Brought to you by Rufty-Peedin Design Build
Wednesday, October 26, 2016
Two projects battling for the hearts and minds of Brier Creek residents received dueling permits last week: the McDonald’s at 8011 Brier Creek Parkway and the new Brier Creek Corp. Fitness Center on Arco Corporate Drive.
The McDonald’s project, which will be done by Freeman & Associates Contracting for $60,000, involves replacing the floor & wall tile in the lobby, the dining area and the restrooms.
A sign that hung in front of a McDonald’s next to Crabtree Valley Mall
Big Mac superfans are probably well aware that McDonald’s and its franchisees have been revamping and upgrading the look and feel of the restaurant’s interiors, which means this new tile is not the familiar gray cafeteria-style of my youth. According to an online ceramic tile message board, McDonald’s restaurants are likely to be using “Sumittville Tile. Strata Series.” In case you were curious.
And if you want to know more about McDonald’s new look, check out this recent article from — and I can’t believe I’m actually linking to this website — BuzzFeed, where they talk all about McDonald’s plans to go for a more grown-up look.
Significantly less information was available on the Brier Creek Fitness Center. The $550,000 project, being handled by Barker & Lovette General Contractor, will turn 7,936 square feet of space at the Shoppes at Brier Creek I into a brand-new gym. When comparing a recent photo of the center with one from 2011, it appears as though the fitness center will be moving in to the space next to Growing Child Pediatrics.
The space next to the pediatrics center appears vacant
The shopping center is owned by the American Asset Corporation, which describes itself as a “diversified real estate company with an in-depth knowledge of all facets of real estate investment and ownership.”
They must know something I don’t, because if I were running the Shoppes at Brier Creek, I’d have put something like a toy or candy store next to a children’s medical center. Oh well; I’m sure a gym will work out just fine.
The Shoppes at Brier Creek I in 2011
As it happens that candy store would have paired well with another nearby medical facility that received permits last week: Brier Creek Family Dentistry. The $25,000 project is described on the permits as a renovation of a mere 157 square feet of space.
It must be a pretty complex job though, as the general contractor, Imperial Design Build, will be working with four separate subcontractors handling electrical, fire protection, mechanical and plumbing work. They are: Diversified Power Solutions, Strategic Connections, Inc. Team Air Conditioning Co. and Team Plumbing Co. Despite the similar names, the mechanical and plumbing contractors do not appear to be subsidiaries of a larger contractor.
St. James
Next up we’ve got a project at a place I need to go take a selfie in front of: St. James Methodist Church, located at 3808 St. James Church Road off New Hope Road in North Raleigh. The $25,000 renovation of a bathroom and kitchen there will be handled by Roger Miedema.
If you’re curious, Saint James was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus, and was the first apostle to have been martyred. He is also the brother of the more famous John the Apostle, who is said to have written the Book of Revelation. Saint James is the Patron Saint of Spain, and his feast is celebrated on July 25: one month before my birthday. Coincidence?
The Harris Teeter at 6024 Falls of Neuse Road will soon be undergoing a significant $250,000 interior renovation care of Wilson-Covington Construction. Based out of Winston-Salem, Wilson-Covington has been around since 1947 and has worked on a number of high-end grocery projects over the years.
In fact, “High-end Grocery Stores” are at the top of a list on Wilson-Covington’s website of seven types of commercial construction the company specializes in.
“Wilson-Covington is proud to have worked with Harris Teeter and Lowes Foods in recent years on new stores up to 60,000 square feet as well as remodels completed while keeping stores fully operational. Wilson-Covington’s team of project managers and superintendents has a long track record of working with retail grocery clients as well as produce warehouses and others in the grocery industry.”
In other words, patrons of the Falls Pointe Harris Teeter need not worry: their store is in good hands.
The final project for this week is one we’re only bringing up so I can share a person anecdote: a $5,000 Sirius Antenna installation being handled by Dynamic Construction Services out on Six Forks Road. I was at a wedding a few weeks back where one of the groomsmen was a producer for a Sirius station that bills itself as the premier “agriculture & western lifestyle network.”
All of the programming is dedicated to farming, agricultural futures, etc. As someone who writes about construction projects in Raleigh, I know a thing or two about niche content, but Rural Radio really takes the cake. Imagine producing enough agricultural content to fill the airwaves 24/7!
Speaking of filling the airwaves, I realized I don’t think I’ve plugged the transit-themed podcast I’ve been doing with former Record Managing Editor Jennifer Suarez. It’s called Inbound Raleigh and it airs twice a month on Little Raleigh Radio. We’ve got five episodes in the bag so far; three have been released and are available on the Inbound Raleigh website.
