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We Know Some Winning Spaces

We Know Some Winning Spaces

October 23, 2015

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Ignite Glass Studios and the OneEleven building earned 2015 Design Excellence Awards from AIA Chicago. DMA managed the development of Ignite Glass Studios, recognized with both a Distinguished Building Award and a Divine Detail Award. Congratulations to ownership, Epstein (architect) and Graycor (general contractor) for their central roles in bringing this award-winning glass art studio and event space to life in Chicago’s West Loop. Downtown along the Chicago River, DMA is proud to be involved in delivering new retail to OneEleven, a 60-story, mixed-use tower recognized by AIA Chicago with a Distinguished Building Award.

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AIA Chicago Design Excellence Awards / 2015

ChiDesign Sparks Inspiring Ideas

ChiDesign Sparks Inspiring Ideas

October 8, 2015

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The Chicago Architecture Foundation (CAF) sponsored an international competition seeking design ideas for a Center for Architecture, Design and Education (CADE). The CAF challenged competitors to propose a facility with a multifaceted purpose: headquarters for the CAF and the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat; home for a design and allied arts high school; and flexible learning spaces for youth programs. The challenge envisioned CADE as a learning campus, visitor welcome center, and hub for community engagement in architecture and sustainability issues. DMA teamed with VOA, a global architectural design firm, to pursue this challenge. Our collaborative solution reached outside the site initially suggested for CADE—a vertically oriented space surrounded by other Loop buildings. To best fulfill the facility’s goals, we designed CADE on the River—a horizontal, stepped form reminiscent of the river’s topography and situated at the nexus of Chicago’s commercial, cultural and tourist hubs, across the water from the Wrigley Building. The tiered form slides between the hard edge of the city and the soft edge of the river and allows more shared spaces to be carved out for CADE’s complex programming. Our design incorporated elements to ensure CADE’s environmental and financial sustainability, including spaces for restaurant, retail, hostel, and urban farming uses. We’re proud of our entry and pleased to congratulate the competition winners.

THANKS TO THE DMA/VOA TEAM:
Charles Porter (Leader), Samra Ansari, Meghan Brown, Jaimie Bulla, Robert Chorazy, Renato Gilberti, Devin Gora, Jess Libby, Grace Rappe, Elliot Vieceli

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ChiDesign Competition Entries and Results

ICSC Deal Making Academy in Chicago

ICSC Deal Making Academy in Chicago

October 7-8, 2015

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The International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) is holding Chicago Deal Making October 7-8 at Navy Pier. The two-day event draws real estate owners, developers, retailers, public officials and others to share information and form new partnerships. Academy workshops, led by industry professionals, deliver hands-on knowledge and best practices on specialized topics. DMA’s Charles Porter will lead an intensive three-hour workshop October 8, from 9 a.m. to noon, on development, redevelopment and mixed-use concepts. Charles teaches a commercial real estate course for Northwestern University’s Master of Project Management program. His ICSC Academy workshop will help participants understand the shopping center development process from site identification to opening, explore the forces that shape redevelopment, and distinguish different types of mixed-use projects and opportunities. Topics will include working with ownership, development trends, site planning, sustainable design, community outreach and public process. Register as a member or non-member.

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ICSC Chicago Deal Making Academy Brochure

Ready for Any Client Spaces

Ready for Any Client Spaces

August 10, 2015

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DMA goes to any length (or depth) to meet the project needs of our clients. In advance of site survey work for Rivers Casino at Mohawk Harbor, Adrian Hogg recently completed an eight-hour Confined Space Entry Training course focused on the scope and application of related OSHA standards. Confined spaces can include underground vaults, tanks, storage bins, manholes, pits, silos, process vessels, pipelines and more. Construction in these spaces may require special permits and oversight programs. At the Mohawk Harbor site, Adrian participated in the survey of a 500-foot-long culvert to document pre-existing damage before a process of deep dynamic compaction begins nearby. On an ongoing basis, the project team will monitor vibration levels at the culvert to stay within safe ranges. Adrian’s specialized understanding of OSHA requirements and contractor responsibilities augments his deep experience in development management.

All Fired Up in Tampa

All Fired Up in Tampa

Fox 13 Tampa Bay - July 17, 2015

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Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn and Fox television reporter Charley Belcher were among those attending the grand opening of Fabrica Woodfired Pizza, a new dining option in the city’s Channel District. The restaurant features Neopolitan-style pizza baked in a 1,000-degree oven. Fabrica’s ground-floor space in Pierhouse at Channelside, an upscale apartment complex, offers indoor and terrace seating. DMA’s Elliot Vieceli provided retail tenant delivery services on behalf of building ownership to support this successful opening.

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Fabrica Woodfired Pizza - Fox 13 Tampa Bay

A Dining First in Manhattan

A Dining First in Manhattan

Architectural Digest - July 10, 2015

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Chef Gabriel Kreuther, previously known for his work in the dining room at New York’s Museum of Modern Art, opened his first restaurant in the ground floor of Grace Building. DMA’s Esther Yi-Pin Chi served as owner’s representative during the critical construction phase of this space, as part of our retail tenant delivery services for Brookfield Office Properties. The Class A office tower in midtown Manhattan sits directly across from Bryant Park. Kreuther’s namesake restaurant features a design inspired by the town squares of Alsace, with custom-made light fixtures that resemble street lamps and reclaimed beams like those used in Alsatian homes.

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Chef Gabriel Kreuther Debuts His Highly Anticipated First Restaurant

Design a ‘Go’ for New Casino

Design a ‘Go’ for New Casino

The Daily Gazette - July 22, 2015

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The new site plan for Rivers Casino at Mohawk Harbor won near-unanimous approval from the Schenectady, New York Planning Commission. The approved design reflects the community’s preference for a contemporary look for the casino structure and expands public access to the waterfront. DMA worked closely with client Rush Street Gaming to reflect community input in the design process and support project success with visible signage and amenities. A license from the state Gaming Commission could be awarded as early as September 30. Development plans for the 150,000-square-foot casino include pursuing LEED certification.

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Schenectady casino design gets green light

RELATED:
Latest casino look: 'New Schenectady'

A New Look for Schenectady, NY

A New Look for Schenectady, NY

The Daily Gazette - July 9, 2015

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DMA is working closely with Rush Street Gaming to move a new casino project forward in the northeast. When community feedback in Schenectady, New York on the proposed Rivers Casino & Resort at Mohawk Harbor indicated a preference for contemporary design, DMA took that input seriously. As Mike Levin noted, rather than doing something “more reflective of the city’s industrial period,” the team embraced the community’s desire for the development “to symbolize the new Schenectady.” Renderings now feature more contemporary materials, such as precast stone and metal panels, and a cleaner look for the casino structure and adjacent hotel. The design also emphasizes the casino’s connection to the Mohawk River with a river-facing courtyard and patio space, steakhouse, banquet facility and swimming pool. 

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Latest casino look: 'New Schenectady’

Leading a Retail Renaissance

Leading a Retail Renaissance

ICSC News Letter - June 25, 2015

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Brookfield Place is the first of three major new retail projects to open in lower Manhattan, leading a noted retail renaissance in the area. The project reimagined 375,000 square feet of retail space in the World Trade Center complex and debuted a full collection of luxury stores, restaurants and a new food marketplace this spring. Tenants have reported above-average sales, with marketing efforts drawing tourists, office workers and a growing population of residents. DMA led the retail tenant delivery effort at Brookfield Place on behalf of ownership. A three-story Saks Fifth Avenue will open at the property next year.

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Lower Manhattan's Retail Renaissance

CAF Ignites New Year

CAF Ignites New Year

Chicago Architecture Foundation - June 10, 2015

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Members of the Chicago Architecture Foundation (CAF) Auxiliary Board held their annual meeting at Ignite Glass Studios, in Chicago’s Fulton Market neighborhood. The building’s unique architectural elements and spaces, with its urban garden and rooftop deck, contributed to an inspiring evening. The event also featured a glass-blowing demonstration and an overview of Ignite Glass Studios’ concept and history by DMA’s Charles Porter and Epstein’s Andy Metter, principal design architect. The annual meeting program included a discussion of CAF’s youth education initiatives, the recently announced Newhouse Architecture and Design Competition winners, and the election of new executive committee officers.

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CAF Auxiliary Board Annual Meeting Photos

Working for Number One

Working for Number One

Commercial Observer - April 29, 2015

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DMA client Brookfield Asset Management sits at the top of the list of New York City’s biggest landlords. With more than 27.5 million square feet of rentable building area, Brookfield owns a nearly 5% share of the commercial real estate market. The owner’s prominent properties include Brookfield Place, at the World Trade Center complex; the recently renovated One New York Plaza property; and Grace Building, across from Bryant Park. DMA is proud to be providing retail tenant delivery services at top Brookfield office buildings.  

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NYC's Top 10 Biggest Landlords

Raising the Roof for H&M

Raising the Roof for H&M

Graycor News - 2015 Articles

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DMA oversaw the delivery of three retail shells for H&M at different Midwest malls owned by Starwood Retail Partners in 2015. At the Chicago Ridge Mall in Chicago Ridge, Illinois, general contractor Graycor Construction Company completed the impressive feat of moving an 11,000-square-foot roof 20 feet higher, to accommodate a second floor for H&M, in three days. The effort required innovative solutions and extensive collaboration and planning across team members. Delivering the 24,745-square-foot shell also involved demolishing seven tenant spaces near the mall’s center court, with adjacent tenants open and operating throughout renovation. Other work took place at Southlake Mall, in Merrillville, Indiana and Louis Joliet Mall, in Joliet, Illinois.

READ MORE AND WATCH THE TIME LAPSE VIDEO:
Graycor Construction Raises the Roof

Hot Fitness Studio Hits Chicago

Hot Fitness Studio Hits Chicago

https://www.bisnow.com/ February 11, 2015

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Construction has begun on SoulCycle’s first-floor space at 1225 Old Town in Chicago. The 3,200-square-foot gym will be the fitness studio’s first presence in the Midwest and an ideal retail tenant for the 1225 Old Town building, which features 250 luxury apartments as well as a grocery store and coffee shop.  Since SoulCycle opened in New York in 2006, the fitness studio has gained celebrity attention and a passionate customer following with its high-intensity indoor workout, mixing elements of cycling, dance, coaching, and candlelight. DMA is working with contractors, building management, ownership and studio representatives to deliver the perfect space for SoulCycle’s Chicago opening, planned for March 2015.

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4 Hot Workouts Coming to Chicago

A Sure Bet on Expansion

A Sure Bet on Expansion

Design Develop Construct Journal, Spring 2015

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Amenities are growing at SugarHouse Casino in Philadelphia as DMA manages a $164 million expansion for Rush Street Gaming. DMA Principal Charles Porter notes that the original facility was designed with expansion plans in mind. SugarHouse first opened in 2010, during a serious recession. In keeping with ownership’s intense focus on creating a positive atmosphere for guests and employees, the expansion project will bring new food and beverage venues, a 30,000-square foot event area, a well-lit, seven-story parking structure, new ceilings and windows, an extended riverfront walkway, and VIP gaming spaces. Philadelphia newspapers have already recognized SugarHouse as a top workplace in the city four times.

READ MORE DETAILS:
A Sure Bet on Expansion  (pages 80-81)

Green Victory for Century City

Green Victory for Century City

http://www.peoplesworld.org January 28, 2015

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The Los Angeles City Council unanimously approved the Century City Center project, clearing the way for the development of L.A.’s first LEED Platinum high-rise. DMA worked closely with ownership to define a compelling concept for the 35-story office tower and to support the complex entitlement process through significant community discussions. The project features one of the largest habitable green roof spaces in California, 7,000 square feet of photovoltaic panels, a passively cooled lobby, and a central plant that produces ice at night for efficient cooling during the day. The design also supports future advances in mass transit. Century City Center is expected to generate $4.3 million in annual revenue for the City of Los Angeles, and $400 million a year in economic activity.

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Historic environmental victory for L.A.'s Century City Center