Facilities Management Advisor’s “Under Construction” series highlights some of the latest, most interesting facility project announcements every month.
‘Unprecedented’ Disney Expansion
Loved by kids (and many joyous adults) across the world, Disney theme parks are about to get even bigger and better! Disney Experiences Chairman Josh D’Amaro recently unveiled massive plans to build new attractions at California and Florida parks highlighting everyone’s favorite characters from Disney’s hit movies, including—dun, dun, dun—vicious villains. The expansion plans are part of a $60 billion investment in Disney’s parks, resorts, and cruise lines over the next decade.
Organization: The Walt Disney Co.
Location: Orlando, Fla., and Anaheim, Calif.
Type of project: New build/expansion
Size: N/A
Estimated cost: Part of $60 billion investment
Status: Announced Aug. 10
Expected completion: N/A
Interesting tidbit: In Orlando, Fla., the Magic Kingdom theme park is slated for its largest expansion ever with the addition of a new land dedicated to Disney’s most infamous villains and two new attractions based on the animated “Cars” films. Disney’s Animal Kingdom is also getting a new land called Tropical Americas, which is slated to open in 2027 and will include the fictional village Pueblo Esperanza and attractions based on “Indiana Jones” and “Encanto.” Disney’s Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World will add to its blockbuster attractions with a land based on the popular Pixar franchise “Monsters, Inc.,” which will include Disney’s first suspended roller coaster ever. Disney California Adventure, a theme park at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, Calif., will be upping its superhero powers by doubling the size of its Marvel Avengers Campus. To boot, the park will also add an attraction based on the “Avatar” movies.
Quote: D’Amaro said, “With so many great Disney stories to tell, we’re excited to bring an unprecedented number of new projects to life in the near future.”
More details available here.
$2.6B Airport Overhaul
The San Francisco International Airport (SFO), home to the TSA’s cutest bomb-sniffing dog of 2024, has launched the Terminal 3 West Modernization project. With a $2.6 billion price tag, the project will renovate the existing 650,000 square-foot western half of Terminal 3, including a seismic retrofit, an expanded security checkpoint, and new passenger amenities. The project will also create 200,000 square feet of additional space, allowing for expanded food, beverage, and retail concessions.
Organization: San Francisco International Airport
Location: San Francisco
Type of project: Renovation and new build
Size: 850,000 square feet overall
Estimated cost: $2.6 billion
Design-build team: Turner, Gensler, TEF Design, et al.
Status: Announced Aug. 20
Expected completion: In stages between fall 2027, early 2028, and early 2029
Interesting tidbit: SFO is targeting LEED Platinum green building certification for this project. Sustainability features will include daylight harvesting, displacement ventilation, on-site solar, waste heat recovery, low-carbon steel and concrete, energy-smart baggage handling, dynamic glazing, recycled water, hydration stations, health-friendly materials, and green building education.
Quote: SFO Airport Director Ivar C. Satero said, “Our goal is to create an extraordinary airport experience for our guests, leading the way in sustainability and innovation, and we expect this project will once again raise the bar for what travelers can look forward to at SFO.”
More details available here.
More Space for Amazon Satellites
Have you heard of Project Kuiper, Amazon’s major initiative to boost global broadband internet access through a constellation of satellites in low Earth orbit? It’s generally considered a rival to Elon Musk’s SpaceX Starlink network. Last year, Project Kuiper broke ground on a $120 million, 100,000-square-foot satellite processing facility at Space Florida’s Launch and Landing Facility at Kennedy Space Center. Now Amazon announced it is investing $19.5 million more to add a secondary support facility at the site—bringing its total investment there to nearly $140 million.
Organization: Amazon’s Project Kuiper
Location: Cape Canaveral, Fla.
Type of project: New build
Size: 42,000 square feet
Estimated cost: $19.5 million
Status: Announced Aug. 22
Expected completion: 2025
Interesting tidbit: According to Amazon, the new 42,000-square-foot building will provide additional space to process and store flight hardware ahead of launch, allowing for a regular cadence of missions to deploy Project Kuiper’s 3,232-satellite constellation. Located next to the first facility, it will feature temperature-controlled storage areas, maintenance bays, multipurpose workspaces, and air load rigging capabilities for easily moving heavy equipment. Project Kuiper is on track to begin delivering internet service to customers in 2025, according to Amazon.
Quote: Brian Huseman, Amazon’s VP for public policy and community engagement, said this latest investment “not only reinforces our commitment to delivering reliable broadband connectivity to unserved and underserved communities worldwide, but also strengthens Florida’s position as a hub for space innovation and job creation.”
More details available here.
New Cybersecurity Agency HQ
The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA)—the country’s largest landlord overseeing more than 300,000 federal buildings—and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) have tapped Clark Construction to build the new Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) headquarters at the St. Elizabeths West Campus in Washington, D.C. As its name suggests, CISA is tasked with helping protect against the countless attacks on digital and physical infrastructure. Its HQ relocation is part of an ongoing effort to consolidate DHS operations onto one campus.
Organizations: GSA, DHS, and CISA
Location: Washington, D.C.
Type of project: New build
Size: 630,000 square feet
Estimated cost: $524 million
Contractor: Clark Construction
Status: Contract announced Aug. 16
Expected completion: N/A
Interesting tidbit: The construction award of approximately $524 million includes an investment of nearly $116 million in Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) funding, making it the GSA’s largest single IRA project investment to date. In line with the Biden administration’s federal sustainability goals, the new building will use low-embodied carbon construction materials and be designed to meet high-performance green building standards.
Quote: Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas said moving CISA to the St. Elizabeths West Campus will “better facilitate collaboration across our components and offices, and inspire cohesive work to ensure our nation’s infrastructure is secure and resilient.”
More details available here.
Honorable Mentions
- $1.6B in U.S. Funding for Chip Plants
- New High School After Tornado Destruction
- Sustainable U.S. Army Barracks
- Mixed-Use Project to ‘Transform’ Chicago’s West Side
- Amherst College Geothermal Project
Do you have a major project announcement you’d like considered for the “Under Construction” series? Please contact Editor Joe Bebon at JBebon@BLR.com.