Affinius Capital, McDonald Property Group and Premier Design + Build Group have broken ground on The HUB @ ONT build

A master-planned logistics park in Ontario, California, situated directly across from Ontario International Airport (ONT) in San Bernardino County, The HUB @ ONT project is notable for its scope, location, timeline and complexity. It will also be one of the first large-scale developments in Southern California to incorporate an innovative carbon-reduction system for the slab, tilt wall panels and paving as part of Affinius Capital’s strategic plan for achieving significant environmental sustainability goals through concrete decarbonisation methods.

The project owner is CanAm Ontario, which consists of an investment affiliate of Affinius Capital, a Canadian pension fund, and McDonald Property Group. CanAm Ontario has recently executed a 55-year ground lease with Ontario International Airport Authority to develop the entire 200-acre site.

Premier, a national design-build construction firm, recently began mass grading the entire site. It will construct more than two million square feet consisting of four buildings during Phase I of the project.

The site’s proximity to ONT will require extremely careful coordination with airport authorities to manage temporary runway closures during construction, the stakeholders said.

“We are pleased to see this major real estate development move forward, ultimately bringing new jobs to our region while providing critical non-aeronautical revenue streams that will help Ontario International Airport fund vital safety, security and infrastructure projects while keeping down costs to our airline partners,” said Alan D Wapner, president of the Ontario International Airport Authority board of commissioners.

The team will also work concurrently with the City of Ontario and CanAm’s infrastructure contractor, Granite Construction, to make extensive public improvements on every major roadway surrounding the site.

“This is an extraordinarily complex project necessitating an incredible amount of precision in both planning and execution,” explained Premier’s Steven Gabbert, president, Western Region. “There is a heavy coordination and communication lift, so we’ve convened a team of highly experienced project managers, project superintendents and project engineers who will be on-site to lead this build.”

A sustainable build

In addition to its complexity, The HUB @ ONT is being designed and built with sustainability high on the list of priorities. Multiple strategies for incorporating concrete decarbonisation, sustainable elements and achieving LEED Silver certification for this industrial development were identified. The carbon reduction of emissions volume resulting from this project, as compared to conventional concrete design for industrial projects, will achieve approximately 44,000 tons less embodied carbon released into the atmosphere across the entire development.

Rather than using conventional tilt-up concrete wall panels, Premier will construct the building walls incorporating insulated total integrated panel systems (TIPS). These use a specialized truss system, replacing a 4in layer of concrete with EPS foam core within each panel and dramatically reducing the amount of concrete required. By using TIPS panels rather than standard panels, the team will achieve a significant carbon footprint reduction across the site.

In addition to TIPS panels, Premier’s team will incorporate carbon-reducing specialty concrete Ecoslab, which produces nearly 50% less CO2 than traditional concrete slabs. Most CO2 emissions in concrete production occur when the limestone is burned. Since Ecoslab uses additional rebar (and less concrete) for reinforcement, CO2 emissions are significantly reduced. This results in a more sustainable slab without sacrificing performance. Other sustainable elements incorporated into the design include rooftop solar arrays, drought-tolerant landscaping and low-flow water systems.

A host of contractors

The target for delivery of the four Phase I buildings is Q2 2025. During Phase II, Premier’s team will add a further five buildings to The HUB @ ONT, bringing the total square footage to 4,263,000 over a 28-month overall schedule. The major consultants and subcontractors working on the assignment include HPA (architectural design), RPM Engineers (MEP design), Miyamoto International (structural engineer), Forsgren Associates (structural engineer–TIPS panels), Emerald Design (landscape design), Southern California Geotechnical (soils engineer), Thienes Engineering (civil engineer), Shambaugh & Son (design-build fire protection), Guy Yocom Construction (design build concrete), Gregg Electric (electrical), Johnson Plumbing (plumbing), Air Control Systems (HVAC), Panelized Structures (roof structure), Adams Iron (structural steel), and Saddleback Roofing (roofing and sheet metal).