“World-Class” Office Tower Planned for Uptown Dallas

A 27-story office and retail tower is planned for a prime location in the Uptown neighborhood of Dallas, The Dallas Morning News reported in May. Developer Trammell Crow Co. plans a “world-class office development” featuring “a significant amount of street retail” for the site at 2401 McKinney Avenue. The building, which would be the tallest on McKinney Avenue, is planned for a 2-acre site that currently holds a restaurant and a gym. It would have 670,000 ft2 of office space and 15,000 ft2 of retail, plus underground parking. The building is being designed by Connecticut-based architect Pickard Chilton, and the architect of record is HKS of Dallas.

The tower will have landscaped plazas on the street and terraces on cantilevered sections of building floors. Construction is expected to begin in early 2021 and be complete in mid-2023, but the developer is seeking zoning changes to allow for the building’s planned height and density.

Gelestino Gives Back US$3.29 Million

Don Gelestino, president of Manhattan-based Champion Elevator and the National Association of Elevator Contractors (NAEC), returned the US$3.29 million his company received from the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program, aimed at providing assistance during the coronavirus pandemic. Gelestino was not required to return the funds, stating Champion is strong, with more than 1,400 customers and 157 employees, despite incurring several hundred thousand dollars in costs related to personal protective equipment and loss of productivity as jobs were rescheduled. There were no pandemic-related layoffs at Champion, and Gelestino said he felt the funds could better help walk-in small businesses such as salons, restaurants and startups that were severely affected by COVID-19.

3M Issues Arc Flash Harness Stop Use Notice

3M Fall Protection has issued an immediate stop use notice following periodic testing of its arc flash harnesses. Affected models are DBI-SALA® Delta™ and Exoift XP™ harnesses with an integrated 18-in. nylon D-ring extension. Though the company is not aware of any accidents, injuries or customer complaints, it urges users, owners and distributors to compare SKUs listed in the notice at bit.ly/2XsIM3e to their devices. Those with an affected harness should call 3M at 833-638-2697 or email 3musfpserviceaction@mmm.com.