Since the early September ground-breaking, McCarthy has pushed the five-acre project to the extent that it will top out in December and is prepping to start two complementary parking garages, Chris Peck, McCarthy's business development director, tells GlobeSt.com. "We're moving quickly," says Peck. "In fact, we're a couple of days ahead of schedule. Right now, it's a perfect job." The project is ticketed for a March 2001 completion.

The third phase of the existing 500,000-sf Nortel campus will result in full build-out of the site that is leased from Koll Corporate Development. But, says Peck, there is a land option on property across the street that could accommodate up to another one million sf of office space.

This is McCarthy's first office project in Richardson's Telecom Corridor although it has completed some industrial projects in the high-tech corridor. The development site is situated along Interstate 75, just north of its intersection with Campbell Road.

Mike Rosamand, Koll's senior vice president, says McCarthy has copped the general contracting award because of its commitment to the accelerated schedule. McCarthy has relied upon an early purchase program for masonry products, curtainwall aluminum framing, glass, air handling units and elevators.

"The aggressive seven-month construction schedule will be our greatest challenge," says Gary Akin, McCarthy's vice president. The fast-track project calls for a seven-story, cast-in-place concrete frame office building and two, four-level parking structures that will accommodate up to 1,600 cars. The campus also includes a credit union, company store, cafeteria with a 1950s theme and green space featuring water sculptures.

An estimated 1,400 Nortel workers will be assigned to the structure that will house telecommunications software development operations. HOK Program Management Inc. will be providing program management services while the architectural team consists of HOK and Corgan Associates Inc., both Dallas-based firms. Corgan is designing the shell and core building elements and HOK, the interior.

McCarthy is the nation's 18th largest domestic general contractor. The contractor also is building a $40-million child psychology center for the University of Texas in Austin. In addition to Dallas, the firm has offices in Phoenix, Las Vegas, St. Louis, MO, Newport Beach, CA, San Francisco and Sacramento, Portland, OR and Seattle.

Instant Insights /

Nortel's $35-Mil Campus Expansion Fast-Tracking Ahead of Schedule

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