With some of the high-profile projects that have or will bid in May/June – Highmark’s new $100 million Wexford Medical Mall, Chevron’s $250 million regional HQ, Turner Construction’s $60 million Gardens at Market Square – it would be natural to assume that the market will take a bit of a breather until after the July 4th holiday. That does not appear to be the case.

Prequalification is being done for the 360-unit Southpointe Town Center apartments, which will be developed by GMH Capital Partners in conjunction an office building and 2 parking garages. The total project should reach $60 million. The final approval of the Highmark/West Penn Allegheny deal will mean some relocation of executives running the new Allegheny Health Network, reportedly to 2 floors of the Alcoa Business Services Center. Major renovations to Highmark’s Penn Avenue Place offices are in the works.

On the subject of healthcare, remember that both the major hospital systems in the region have fiscal years that end June 30. WPAHS still has an enormous backlog of deferred maintenance and upgrades – at least $1 billion – needed to become competitive with UPMC facilities. And UPMC had several hundred million dollars in the pipeline that were shelved this winter. Neither has announced any sort of ramping up but July has historically meant new projects.

UPMC’s partnership with Altoona Hospital has produced a project in the early stages of planning. WTW Architects has been hired to design a $14 million, 100,000 sq. ft. outpatient facility in Altoona.

The Frick Museum made a splash in the local papers this morning with a story about their $15 million expansion, for which Loysen + Kreuthmeier is the local architect and Turner the construction manager.