Construction News

Construction on Gateway Plaza located in Harvey Michigan was completed as of September 2009. The plaza consists of ten total units and is 60% leased. Current occupants in Gateway Plaza include McDonalds, Anytime Fitness, Edward Jones, and Northern Michigan Bank & Trust. Any interested renters may contact Moyle Real Estate & Development for lease information.

The new plaza has proven that even in a down economy, tenants will be attracted to new developments offering competitive build outs and lease rates. Gateway Plaza was able to provide greater convenience to the community by bringing businesses to a new location that had been in several miles away in Marquette.

The construction of the new multi-story War Memorial Medical Office Building, adjacent to War Memorial Hospital in Saulte Ste. Marie, is proceeding as planned. The War Memorial Hospital currently plans to lease the first two floors. The remaining space will be available for lease upon completion in June 2010. Interested in parties may contact Moyle Real Estate & Development for leasing information.

by Michael H. Babcock, DMG Writer - Mining Gazette.com

L'ANSE - The Baraga County Board of Commissioners is partnering with Moyle Construction of Houghton to perform a feasibility study to learn details associated with the potential move of the Baraga County Courthouse from downtown L'Anse to the Baraga County Memorial Hospital, which will be moving to a new location on U.S. 41.

"It's an idea, it's something we're still looking into," Commissioner Paul Tesanovich said at the board's regular meeting Monday night. "We've made no decisions but to look into it more."

The decision to partner with Moyle was suggested by the Courthouse Improvement Committee, which was chaired by Baraga County Prosecuting Attorney Joseph O'Leary.

"The committee voted we'd like to partner with Moyle for a feasibility study," O'Leary told the council. "Moyle has some really good ideas."

Previously the commissioners had looked into repairs for the current building, which they estimated at $1.3 million.

"We're in a really old building here," O'Leary said. "We've got a big opportunity and potentially a huge problem."

O'Leary said that Moyle volunteered to do the study, as much as $10,000 worth of work.

"There are a lot of things we don't know, and they've offered to help us figure it out without costs to the county," Tesanovich said.

The project is still early, but O'Leary is hopeful.

"We're still just scratching the surface," he said. "Frankly, everything we've seen looks good."

In other action, the board:

appointed Willard Coffey, Phil Ott and Shirley Younggren to six-year terms on the Baraga County Memorial Hospital's Board of Trustees, as well as Ilene LaPlante, Art Allert and Denise LaPointe to three-year terms on the Baraga County Extended Care Corp. All six had previously served on the respective boards.

was thanked by a member of the MSU Extension for the board's support during the extensions times of future uncertainty.

Michael H. Babcock can be reached at mbabcock@mininggazette.com.

by Michael H. Babcock, DMG Writer - Mining Gazette.com

HOUGHTON - Moyle Real Estate & Development has entered into a contract to buy the Copper Country Mall from current owners Developers Diversified Realty, an Ohio-based corporation.

"We have it under contract to buy it, we have an extended due-diligence period," President Andy Moyle said.

Moyle said they've been interested in the mall for many years, hoping to turn it into another bright spot in the Copper Country community.

"You can tell a lot about an area by how vibrant their shopping areas and downtown are," Moyle said. "The mall only being half full is a hindrance to any development in our area."

One way Moyle plans on succeeding is creatively solving problems the mall faces.

"As any organization gets bigger, there's more and more layers, the current owners and their systems can't be creative," Moyle said. "We can be much more flexible in our contracts."

Flexibility will allow Moyle to reconstruct space within the mall to match up with renters' needs.

"We're going to do some interior upgrades and some upgrades to the exterior," Moyle said. "Some businesses need store fronts facing out, but others do much better inside with a common space.

"Some (potential renters) will have us creating storefronts facing out with direct entrances."

Because of the company's flexibility, the opportunities for renters are boundless, especially considering over 65 percent of the mall is currently unoccupied.

"We aren't looking to take small tenants from downtowns, we're looking for people who need 20,000-or-more square feet that would build a stand-alone (structure) before," Moyle said. "This is a rare opportunity for people who need a large space."

The search has already begun for tenants, and Moyle said they've been in contact with many business leaders and community members in an attempt to turn the mall into something people can be proud of.

"This is really a community project that is being performed through us," Moyle said. "To find a developer that would look at this mall is pretty difficult, but we've been driving by it, thinking about what we could do to make it work for years.

"We live here, we can't be driving by the mall watching it empty."

Moyle said this project will be made much easier by the success of the Streetscape project, which showed Houghton's dedication to the future.

"It's already paying dividends to the community because it shows we're willing to evolve," Moyle said. "It costs money to hold on to your history and that's what they did with the Streetscape project."

Moyle hopes the construction can begin in the spring, and within two years he hopes to drastically improve the number of tenants.

"This is going to be a challenging project, but it's going to be a fun one and it will be exciting to see it all the way through," Moyle said.

Michael H. Babcock can be reached at mbabcock@mininggazette.com.

by Michael H. Babcock, DMG Writer - Mining Gazette.com

HOUGHTON - While Big Macs and McFlurries have gone up the hill to the new McDonald's location on M-26, the restaurant's former building on Shelden Avenue has laid dormant.

In 2004, after the restaurant's 2003 move, Moyle Real Estate & Development purchased the building and tried to rent it out to other businesses, but no businesses were able to stick.

In July, Moyle decided to start improvements to the property - first fixing a broken window and now doing some work on the aging concrete around the building.

"We've had a tendency to get these buildings that no one else wants, and we rehabilitate and restore the buildings," Executive Director of Sales and Marketing Kevin Geshel said. "Our Web site (moyleusa.com) has a nice little section on our areas of specialty, and it talks about building rehab. That's what we're going to do with this building."

Geshel said they're planning on creating a mixed-use building with residential living, as well as possible retail.

"Right now, our job is to rehabilitate the building," Geshel said. "We have an idea of what we want to do with the building, but we're not going to disclose any of the specific information other than that it will likely be a mixed-use building where there is residential living as well as possible retail."

This is just the latest of similar projects by Moyle to turn things around, Geshel said.

"The two best examples around here are the Powerhouse and the Dover building (where Rhythm is located), both of which were somewhat dilapidated, and the next generation of those are the Burger King and McDonald's buildings," he said. "We really feel good about taking something that would likely become an eyesore and turn it into a really nice-looking building, and create some jobs and dwellings for some residents."

This is just the latest project advancing the downtown district, which has seen more than a dozen facade improvements and a $4.5 million streetscape project this summer.

Geshel said Moyle has been part of improvements from the beginning.

"We think the movements downtown were catalyzed by the renovation of the Rhythm building," he said. "We want to be a part of (the movement) because we helped initialize it. We're excited about being a part of the downtown."

Geshel had no timetable for the building's completion, but said the renovation will "knock your socks off."

"At the end of the day, no one will know what it was, but they'll know what it is," he said.

Michael H. Babcock can be reached at mbabcock@mininggazette.com.

By Jude McConkey, Sault Ste. Marie Evening News

War Memorial Hospital hosted a ceremonial groundbreaking on Wednesday, to signal the start of construction on their new medical office building — on the eastern side of Osborn Blvd., across from the hospital. Pictured are: Peter Dupuis and Pat Pattinson of Moyle Construction; Bob DuPont of River Valley Bank; Andy Moyle and Barry Givens of Moyle Construction; Tom Moyle, CEO Moyle Companies; David Jahn, CEO War Memorial Hospital; Frank Sasso, WMH Board of Trustee Chairman; Rep. Gary McDowell (D-Rudyard), Frenchie LaJoie, Betsy Demaray, John Jorgensen, and Ted Ludwig, MD — WMH Trustees; and Ken Greenfield, WMH Director of Plant and Environmental Services.

Tractor Supply Company, a major box retailer originally planned for Marquette Township, is setting up shop at the former site of the Marquette Work Center in Negaunee Township.

"This is a Tractor Supply we were awarded as a design build contract," said Andrew Kemper of Moyle Development. "The building is approximately 19,000 square feet, and there will be a 15,000 square foot outdoor display area to accompany the building." He said construction will start in early August and should be finished mid-winter.

In addition, two pole buildings located on the property will be salvaged. "There were two old pole buildings that were there, those pole buildings will be donated to a local snowmobile club. All the material was salvaged from the buildings and they will be re-erected," Kemper said.

Moyle Construction has received the Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc. STEP (Safety Training and Evaluation Process) GOLD AWARD from the National ABC Safety Committee. The award recognizes a company’s commitment to develop a safety program that produces a safe workplace. The Award Committee acknowledged Moyle’s effort to maintain and continually improve an outstanding safety program.

By JOHN PEPIN Journal Staff Writer for the Mining Journal

HARVEY - A new commercial development is taking shape at the corner of M-28 and U.S. 41, creating what Chocolay Township officials say are much needed improvements at the gateway to the community.

"They're going to provide a lot of landscaping that will really enhance that corner," said Jennifer Thum, Chocolay Township director of planning and community development. "It will be aesthetically pleasing, which we really need. It's our gateway. The project - Gateway Plaza - is named correctly."

The roughly 20,000-square-foot project should be completed by mid-summer into fall, according to Moyle Construction officials in Houghton."The majority of the shell of the building should be completed by mid-July," project manager Andrew Kemper said.

Work began on erecting the building March 23. Thum said the development will include a bank, a McDonald's restaurant and spaces for seven additional businesses to operate.

There are 16 subcontractors or suppliers working on the project. Some businesses are local and some are headquartered outside the area in downstate Grayling and Green Bay and Berlin in Wisconsin.

Once the project is completed, there will be additional room on the property, east of a wetlands area, for future development, Thum said.

She said the project is a positive development.

"Even during the economic turmoil, our township is still growing," Thum said. "This project proves it."

Courtesy of the The Mining Journal

We are proud to have won this award, not only for this project, but also as an example of what can be accomplished with a pre-engineered steel building. Today's pre-engineered buildings allow you to implement design elements that go beyond what is normally thought of as a pre-engineered building. For example, the façade on this building does not have the stereotypical pre-engineered steel building look. The design also incorporates a single-ply membrane roof with internal roof drains which is also a departure from the standard in the pre-engineered steel building design. With the options pre-engineered buildings now offer you no longer have the design limitations it did in the past.

Moyle Construction was the general contractor for the new River Valley Bank building, which won the Commercial/Business Improvement Award from the Marquette Beautification & Restoration Committee. Located at 1140 W. Washington in Marquette Michigan, the new structure was completed in November 2007. A full 2000 sf larger than their old facility, the new building is 8000 sf with two levels to accommodate several private offices. The exterior is constructed of different brick and stone with ample window space and beautifully landscaped with stone beds filled with several trees and shrubs. The award sites the River Valley Bank as an addition to the beautification of Marquette because of its natural beauty and surrounding green space.

By MICHAEL H. BABCOCK, DMG Writer - from www.mininggazette.com

HOUGHTON - Moyle is one of the largest and most successful businesses in the Upper Peninsula, specifically here in the Copper Country, where they've been the driving force behind countless businesses.

One recent addition is the Ridgecrest Plaza in Houghton. The Plaza is the latest of the retail centers Moyle has built in southwestern Houghton.

Ridgecrest shares a parking lot with Applebee's, and both are right on the way to Walmart.

"(It's) arguably the best possible retail location," Executive Director of Sales & Marketing Kevin Geshel said.

Already the retail center has two tenants, with Superior National Bank and Trust and Maurice's both making the move from the Copper Country Mall to Ridgecrest Plaza.

Geshel said it's no surprise that the retail centers have continued to fill through the years. Customers love to drive up, walk in, get what they want and walk out. With retail centers, that is exactly what customers do.

"People have continued to love the retail centers," Geshel said. "We're dealing with difficult economic times, but these are doing great."

Moyle owns the land that many of the other retail centers are built on as well. Geshel said finding retailers for them, both nationally and locally, is fairly easy to do, especially because of the unique look that each of them has.

"Very eclectic facade, unique design, convenient parking ... (it's) not just another cinderblock building," Geshel said.

While the Ridgecrest Plaza does have a unique look, it isn't just a quality front. The building, like all of Moyle's buildings, is built very efficiently. According to Geshel, the buildings are very easy to heat, meeting the needs of today's retailers.

Beyond the city limits of Houghton, Moyle is spreading throughout the Upper Peninsula. They are currently working on a new Walmart Supercenter and medical office building in Sault Ste. Marie, a retail center in L'Anse next to the new Pamida, a new assisted living facility in Menominee and dozens of others.

"It is refreshing to see work continue, even in the face of the economic crisis that we are continually reminded of on television every night," Geshel said.

For a full list of the projects they are currently working on, visit their Web site, moyleusa.com. For information on leasing space in the Ridgecrest Plaza, call Geshel at 482-3000.

Michael H. Babcock can be reached at mbabcock@mininggazette.com.

By MICHAEL H. BABCOCK, DMG Writer - from www.mininggazette.com

LAKE LINDEN - It's been a long time coming for Lake Linden-Hubbell schools. This summer there will be a complete overhaul of the middle and high school buildings. Among the dozens of changes include: a new look for the historic gymnasium, a new football field and track and a revamped area to pick up and drop off students.

"We're underway. RC Mechanical started with the boiler upgrade Wednesday," Superintendent Randall Roberts said. "That's one of the bigger elements of the total project. That will probably take right up until school starts in the fall."

The school is replacing the old steam heat with a hot-water system.

The gym renovation will begin on Monday, Roberts said, with Moyle Construction doing most of that work.

"It's going to be a whole new look for that facility," Roberts said. "The difficult part was to retain the history of it."

Upgrades to the gym will include new floors, seats, lights, staircases, entrances, locker rooms and at least a portion of the upstairs balcony will be removed. Similar action will take place in the auditorium, including restoration of the floor, new seats, electrical and lighting upgrades and all the glass block windows will be replaced for a new look.

"It's worn out, it's 1916 desks and flooring, it's time to redo it," Roberts said. "It's going to be new, but the concern is to retain somewhat of the retro look, we're trying to maintain the character as much as we can."

Behind the school, right on the shore of Torch Lake, a football field and track will be built. A small portion of Torch Lake will be filled for the project, which Moyle is planning to begin next week.

The way kids are dropped off and picked up will be completely changed. Buses will pick up and drop off on the north end of the building, where children are currently picked up. The construction will form a loop between the middle and high school where a new pick-up and drop-off point will be created.

Inside and outside, the entire project was planned with sustainability in mind.

"The whole green idea was in the minds of folks here when we were selecting windows, heating systems and basically where ever else we could incorporate the green concept," Roberts said.

Though the project began this week, the majority of the work will begin this summer.

"We're just trying to get through the last month of school without too much interruption," Roberts said.

Michael H. Babcock can be reached at mbabcock@mininggazette.com.

A new McDonald’s restaurant will become the anchor for Gateway Plaza, a 22,000 square foot retail center in Harvey, Michigan. The Moyle Real Estate & Development project will break ground on Phase One in the Spring of 2009 with Phase One completion scheduled for July 2009. Moyle Construction will provide coordination for the project.

Located only five minutes from Marquette at the intersection US-41 and M-28, the new Gateway Plaza will be located in one of the community’s highest traffic intersections. This location will allow for foot traffic business from McDonald’s to and from all of Gateway’s adjacent business suites. Area residents and Chocolay Township officials are anticipating this new project will bring an overall benefit to the economy of the community.

Since the company’s founding in 1976, Moyle has grown to become the leading construction provider and real estate developer in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Moyle has the ability to provide all facets of a project, including location, design, construction and lease-back. In the past three decades, the company has completed both new and renovation building projects for a wide range of industries, including retail, restaurant, entertainment, office, institutional, health care, hotels and financial institutions.

For more information contact Kevin Geshel at 906.482.3000 and visit our website at www.moyleusa.com

At Moyle Companies, employee safety is paramount in our daily operations. The success we have achieved in this area is evident in the fact that we have surpassed the quarter of a million hours worked without a lost time accident.

Regulations and requirements for safety and health on the job are continually being revised to be more stringent in the protection of employees. We support these initiatives and take a proactive approach to remain a step ahead of any new enforcement issues by national and state regulators.

We are proud that this progressive focus on safety resulted in 80% of Moyle jobsite inspections by MIOSHA and OSHA were found to be “clean” inspections with no violations in 2007 and 2008.

Our employees are trained at all levels and trades on relevant safety topics. Moyle annually invests 1500 hours on safety and health training. This philosophy of safety and heath are incorporated throughout the company organization. An effective Safety and Health Program can only work with support and positive communication from top management. When top management carries the “safety torch”, it can’t help but be successful.

The company wide focus on safety we employ at Moyle extends beyond our employees to include visitors to the jobsite, subcontractors, and our client’s staff. It is our commitment to employ safety practices that not only meet all state and national regulations, but our own high standards.

SAULT STE. MARIE - War Memorial Hospital’s Board of Trustees gave the green light to Moyle Construction on Monday, prompting the construction of a four-story medical office building in downtown Sault Ste. Marie, according to War Memorial Hospital CEO David Jahn.

The hospital CEO praised the decision of trustees to proceed with the project. “Through this partnership with Moyle, War Memorial will take the next step in its long-term strategic plan, which advances the growth of healthcare services in our region.”

Officials say construction could begin as early as spring on the long-discussed medical office building, which will be located on the eastern side of Osborn Boulevard, next to the downtown parking structure. The 40,000-square-foot building will be connected to the parking deck by a skywalk, according to Barry Givens, Vice President of Engineering and Design for Moyle Construction.

Roughly half of the building will be leased by the hospital from Moyle, who will own the building and market the remaining space to medical professionals or closely-related businesses. For its part, WMH plans to utilize the building for physician office space, as well as an ambulatory surgery center.

This will be the second time Moyle and WMH have collaborated on new construction. Moyle also built the facility occupied by the hospital’s outpatient rehabilitation department, located on Ashmun Street. “We have had a great relationship with the hospital and look forward to continuing that with the medical office building project as well,” Givens said.

Project construction is estimated to last anywhere from nine months to one year. Local contractors will have an opportunity to work on construction, according to Givens. “We seek the best price and the best quality contractors,” he said. “We have our own workforce, but if we can find a more economical way and assure the quality is there, we will utilize the local workforce, too. We used them for the rehab center and we anticipate doing that again as much as possible,” Givens explained.

In addition to healthcare facilities, Moyle has been an active developer in Sault Ste. Marie, constructing the shopping plaza anchored by Goodwill and currently building the Wal-Mart Supercenter. The construction company, which calls Houghton home, has been in business since 1976.

For its part, WMH began pursuing the construction of additional medical office space several years ago, when it purchased the property the building will be situated on. “We have been aware of the need for more space in order to grow physician practices and allow for more procedural space,” Jahn said. “It has taken some time to put the pieces in place, but we are confident that the time is now right for this project to proceed.”

War Memorial will initially lease the 20,000 square feet it will occupy. In addition, the hospital will also have the first opportunity to purchase additional space as it becomes available.

Mindful of fitting in with the architectural style and appearance of the downtown, Givens said the building will “have a nice masonry façade which will compliment the existing parking deck and fit into that area of the downtown.” Indoors, leased space will be built to suit each individual tenant.

Moyle Construction was founded in 1976 as a family owned business and will continue to be a family owned company with Kim, Gary and Andy Moyle as the owners.

Management of the Construction division shall be directed by Thomas R. Helminen of Laurium who has more than 30 years in the construction management business. As President of Moyle Construction he will oversee the company’s experienced management team of:

• Barry Givens, Vice President of Engineering & Design
• Peter Dupuis, Vice President of Estimating
• William Heide, Vice President of Operations
• John Moyle, Vice President of Facilities & Equipment
• Thomas J. Sturos, Financial Controller

This change in ownership and leadership is vital to the continued growth of the company. Being the construction leader in the region, Moyle is dedicated to serving the Upper Peninsula’s building and development needs. The change in management stays true to the values this company was built upon which are delivering high quality projects for a good value, on time, every time.

In a time when many other businesses are diminishing or closing their doors, ours continues to expand. The relationship between the Construction and Development divisions, operating independently but on parallel paths is the key to our continued success. With Andy Moyle, President of Development, Tom Helminen, President of Construction, and Tom Moyle, CEO of Moyle Companies, continuity of operations, effective leadership, and skilled management is abundant.

This is a defining moment in our company’s history. Our decisiveness is evidence that we are proactive and will not wait for events to unfold when it comes to our company and its valued employees. Thank you for your continued support and we look forward to working with all of you in the future.