Hoar Construction five months from completion of CityCentre Three

HOUSTON, TX (March 8, 2012) Midway Companies and Hoar Construction completed a major construction milestone in late January at CityCentre Three. Hoar erected the last piece of the facility structural system, commonly called “topping out” the facility. Topping out represents on average one-third of the total project has been completed. CityCentre Three is scheduled for an August 2012 opening, though construction is currently 10 weeks ahead of schedule.

CityCentre is a 1.8 million square foot mixed-use development by Midway Companies in the demographic center of Houston. CityCentre Three occupies the majority of the small parcel of land between Hotel Sorella and the Beltway 8 frontage road; the site totals just under one acre. CityCentre Three is six stories and 120,000 RSF. Major tenants will include the Texas A&M University Mays Business School, LLOG Exploration Co. and Montco Offshore. The project is designed per LEED Silver sustainability guidelines and includes infrastructure improvements of an additional roadway with surface parking and a courtyard with fountains and landscaped seating areas.

The project poses several challenges for construction. The around-the-clock operations of CityCentre and proximity to Hotel Sorella limit when Hoar can perform certain construction. The extremely tight site means it is difficult to maneuver large machinery and allows limited construction material to be on site at any given time. Adjacency to Beltway 8 and CityCentre Way, a main entrance into CityCentre, restricts access to the site. Yet the project has progressed with no delays or interruptions at CityCentre.

“At CityCentre we needed a General Contractor who could provide a high level of management with the intent of providing minimal disruption to patrons and tenants. To this point, Hoar Construction has done an exceptional job addressing this critical aspect of the project,” said Shon M. Link, Vice President, Midway Companies.

Hoar is increasingly using technology at CityCentre to improve efficiency on the small site and expedite the construction schedule. Building information modeling (BIM) saved the project time and money through early detection of mechanical clashes with the structural system. The project team has been using iPads with BIM software to make field changes and communicate them with the whole team in real-time. Such mobile technology allowed the team to make the necessary structural system modifications early in construction, before the structural concrete was scheduled to start.

Hoar has been working with Midway Companies since 2006. Discussions are ongoing regarding construction of CityCentre Four, which is planned to occupy the tiny remaining area of the site immediately south of CityCentre Three.