A modernization, a building boom and a meeting

Las Vegas’ Tallest Building to be Reborn as The Drew

A 735-ft.-tall, 63-story building overlooking the Las Vegas Strip that sat uncompleted since the financial crisis of 2008 is getting a new lease on life as The Drew from developer and property owner The Witkoff Group, SkyRise Cities was among news outlets to report. Witkoff tapped architecture firm Diller Scofidio + Renfro (DSR), which designed NYC’s High Line, to transform the tower — the city’s tallest building — into what DSR calls “a new quixotic environment” inspired by the Mojave Desert, the city’s early modern architecture and love of spectacle. The US$3.1-billion redevelopment is scheduled for delivery in 2020 and will contain 3,780 Marriott rooms and 500,000 sq. ft. of meeting space. It is DSR’s first Las Vegas project.

Skyscrapers Projected to Multiply in Downtown SLC

In 10 years, the skyline of downtown Salt Lake City (SLC) is projected to look quite different, with a flurry of skyscraper activity poised to start, Deseret News reported. Executive Director of the Downtown Alliance Dee Brewer said up to five cranes are expected to be operating downtown a year from now, as an updated master plan paves the way for urban revitalization. Downtown has “the infrastructure and amenities in place” to support high-rise construction, he said. Recently approved projects include:

• The Salt Palace convention hotel, a 28-story building on the southeast corner of the Salt Lake Convention Center, being developed by John Portman and Associates.
• Liberty Sky, a 24-story tower at 151 South State Street that is the city’s first entirely residential skyscraper, being developed by Cowboy Partners and Boyer Co. and designed by Smallwood, Reynolds, Stewart, Stewart of Atlanta.
• Tower 8, a 28-story office tower at 95 South State Street being developed by the real estate arm of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

Phoenix Hosts ASME A17 Elevator Code Week

An ASME A17 Elevator Code Week was held on May 6-9, 2019, at the Embassy Suites Phoenix Biltmore in Phoenix. Various A17 committees met, with the A17.1 Standards Committee convening on May 8. The hotel was an excellent choice, with a full breakfast and a lot of healthy walking. The committee discussed more than 20 requests for interpretation, the results of which are sent to the person requesting the interpretation and then published at www.asme.org. To quote the code, “The purpose of this code is to provide for the safety of life and limb, and to promote the public welfare.” Much discussion revolved around the issue of many accidents to elevator personnel, mainly mechanics working on elevators, that result in injury and death.

John W. Koshak furnished two documents: “Deaths and Injuries Involving Elevators and Escalators” (September 2013) and “Death and Injuries Involving Elevators or Escalators in Construction and the General Population” (December 2018) from CPWR — The Center for Construction Research and Training. This scary information needs to be considered by all of us in the industry so we can take action to reduce the casualties. Reported by Richard Gregory, Vertex Corp.

Developer Aims to Transform Chicago Site With 39-Story Tower

Local developer Newcastle Ltd. wants to replace a Barnes & Noble bookstore at 1130 North State Street in Chicago’s Gold Coast area with a 39-story, 425-ft.-tall tower containing 368 apartments, 19,000 sq. ft. of commercial space and 161 parking spots, Curbed Chicago reported.

Designed by Solomon Cordwell Buenz (SCB), the glassy structure features rounded corners the architect said will provide a distinct, elegant identity. If all required approvals are granted, Newcastle hopes to break ground in early 2020. The plan for 1130 North State Street was presented along with one for an 11-story mixed-use tower during a community meeting in April.

Gustav Wolf Says It’s Ready for U.S./China Trade Dispute

Germany-headquartered wire rope manufacturer Gustav Wolf received a new production license from the Chinese government on May 8, observing it is ready for the “approaching dark clouds of the U.S./ China trade dispute” with locations including three European, one American and one Chinese factory. Managing Director Dr. Ernst Wolf said his decision to open the facility in Rome, Georgia, is paying off, with it achieving ISO 9001 status and steadily increasing production capacity (ELEVATOR WORLD, April 2019). The Suzhou, China, location has increased annual output to 10,000 mT and has supplied ropes to projects including Z-15 Tower in Beijing, at 527.7 m the tallest tower in Beijing, which has a KONE elevator system that includes UltraRope^®. “Dr. Wolf emphasizes that Gustav Wolf is well aware of its local roots and certainly wants to remain loyal to the city of Gütersloh, Germany, on the one hand,” the company said. “On the other hand, every day, we face global competition as we try to meet the challenges of tomorrow.”