Facilities Management Advisor’s “Under Construction” series highlights some of the latest, most interesting facility project announcements every month.
“The Shining” Hotel
October represents spooky season with Halloween, so it’s only fitting that a scary destination tops the month’s list. The Stanley Hotel, a landmark in Colorado that famously inspired Stephen King’s best-selling novel “The Shining,” is getting a sequel of sorts. State leaders and Jason Blum of new-wave horror film producer Blumhouse broke ground on the Stanley Event Center, a $60 million project that is the first phase of a three-year plan to preserve, expand, and improve the historic Stanley Hotel campus, which dates back to 1909. The 70,000-square-foot addition will feature a theater and serve as a cultural hub for film, art, and community, while honoring the horror genre with a dedicated museum called the Blumhouse Space.
Organizations: Colorado Educational and Cultural Facilities Authority, the Stanley Partnership, Blumhouse, et al.
Location: Estes Park, Colo.
Type of project: New build
Size: 70,000 square feet
Estimated cost: $60 million
Status: Ground broken Sept. 25
Expected completion: Late 2028
Interesting tidbit: King was inspired to write “The Shining” after staying at the Stanley Hotel in the ’70s. The hotel was mostly empty before closing for the season, creating an eerie, isolating atmosphere that caused King to have a nightmare and ultimately led to the story and fictitious Overlook Hotel. When Stanley Kubrick turned the book into the classic film starring Jack Nicholson (King openly hated the loose adaptation), the filmmaker didn’t shoot at the Stanley Hotel, opting instead for a lodge in Oregon and soundstages in England. Nonetheless, the Stanley Hotel has embraced its place in pop culture, boasts real-life ghosts of its own, and consistently ranks among the most haunted places in America.
Quote: At the ceremony, Blum said, “We plan to celebrate the art and icons of horror, including key filmmakers, stars, and the amazing cinematic villains who’ve terrified us over the years. And there’s no better place to do it than the iconic Stanley Hotel.”
More details are available here.
Mall Conversion to Submarine Facility
The Crystal Mall in Waterford, Conn., just got an unlikely new owner: the country’s largest submarine builder. Electric Boat, a business unit of General Dynamics that designs and builds nuclear subs for the U.S. Navy, acquired the mostly vacant shopping mall to further expand its footprint in support of a mandate to accelerate submarine production. The property is conveniently located close to Electric Boat’s headquarters in Groton, which is widely known as the “Submarine Capital of the World.” The mall space also includes plenty of parking and easy access to major transportation routes.
Organization: Electric Boat
Location: Waterford, Conn.
Type of project: Adaptive reuse
Size: 542,000 square feet
Estimated cost: N/A
Status: Acquisition announced Oct. 23
Expected completion: As early as mid-2027
Interesting tidbit: Battling the massive popularity of Amazon and other online retailers, many shopping malls across America have struggled to stay open with shuttered or underperforming stores. Through this adaptive reuse project, Electric Boat will refurbish the Crystal Mall to provide space for a range of functions related to submarine production, including engineering, training, and software development. The company expects up to 5,000 employees will start working there as early as the middle of 2027. Meanwhile, Electric Boat said it will work with remaining tenants of the Crystal Mall on next steps.
Quote: Waterford First Selectman Rob Brule said the acquisition “represents not just a transformative reuse of a key site, but a tremendous investment in our local economy and workforce.”
More details are available here.
Cybersecurity School
In addition to being spooky season, October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month. In West Virginia, Marshall University has started building a $45 million facility that will focus on training the next generation of cyber professionals. As the new home of the Marshall University Institute for Cyber Security (ICS), the facility will feature 13 laboratories, including six dedicated cybersecurity training labs, an industrial control systems lab, an Internet of Things (IoT) lab, and an open-source intelligence lab.
Organization: Marshall University
Location: Huntington, W.V.
Type of project: New build
Size: 72,000 square feet
Estimated cost: $45 million
Builder: Neighborgall Construction Co.
Status: Construction set to begin immediately
Expected completion: N/A
Interesting tidbit: The state-of-the-art structure will position Marshall University as a national leader in cybersecurity education, research, and training. With more than 500,000 cybersecurity job openings nationwide, the demand for highly trained professionals continues to grow. The 72,000-square-foot facility will serve as the west gateway to the school’s Fourth Avenue innovation corridor, now known as the IDEA District.
Quote: Toney Stroud, Marshall’s vice president for strategic initiatives and corporate relations, noted, “IDEA stands for ‘Impossible Doesn’t Exist Anymore,’ and that spirit of possibility guides our work every day.”
More details are available here.
Automaker’s $13B Investment
Stellantis, the Netherlands-based parent company of Jeep, Chrysler, Dodge, and other auto brands, is putting the pedal to the metal for its U.S. manufacturing. The global automaker announced plans to invest $13 billion over the next four years to grow its business in the “critical” U.S. market and to increase its domestic manufacturing footprint. Representing the largest investment in the company’s 100-year U.S. history, the initiative is expected to boost operations and create more than 5,000 jobs at plants in the Midwest, among other plans.
Organization: Stellantis
Location: Midwest facilities
Type of project: Renovations
Size: N/A
Estimated cost: $13 billion
Status: Announced Oct. 14
Expected completion: 2029
Interesting tidbit: Plant-specific investments include more than $600 million to reopen the Belvidere Assembly Plant in Illinois to expand production of two Jeep models for the U.S. market; nearly $400 million to move the planned assembly of an all-new midsize truck to the Toledo Assembly Complex in Ohio; more than $100 million at Kokomo, Ind., facilities to produce a new engine; and nearly $100 million in Michigan to retool the Warren Truck Assembly Plant for two new vehicles and $130 million to prepare the Detroit Assembly Complex – Jefferson for production of the next-gen Dodge Durango.
Quote: Antonio Filosa, Stellantis CEO and North America COO, said the investment will “drive our growth, strengthen our manufacturing footprint, and bring more American jobs to the states we call home.”
More details are available here.
Honorable Mentions
- School Stadium Atop Parking Garage
- Renovation of Historic Coca-Cola Building
- Mayo Clinic Hospital Expansion
- $4B Google Data Center Investment
- Women’s Baseball Center
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.