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Construction Roundup: BioLegend, Higgs Fletcher & Mack, Wheelhouse Credit Union & More

By Dean Petersen

As the weather heats up, our Hughes Marino program, project and construction management team has been working hard on several exciting projects around our community. Here’s an inside look at some of the progress!

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BioLegend, Inc.’s Brand New Campus Complete

It was August of 2017 when we announced the groundbreaking of BioLegend New World Headquarters. We are proud to announce the entire project has been completed⁠—one day ahead of schedule and under budget!

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BioLegend was especially proud to host the BioLegend Campus Inauguration Symposium at their new World Headquarters on May 8th, the day before the American Association of Immunologists Annual Meeting in San Diego where BioLegend invited over 500 World-Renowned Immunologists and industry professionals. The Symposium included talks by five world-renowned immunologists, including 2018 Nobel Laureate, Professor James P. Allison, PhD. Congratulations to BioLegend on this amazing achievement!

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Higgs Fletcher & Mack Revitalizes High-Rise

Higgs Fletcher & Mack, a full-service law firm, is celebrating its 80th anniversary this year. In honoring the firm’s long-standing legacy and while looking to the future, Higgs Fletcher & Mack has recently refreshed its brand, added its name to the city’s skyline and remodeled its office suite.

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They expanded their offices located on the top three floors of a Class-A high-rise to include more private offices and conference rooms, a new interconnecting staircase, the relocation of the reception floor and Title 24 lighting upgrades. With panoramic views, complete renovation of the space and new finishes throughout, Higgs Fletcher & Mack has adopted a more progressive law firm design.

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Hughes Marino worked very closely with building management and the general contractor to work through a complicated, three phase project in occupied space and led value engineering efforts which afforded Higgs Fletcher & Mack the opportunity to redirect funds towards office suite enhancements. Hughes Marino partnered with the Higgs Fletcher & Mack project team which included Lockrul Construction as the general contractor and Gensler as the architect. Hughes Marino was honored to play a part in the design, project management and brokerage of this beautiful expansion and remodel for Higgs Fletcher & Mack!

Hughes Marino Orange County

Wheelhouse Credit Union Remodels their Downtown Branch

To bring the most modern banking conveniences to their members, Wheelhouse Credit Union completely remodeled their downtown branch with the help of Hughes Marino.

Hughes Marino Orange County

The branch, centrally located at Third Avenue and B Street, features a contemporary layout and new exterior to enhance the highly-traveled corner in the heart of the city. In addition to adding the most up-to-date digital capabilities, the remodel also added new private lounges for members to access during the day as well as a beautiful conference room to share with community partners.

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Hurkes Harris Design AssociatesH+W EngineeringHTK Structural Engineers and Thomas Wong made up the design team and Back’s Construction was the general contractor. Congratulations to the entire project team on the successful Wheelhouse Credit Union remodel!

Hughes Marino Orange County

Alfa Surgery Center Construction in Progress

Alfa Surgery Center 2.0 is in progress! This surgery center broke ground in April 2019 and is on schedule to be completed in December 2019. Specializing in the care and prevention of gastrointestinal and liver diseases, this building will feature multiple procedure rooms and include stunning interiors to provide added comfort in the patient recovery rooms.

Hughes Marino Orange County

Hughes Marino played an integral role in the entitlement process and worked closely with the city’s planning department to keep the project moving forward. We are excited to partner with the Alfa Surgery Center project team which includes Matalon Architecture and PlanningJacor Construction and GM Business Interiors.

Hughes Marino Orange County

Wilson Turner Kosmo LLP Relocates to Emerald Plaza

Wilson Turner Kosmo, one of the largest certified women-owned law firms in California, recently completed a relocation to the 16th floor of Emerald Plaza. Hughes Marino creatively sought an opportunity to put the firm into a significantly more efficient floor plate while preserving overall headcount within the space. Hughes Marino was thrilled and honored to be involved in the design, project management and brokerage aspects of their new space!

Hughes Marino Orange County

The space features a progressive law firm design that includes concrete floors, smaller private offices and natural light introduced by glass office fronts. The build-out also included new furniture such as sit/stand workstations and desks, as well as an outdoor patio with breathtaking views of the bay.

Hughes Marino Orange County

Hughes Marino provided project and construction management services which included weekly site visits, constructability reviews, documentation control and budget review. Our team also assisted the client in navigating a complex turnkey project that resulted in very limited, out of pocket costs. Congratulations to the Wilson Turner Kosmo project team, which included Prevost Construction as the general contractor and Gensler as the architect, on the successful completion of this project!

Hughes Marino Orange County

Pre-Development Planning with University Christian Church

In the October 2018 article of our construction roundup, we wrote about how Hughes Marino is working with the University Christian Church on developing a Master Plan to evaluate the various uses and opportunities for a roughly three-quarter city-block. Fast forward to today⁠—the church has taken the next steps in soliciting proposals from local developers to create a mixed-use project on a portion of their land. While Hughes Marino is not involved with the business planning or creation of the pro forma, we are advising on future project fundamentals such as project budgets, scheduling and phasing opportunities. The intention is to create a synergistic environment between the community, the sanctuary and a future development. More updates to come as this exciting project continues to unfold!

We are honored to be a part of these projects. Make sure to check in next quarter for more exciting updates from our team!

Dean Petersen is senior vice president of Hughes Marino, a global corporate real estate advisory firm that exclusively represents tenants and buyers. Contact Dean at 1-844-662-6635 or dean@hughesmarino.com to learn more.



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