Frame topped off on World Market Center building

Penta Building Group reached a construction milestone by topping off the steel frame of the third building of the World Market Center, the home furnishing and trade show complex in downtown Las Vegas.

JMA served as architect for the $550 million, 2.1 million-square-foot building at 495 S. Grand Central Parkway.

The 16-story, steel-framed building, scheduled for completion in the third quarter if 2008, will measure 250 feet wide by 700 feet long on top of a 27,000-cubic-yard concrete mat foundation. The project will use 17,500 tons of steel. The building's interior will have 34 escalators and 16 elevators.

Penta Vice President Ken Alber said the building, which rises above the Spaghetti Bowl freeway interchange, is "truly a landmark for Las Vegas."

Building C sits on 5 acres next to the first two buildings. In all, the three buildings represent a $1.1 billion investment in downtown Las Vegas, offering 5 million square feet of permanent showrooms.

The complex, developed by Jack Kashani, is bringing a new industry to the valley.w

Once all eight buildings of the $3 billion World Market Center are complete, they will provide a venue for an international selection of home furnishings.

The showroom is emerging as the leader in trade show designs where more than 1,500 manufacturers sell their products.

FIRE STATION: Construction has begun on a $5.1 million fire station in the master-planned Mountain's Edge community in the southwestern Las Vegas Valley.

Fire Station No. 66 is being built as part of a cooperative agreement with Focus Property Group, developer of Mountain's Edge, which set aside the land and paid more than $3.4 million toward design and construction costs and equipping the 10,500-square-foot facility.

The architect for the prototype project is BJG Architecture + Engineering; CG&B Enterprises is the contractor. Completion is scheduled for mid-2008.

LAPOUR SELLS: Las Vegas-based LaPour Partners recently sold Pinnacle Park Business Center II, a 159,714-square-foot industrial park in the Deer Valley submarket of Phoenix, for $20 million, or $126 a square foot.

COP-Pinnacle Peak, which is led by Cornerstone Real Estate Funds of Irvine, Calif., purchased the 12-acre property from LaPour Deer Valley North.

NEW CHURCHES: SR Construction completed construction on the administration building and site improvements for Bright Angel Church of Christ at 8560 Bright Angel Way. Estimated construction cost for the 6,200-square-foot project is $1.9 million. Swisher & Hall was the architect.

JVC Architects of Las Vegas completed Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church at 10265 Bermuda Road in late summer. Special features of the church include an expandable pantry area, cross-shaped windows and sloping interior ceiling with dividers. Rafael Construction served as general contractor for the $2.2 million project.

COMMERCE CENTER: TWC Construction has been awarded the $15.6 million contract to build the next phase of Henderson Commerce Center for Harsch Investment Properties.

The project comprises five single-story concrete tilt-up buildings on 17 acres at Warm Springs and Eastgate roads totaling 238,000 square feet. The contract includes site improvements and shell building construction.

Upon completion of the current expansion in third quarter 2008, Henderson Commerce Center will have nearly 600,000 square feet of industrial space.

LAND LOANS: Steve Brockman of Builder's Capital has negotiated two loans for land in Pahrump, one for $29.9 million to refinance 357 acres near the center of town and another for $6.5 million to refinance an existing loan on 200 acres of unimproved land.

Contact reporter Hubble Smith at hsmith@reviewjournal.com or (702) 383-0491.