Every few weeks, we sort through several hundred thousand building permits and round up a handful of the most interesting construction projects happening across the nation. For this week’s BuildZoom Picks, we highlight renovations and new buildings under construction for the corporate offices of five Fortune 500 companies.
1) Amazon Biosphere
The iconic biospheres at Amazon’s Seattle headquarters have been a topic of excitement and media buzz since the design for the 100 feet-high botanical garden were approved back in 2013. Though the world eagerly waits its completion, recent building permits suggest that construction isn’t quite finished yet. A building permit issued September 3 with a value of $558K details tenant improvements to the ground level sphere (R2) for a bar, and another issued September 9th details improvements to the ground level sphere (R1) for exhibits and event space.
2) Microsoft R&D Center Renovation
Microsoft’s New England R&D Center on the MIT campus in Cambridge is about to get a makeover. The research lab supports interdisciplinary academic research, machine learning, and AI development in addition to other high-tech research and development projects. According to a $3.7 million building permit issued on September 5th, the interior office will be undergoing renovations.
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3) McDonald’s Chicago Headquarters
McDonald’s is moving its headquarters from Oak Brook to Chicago, on a site that was formerly Oprah’s Harpo Studio campus in the Fulton Market district. McDonald’s will be leasing 80% of the building, and the most recent permits show an installation of over $1 million in just security systems. Earlier permits show a foundation permit for $10 million, a superstructure permit for $42 million, the new building construction for $95 million, and an elevator permit for $3.77 million, bringing the total project cost to over $151 million.
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4) Caterpillar’s Regional HQ in Tucson Begins Foundation Work
Caterpillar, a leading manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, will be moving its Surface, Mining & Technology Division to Tucson and will bring more than 600 executive jobs during the next five years. The 150,000 square-foot building will have a masonry base and copper or copper-inspired panels on top. A $3.2 million building permit was filed on September 5th to begin foundation work on the project.
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5) Porsche HQ in Atlanta to Install Six Ultra-Fast EV Chargers
Porsche’s first all-electric vehicle, the Mission E, is scheduled to go on sale at the end of 2019, challenging Tesla’s dominance in the luxury EV market. In parallel with its preparation for the car launch, the German company installed its first two 350 kW EV charging stations in its Berlin headquarters this summer. According to a building permit filed on August 23, Porsche’s US headquarters in Atlanta will also be installing six ultra-fast chargers, for a price tag of nearly $100 K.
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