Facilities Management Advisor’s “Under Construction” series highlights some of the latest, most interesting facility project announcements every month.
Tesla in Texas
There’s no denying Elon Musk is a brilliant businessman, but he’s also a talented showman. Nearly everything he does is flashy and intriguing, including space rockets, flamethrowers, Twitter takeovers, and a host of product launches long before they’re even ready for market. In May, the billionaire entrepreneur joined Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to break ground on a new Tesla lithium refinery. In typical Musk fashion, he rolled up in a yet-to-be-released Cybertruck, and of course, project details are scarce. But here’s what (little) we know so far.
Organization: Tesla
Location: Robstown, Texas
Type of project: New build
Size: 1,200+ acre site
Estimated cost: $375 million capital investment
Status: Ground broken May 8
Expected completion: Year-end 2025
Interesting tidbit: The facility will add to Tesla’s presence in Texas, joining the electric vehicle (EV) maker’s Gigafactory in nearby Austin. Musk reportedly said the new lithium refinery will help Tesla have more control over its supply chain, address “a fundamental choke point in the advancement of electric vehicles,” and have the capacity to generate enough battery material for “about a million” EVs.
Quote: With construction machines operating behind him, Musk said, “As you can see, we’ve got the earth-moving equipment already here. So we’re going to begin construction immediately. We’re aiming to finish construction next year and then hopefully full production in about a year later. This is extremely fast by, you know, normal standards, but that’s how we do things.”
More details available here and here.
College Energy Upgrades
St. John’s College Santa Fe and cleantech integrator Ameresco have partnered on a comprehensive, multi-phase solar and energy efficiency project designed to reduce the college’s carbon footprint and save it over $100,000 annually. The project was catalyzed thanks to the college’s Class of 2019 senior gift, which provided funding for an energy audit of the campus.
Organization: St. John’s College Santa Fe and Ameresco
Location: Santa Fe, N.M.
Type of project: New build and retrofits
Estimated cost: N/A
Status: Announced April 24
Interesting tidbit: Planned upgrades to the educational institution include the addition of 1,670 solar panels, as well as 20 electric vehicle charging stations across four campus parking lots. To date, completed updates include campus-wide interior and exterior LED lighting retrofits, re-roofing and rooftop HVAC retrofits on three buildings, boiler and air handling unit replacements, and water infrastructure upgrades in the dormitories.
Quote: College President Mark Roosevelt said, “I’m thrilled that we’re incorporating innovative technologies into our campus design and entering into a new era of environmental responsibility.”
More details available here.
Consolidated Campus for Banking Giant
Wells Fargo is building a new, state-of-the-art corporate campus in Texas to consolidate multiple offices and bring together over 3,000 workers across the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex area. Developer KDC said the campus is “designed with employees as the priority,” with various amenities inside and out and easy access to public transportation and nearby hotspots.
Organization: Wells Fargo
Location: Irving, Texas
Type of project: New build
Size: 850,000 square feet on 22 acres
Estimated cost: Reportedly $455 million
Design-build team: KDC, Corgan, Kimley Horn, and Austin Commercial
Status: Ground broken April 18
Expected completion: Year-end 2025
Interesting tidbit: The campus will be Wells Fargo’s first net-positive energy campus, meaning it is expected to generate more energy than it consumes with rooftop solar panels, electric vehicle charging stations, and native plantings to minimize watering requirements. The campus is targeted for LEED Platinum environmental certification.
Quote: Wells Fargo CEO Charlie Scharf said, “We know the value of having our employees working alongside each other, and we’re excited to give them a collaborative environment that prioritizes wellness and sustainability.”
More details available here.
Project Kickoff for UC Athletics
The University of Cincinnati (UC) Athletics Department broke ground on a multimillion-dollar Indoor Practice Facility and Performance Center project, on the site of the former Sheakley Athletics Center. The project includes a 84,000-square-foot practice facility featuring a 120-yard football field, as well as a 96,000-square-foot performance center featuring football offices, nutrition stations, a weight room, mental health services, and more.
Organization: University of Cincinnati
Location: Cincinnati, Ohio
Type of project: New build
Estimated cost: $134 million
Design-build team: Gensler, MSA Sport, and Messer Construction
Status: Ground broken May 23
Expected completion: Before 2024 and 2025 football seasons
Interesting tidbit: The Cincinnati Bearcats are slated to enter a new era as a Power Five school when they officially join the Big 12 conference this July, positioning UC among the nation’s premier athletics programs.
Quote: Director of UC Athletics John Cunningham said, “These new facilities are essential for us to compete for championships in the Big 12 and immediately help us level the playing field as we enter our new conference.”
More details available here.
$4 Billion Chip Research Center
Applied Materials Inc. announced a multibillion-dollar investment to build what it claimed will be the world’s largest and most advanced facility for collaborative semiconductor process technology and manufacturing equipment R&D. Dubbed the Equipment and Process Innovation and Commercialization (EPIC) Center, the new facility is expected to help reduce the time it takes the industry to bring a technology from concept to commercialization by several years.
Organization: Applied Materials Inc.
Location: Silicon Valley
Type of project: New build
Size: N/A
Estimated cost: Up to $4 billion
Status: Announced May 22
Expected completion: Early 2026
Interesting tidbit: The facility is designed to provide a breadth and scale of capabilities that is unique in the industry, including more than 180,000 square feet—more than three American football fields—of state-of-the-art cleanroom for collaborative innovation with chipmakers, universities, and ecosystem partners. A number of leading semiconductor and computing companies, including IBM, Intel, and Samsung, praised the project.
Quote: “While semiconductors are more critical to the global economy than ever before, the technology challenges our industry faces are becoming more complex,” said Gary Dickerson, president and CEO of Applied Materials. “This investment presents a golden opportunity to re-engineer the way the global industry collaborates.”
More details available here.
Honorable Mentions
- Chargers’ New Practice Facility Taking Shape
- Upgrading Military Facilities for Women
- Two More Google Data Centers in Ohio
- Las Vegas Convention Center Renovation
- National Renewable Energy Lab Expansion
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.