Drew Ballensky

Drew Ballensky is general manager of Duro-Last Roofing, Inc.’s central U.S. facility in Iowa and company spokesman for Duro-Last’s cool roofing, sustainability and architectural education programs. He is past-president of the Chemical Fabrics and Film Association and chairman of CFFA’s Vinyl Roofing Division. Drew earned his bachelor’s degree in industrial technology from the University of Northern Iowa and master’s degree in business administration from Florida State University. Drew has over 29 years experience in business and industry in various engineering and managerial capacities. He has worked in the U.S. and Canadian operations for a major international manufacturer of pre-engineered steel buildings, was a financial analyst with a major athletic apparel manufacturer and was an owner of a general contracting company.

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Posted on January 02, 2013 by Drew Ballensky

Shuttered Pyramid arena in Memphis to be renovated for Bass Pro Shops

The vacant Pyramid arena in downtown Memphis will be transformed into a Bass Pro Shop. Instead of a 210-room hotel on three floors around The Pyramid's interior, Bass Pro Shops founder Johnny Morris is considering building 60 to 80 "cabins" inside the building. Building a hotel became too expensive...

Posted on December 26, 2012 by Drew Ballensky

Ongoing retro-commissioning helps Coral Gables, Fla., high-rise earn LEED Gold

A 13-story, 231,000 sf multi-tenant office building with first floor retail tenants in Coral Gables, Fla., has received LEED Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council for existing buildings after a retrofit. Built in 1974, 255 Alhambra Circle achieved the certification due to: • An...

Posted on December 19, 2012 by Drew Ballensky

Boston's Castle Square Apartments achieves 72% energy reduction after retrofit

Earlier this year, Castle Square Apartments in Boston completed a deep energy retrofit after a complex renovation process that lasted two years. A deep energy retrofit is defined as a renovation with energy savings greater than 50%, but the retrofit work at Castle Square Apartments reaped a...

Posted on December 11, 2012 by Drew Ballensky

J. Edgar Hoover FBI building in D.C. available for trade with GSA

Developers interested in acquiring and renovating the 2.4 million sf J. Edgar Hoover FBI building in Washington, D.C., can propose a property trade with the General Services Administration. The GSA put out RFIs for ideas on how to get a new FBI headquarters and how to redevelop a large swath of...

Posted on December 05, 2012 by Drew Ballensky

California to spend $2.75B on green retrofits for schools, public buildings

California voters last month passed Proposition 39, a measure that devotes $550 million a year until 2018, a total of $2.75 billion, to fund green-improvement projects at schools and public buildings. Upgrades are aimed at energy efficiency and include weatherization, replacement of leaking windows...

Posted on November 28, 2012 by Drew Ballensky

$100 million San Diego Marriott waterfront project gets key commission approval

A scaled-down plan for a renovation and expansion of the San Diego Marriott Marquis & Marina received approval from the California Coastal Commission. The $100 million waterfront project will consist of a new three-level, 35,000 sf ballroom and 35,000 sf exhibit hall. The plan is about 14,000...

Posted on November 20, 2012 by Drew Ballensky

New York City pledges $500M emergency fund for school, hospital storm repairs

Relief is on the way for schools and hospitals damaged by superstorm Sandy. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has announced that $500 million will be set aside for repairs of three public hospitals and 23 school buildings damaged by the hurricane. Bloomberg also signed an emergency order...

Posted on November 16, 2012 by Drew Ballensky

GSA will offer more federal property for sale to raise construction funding

The General Services Administration says it's dramatically stepping up efforts to sell off underused federal properties to help finance federal construction projects, building renovations, and new leases. Last fiscal year, GSA sold 79 properties for more than $37 million, and gave an additional 35...

Posted on November 08, 2012 by Drew Ballensky

Texas’s Scott & White Hospital will undergo exterior reconstruction to correct defects

Scott & White Hospital in Temple, Texas has released plans for a $20 million exterior reconstruction of the Center for Advanced Medicine facility. The project became necessary after building forensic experts disassembled and examined areas with known leaks and discovered defects. The entire...

Posted on October 29, 2012 by Drew Ballensky

Major retrofit of Canada’s Kitchener Auditorium done while building remained open

A $12 million retrofit and expansion of the Kitchener Auditorium in Ontario, Canada, posed several challenges for builder Ball Construction, in part because the building remained in use during work. The structural steel addition, for example, was erected over the existing building. Bringing down...