listening to our passengers, airport users and the community," said Richard Hrabko,
Director of Lambert-St. Louis International Airport. "In spite of these volatile and uncertain times in the travel industry, we currently have the
ability to begin the transformation of our historic facility while remaining fiscally responsible."

Hrabko added, however, that the health of the industry and the airport will determine when the addition projects move into construction.

"From the start, Lambert intended for the renovation program to proceed with
only those projects that deliver the most impact for airport users and/or to
improve airport operations. That continues to be our goal," he said. "As we
move through the design phase of the next projects, we will carefully
monitor our budget and the economic landscape of the airline and airport
industries to make sure the airport is financially secure before we proceed
with the construction of our next projects."

The $16 million facility renovation program is in addition to HMSHost's
agreement to invest $16 million ($13 million by 2011) to introduce more
local and upscale dining venues. Three new concepts are now under
construction in the Main Terminal. Local favorite, The Pasta House Co., will
open in the lower level in the fall of 2008. Brioche Dore Caf and
Missouri Vineyards, a new wine bar concept are scheduled to open in early
2009 in the Ticketing Hall of the Main Terminal.

Other new dining options could include Mosaics Tapas Fusion, which has been
named one of top restaurants in St. Louis; Fitz's Root Beer; Baja Fresh and
a new Freshns. The construction schedules and opening dates for those
venues will be determined at a later date.

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Crossrail appoints legal panel for property acquisition

The acquisition of more than 13,000 land and property interests for Crossrail is one step closer following the appointment of a specialist legal panel.

On the panel are firms Eversheds, Harries Hall, Wragge & Company and Ashurst.

They will advise Crossrail and Transport for London on property acquisition and planning to ensure the acquisition programme meets tough time constraints.

Crossrail legal services director Mark Fell said the construction of Crossrail depended on property acquisition running according to plan.

“Work on Crossrail is now moving full-speed ahead. The acquisition of property under powers obtained through the Crossrail Act is the next major step forward for the project as it prepares for the start of the main construction work in 2010,” he said.

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“Such is the scale and extent of Crossrail and its critical importance to London’s transport network that a considerable amount of property and land needs to be acquired within a short space of time.

“Only with all the necessary property and land acquisition can Crossrail’s construction begin.”

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Washington University’s Danforth University Center Complete

Clayco Inc. has completed construction on Washington University's new Danforth University Center in St. Louis, Mo. The $43 million, 115,880-square-foot University Center also achieved LEED Gold certification by the U.S.en Building Council (USGBC).

"The Danforth University Center project is a marquis for Clayco. Its construction and architecture embraces a variety of positive influences under one roof," said Steven Street, Clayco's project director. "For instance, the new University Center integrates sustainable design elements, functional public spaces, thought-provoking interior and exterior finishes, and practical amenities in one meeting place to inspire learning and creativity. Furthermore, careful collaboration between the design, construction and ownership team facilitated the completion of the new facility in time for the 2008 fall semester students to enjoy its outstanding features."

Finished in just 16 months, Danforth University Center is located between Simon Hall and Mallinckrodt Center on the Washington University campus. The new three-story University Center houses WUTV-TV, Student Life newspaper, the student union, student and faculty dining areas, conference rooms, campus life offices, a game room and a common area. Built over a pre-constructed, three-story 520-car parking garage which was an earlier Clayco project, the University Center features reinforced concrete with a granite stone facade, complementing the collegiate Gothic architecture displayed throughout the campus.

In addition, Clayco completed a variety of other projects to improve the campus infrastructure prior to the facility's construction. These included incorporating extensive landscaping to conceal the garage, installing underground utilities to support the central underground garage and main garage, and building a 92,000-square-foot addition to the Snow Way parking garage.

Beginning designs for the project included pursuing certification in USGBC's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program. However with great effort from all team members involved, the project jumped from Certified to Gold standard. LEED is USGBC's leading rating system for designing and constructing the world's greenest, most energy efficient, and high performing buildings.

Danforth University Center was designed to incorporate a number of sustainable strategies that positively impact the project itself and the broader community. These features include the use of natural materials and lighting controls.

"We are proud to construct buildings that defend and protect our community's environment while at the same time being the best value for our clients," added Street. "Bringing these two critical elements together in new and innovative ways is what drives our company's success."

Clayco's project team included Kirk Warden, Clayco Senior Vice President and Partner and project executive; Pat Moriarity, senior project manager; Jamie Callaway, project manager; Craig Buchheit, project superintendent; Gary Marrin, operations manager; and Street. TSOI/Kobis & Associates of Cambridge, Mass., was the architect. Joining Clayco on the project were CommArts, interior designer; Woolpert Inc., civil engineer; KPFF Consulting Engineers, structural engineer; Bell Electrical Contractors, electrical engineer; Murphy Co., mechanical engineer; Corrigan Co., plumbing; and Ahern Fire Protection, fire protection.

Clayco Inc. is a full-service real estate development, design and construction firm with annual revenues of $871 million, specializing in "the art and science of building." With offices in St. Louis, Chicago and Detroit, Clayco provides design-build project delivery on a nationwide basis for the corporate, financial, industrial, institutional and residential markets. For more information, visit http://www.claycorp.com .

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Dogfight Over Metro East Air Park Project

In the latest episode of a story line worth of television drama, Troy D. Martin, head of Martin Aviation Group, a company that announced plans for a $4 billion air park in Metro East, said that he fired The Korte Co. as his general contractor prior to their announcement this week that they had quit.

Martin's biggest claim to fame prior to the announcement of the condominium project at Downtown St. Louis Airport was as the passenger in a Cessna that was almost shot down by military jets over the White House in 2005.

He has said that the project — which is projected to have 42 buildings with two expansion towers totaling 4 million square feet — will cater to non-U.S. companies wishing to establish a North American headquarters. The website for the the project claims, among other things, that the condominium project, where buildings are projected to sell at $950 per square foot, will have a 10,000-space parking garage and helicopters and chauffeured Rolls Royce limosines for executive tenants. The mile-long campus, which is termed the "Golden Mile" on Martin's website.

Martin said that Korte had not performed and that he has hired Holland Construction Services to replace Korte.

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