May 30, 2024 (Fort Myers, FL) – PREMIER Design + Build Group recently completed its work on Highland Commerce Center of Fort Myers for HSA Commercial Real Estate. At 482,000 square feet, this speculative industrial facility is the largest cross-dock warehouse in Southwest Florida. The road to successful delivery of the facility was marked by two significant challenges: a natural disaster and the presence of a highly protected species on site.
HSA had selected PREMIER as general contractor for the Highland Commerce Center project. The firms were awaiting permits in September 2022 when Hurricane Ian, a Category 4 storm, made landfall in Florida’s Lee County. Ian caused massive damage and severe flooding across the region. Local officials immediately shifted their attention to hurricane relief efforts, suspending permit review and issuance for several months.
In the aftermath of the hurricane, PREMIER’s team encountered some local shortages. Fill was scarce, for example, and the job site would need approximately 215,000 cubic yards of material. The team worked to source fill from multiple different pits due to this limited availability.
By the time the necessary permits were secured, the team encountered a different sort of challenge. The project start date now coincided with bald eagle nesting season, and the lone tall tree on the 33-acre Fort Myers site housed a large nest. Although bald eagles are no longer considered imperiled, they are a protected species under both federal and Florida state law. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission regulates activity near active nests, meaning the crew would need to take multiple precautions to protect the birds.
PREMIER’s team, led by Senior Project Manager Jeramy Mahfet, worked diligently to ensure that the active nest was protected. They obtained an eagle take permit and established an appropriate buffer distance from the active project site. The crew adjusted work schedules to minimize noise and other disruptions. A specially trained nest monitoring service was brought in to observe the site each workday to ensure there was no abnormal behavior detected as the nesting female and her mate waited for their eggs to hatch.
Over the course of the 15-month build, the eagle pair produced three healthy eaglets. The eagles can still be spotted soaring above the newly completed Highland Commerce Center. As Mahfet explains, “We went to great lengths to be good stewards and to safeguard their habitat, so it was gratifying to see them thrive and multiply as we worked on this project.”
Mahfet’s team included Project Superintendent Richard Wyatt and Project Engineer Flavio Amboss. PREMIER led a full design + build team including Partners in Design Architects for architectural design, RA Smith Company for structural engineering, and Atwell, LLC for civil engineering. BL Companies provided mechanical and plumbing services, and Connelly Electric, Inc. provided electrical services.
About PREMIER Design + Build Group
PREMIER Design + Build Group is a leading national design-build construction firm with regional offices strategically located in Illinois, California, and New Jersey. With a strong track record spanning 20 years, PREMIER specializes in providing comprehensive solutions for industrial, commercial, healthcare, residential, retail, and mixed-use construction projects. An employee-owned company, PREMIER has an unwavering commitment to quality, innovation, and customer service that has earned it a reputation as a trusted partner in the industry.
About HSA Commercial Real Estate
Founded in 1981, HSA is a privately held, full-service real estate development and investment firm operating offices and properties in Arizona, California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, North and South Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia, and Wisconsin.
HSA recently ranked as the 14th largest commercial real estate owner and the 26th largest property manager by Midwest Real Estate News. Our staff incorporates over 50 full-time professionals experienced in every aspect of the commercial real estate industry.
With over 50 years of experience, HSA’s principals have been involved in developments and acquisitions in excess of 100 million SF and $6 billion dollars of value with a current owned portfolio valued in excess of $2.5 billion. HSA has deep and current experience in all aspects of build-to-suits for major corporations as well as a long track record of quality construction, management, and ownership of commercial real estate assets. HSA remains privately held and entrepreneurial in spirit. Therefore, we encounter none of the constraints of managerial bureaucracy.
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